A 12-year-old girl turned a small act of remembrance into a special tribute to American veterans after inspiring more than 40 volunteers to place pennies on every grave and burial vault at Alabama National Cemetery.
The project was carried out by members of the Iron Angels motorcycle club, who joined Clementine George and other volunteers for the effort in Montevallo, Alabama. The group collected thousands of pennies and spent about two hours placing them on the graves of veterans who served the country.
According to WBRC, the idea came from Clementine after a visit to Arlington National Cemetery. During the trip, she received one penny to place on a veteran’s grave. However, she wanted to leave more coins to honor other veterans but was disappointed when she learned there were no extra pennies available.
Her experience inspired her to find a way to make sure more veterans received the same sign of respect.
With help from the Iron Angels and members of the Lady Angels auxiliary, Clementine’s idea became a community project that reached every tombstone and burial vault at Alabama National Cemetery.
Clementine said the experience at Arlington National Cemetery stayed with her because she felt there were more veterans who deserved to be remembered.
“They gave us one penny each to put on anybody’s grave or tombstone and I wanted to put more on there but they didn’t have anymore,” Clementine said, per WBRC.
She also explained that the experience left her feeling upset because she believed other veterans were being left out.
The young girl brought her idea back home to Montevallo, where she found support from the Iron Angels. Instead of letting the idea remain a simple wish, the motorcycle club helped gather the pennies needed to make the tribute possible.
The group then organized volunteers to visit Alabama National Cemetery and place a penny on each tombstone and burial vault.
More than 40 people took part in the activity, which lasted around two hours. Each volunteer helped make sure the veterans buried at the cemetery received a small reminder that their service had not been forgotten.
Iron Angels founder George Bonafede, who served in the Vietnam War, said the project was about recognizing the people who helped protect the country’s freedom.
“We got together and we put pennies on each one of the tombstones. Just something to recognize the veterans and those who served our country,” Bonafede said.
Bonafede also shared what he hopes people will remember about veterans on Veterans Day.
“To look at us and say hey, these are the guys that kept our freedom. These are the guys that kept us free. We don’t ask for anything special,” Bonafede said.
For him and the other members of the motorcycle club, the activity was a way to show appreciation for those who served without asking for anything in return.
Leaving coins on the graves of military veterans is a tradition that carries special meaning.
According to Biker Dad, a penny placed on a veteran’s headstone traditionally means that someone visited the grave and took time to pay their respects. Other coins can carry different messages about the connection between the visitor and the person who served.
A nickel can represent that the visitor trained with the veteran, while a dime can mean they served together. A quarter traditionally means the visitor was present when the veteran died.
Although the pennies placed at Alabama National Cemetery were part of Clementine’s tribute, they also carried a simple message: the veterans were remembered and their service mattered.
Lindsay Dunagan, a member of the Lady Angels auxiliary and Clementine’s mother, watched as the volunteers carefully placed the coins on the graves.
She said she was touched by the way everyone took part in the activity with respect and care.
“Just watching everybody out here being solemn and quiet, and respectable out here. Just laying down pennies to make sure my daughter’s dream came true was just awesome,” Dunagan said.
The penny tribute will not end with the volunteers’ work at Alabama National Cemetery.
Members of the Iron Angels said they plan to save the pennies placed on the graves for Veterans Day in 2027. Any remaining pennies will be donated to Alabama National Cemetery.
The plan gives the group another opportunity to continue recognizing veterans and supporting the cemetery.
Bonafede said the project was also about showing love for the country and celebrating the freedom that veterans helped protect.
“We all want to just celebrate our freedom, celebrate our country, we love this country,” Bonafede said.
For Clementine, seeing the volunteers bring her idea to life was already a meaningful experience. She said the project made her feel that she had done something good for the veterans.
“It makes me feel like the veterans know that we are honoring them, and we respect what they did,” Clementine said.
Through the support of the Iron Angels and the Lady Angels auxiliary, Clementine helped create a moment of remembrance for every veteran buried at Alabama National Cemetery.
Related: A Wisconsin Veterans Group Will Recreate a 100-Year-Old Christmas Tree Sailing Tradition
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