Each day we are reminded in some small way that we are living in land that once saw an immense amount of bloodshed. We are surrounded by reminders that battles in the Civil War were fought all around us.

Monuments serve as reminders and streets and towns are named after historic figures in the War. The resting places of many young unknown men can be found just down the road in every direction. With Memorial Day approaching, it is a good time to take a Sunday Drive and explore one or more of the state’s Civil War cemeteries.

In Mississippi, there are more than 34 separate Civil War cemeteries and the journey to one of these need not be far. There are also graves that can be found scattered about the state that are not in cemeteries. Each site is relatively similar, yet they are each so different. One thing that you will notice upon entering is the silence that seems to cloak each one. As you stand and take in the scene before you, you are sure to realize that you are standing on sacred ground. No matter which direction you look you will see the white headstones standing at attention for eternity. You will see them lined up in rows and the sheer number of them should be sobering. Each stone represents someone who fought and died for his country. Each stone represents a father, a son, a husband or a friend who believed in something enough to make the ultimate sacrifice with pride and dignity.

The sea of white stones stands in stark contrast to the signs of life that surround them. As you pass by each stone you may see the name of the soldier that is resting there or, more often you may simply see the word “Unknown.” Their names forever lost, but their actions remembered here, forever. As you walk down each aisle and look at the stones before you, you may notice a coin on a headstone here or there. On one stone, you may find a penny and on another you may find a quarter. These coins have meaning and can be found in most military cemeteries, a message and a sign of respect to the family of the soldier from an unknown visitor.

In ancient times, and across cultures, people believed that those who had passed on needed the coins to gain access to the next world. They believed that the coin was used to pay the boatman or the ferryman of the dead. Coins were placed in the mouths of the deceased, on the eyes and finally on the grave, but the coin was placed. Coins placed on military graves have a much greater significance and often serve as messages to the family of the deceased.

If you see a penny placed on a headstone it is a message to the family of the soldier that someone visited the grave to pay their respects. A nickel placed on a headstone means that the visitor trained in boot camp with the deceased. If there is a dime on the headstone it means that the visitor served with the deceased in some way. A quarter left on a headstone lets the family of the deceased know that the visitor was with him when he died.

According to the website: Blue Star Mothers of America Inc. (https://bluestarmothersny1.org/Patriotic_Tidbits/Coins-tombstones/index.php) many Vietnam veterans leave the coins, “as a down payment to buy their fallen comrades a beer or play a hand of cards when they would finally be reunited.” The coins still appear and the tradition of respect continues. The soldiers resting before you were appreciated and respected by someone enough that they chose to display it in this small way. A short message to let a family know that someone cares.

The drive to one of the Civil War cemeteries is not long. The cemeteries are peaceful fields, places where the men that fought and died are resting. Their markers stretching out in long rows of white stones. Each one a reminder that they gave their lives so that we could live ours the way we choose to, as they are in all military cemeteries. Each marker a sobering reminder of those who had and still have today the conviction to do the right thing, men and women, who put the lives of their countrymen and countrywomen over their own, who do their level best to try to make this world safer and a better place to live for each and every one of us. As you walk across the field of green grass perhaps reach into your pocket and leave a coin as a token of respect to a soldier you have never met.

Correspondent Gena Koelker writes Sunday Drives, which appears twice monthly in The Meridian Star. Recommend a drive to editor@themeridianstar.com.

If you go

Marion Confederate Cemetery:

Take MS-39/Highway 39 N.

Turn right onto Old Country Club Rd E.

Then 0.61 miles.

Turn slight right onto Confederate Drive.

Then 0.74 miles.

6840 Confederate Dr, #6852, Marion, MS 39342-9414, 6840 CONFEDERATE DR, #6852 is on the left.

Lauderdale Springs Confederate Cemetery:

Take I-20 E/I-59 N from 22nd Ave.

Take US-45 to Old Hwy 45 N in Lauderdale.

Follow York Rd to Kewanee Road d.

Turn right onto Old Hwy 45 N.

Turn right onto York Road.

Turn right onto Kewanee Road.

9427-9431 Kewanee Road.

Lauderdale, MS 39335.

Enterprise Confederate Cemetery:

Take I-20 W/I-59 S from 29th Ave and Martin Luther King Jr Drive.

Follow I-59 S to Co Rd 370 in Clarke County. Take exit 137 from I-59 S.

Take C R 370 to Cemetery Rd in Enterprise.