Coins, camaraderie, and the quiet lessons of Memorial Day

Memorial Day has come and gone, but its meaning hasn't left me-not even out here in the dry heat of Boise, Idaho, where I'm currently in the thick of my Annual Training with the Army National Guard.

This year, something small caught my eye-and heart. Coins, carefully placed on the headstones of military graves. It's a tradition I had noticed in the past, but only recently took the time to understand. And now that I do, I can't stop thinking about it.

For those unfamiliar, the coins are more than a token of respect. They tell a story.

A penny simply means someone stopped by to pay their respect...