GENERAL INFORMATION

Throughout the cemetery there are isolated committal shelters for use by families who wish to hold committal services prior to burial of their loved ones. The main entrance of the cemetery hosts the Public Information Center and cortege lanes for arriving services. All information about the cemetery can be obtained in this location.

In November 2001, a columbarium opened to hold cremated remains.

Military Funeral Honors
Florida National Cemetery staff maintains a list of Veterans Service Organization units that may be contacted to arrange a military honor group in addition to or in lieu of the Department of Defense Military Funeral Honors.
back to top

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Florida National Cemetery is located in the Withlacoochee State Forest, approximately 50 miles north of Tampa in Sumter County, Fla. Withlacoochee State Forest was acquired by the federal government from private landowners between 1936 and 1939 under the provisions of the U.S. Land Resettlement Administration. The U.S. Forest Service managed the property until a lease-purchase agreement transferred it to the Florida Board of Forestry in 1958. Currently, Withlacoochee State Forest is the second-largest state forest in Florida, divided into eight distinct tracts of land.

In 1842, Congress encouraged settlement here by establishing the Armed Occupation Act. The law granted a patent for 160 acres to any man who kept a gun and ammunition, built a house, cultivated five acres of the land and remained there for at least five years. Settlers moved in to take advantage of the generous offer. The area contained abundant timber and suitable farmland, appealing attributes to frontiersmen. In 1845 Florida was granted statehood.

During the Civil War, a sugar mill on the Homosassa River supplied sugar to the Confederacy. A robust citrus-growing industry developed in the eastern part of the area and became a focus of intense economic expansion soon after the war.

In 1980, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it would establish a new national cemetery in Florida, its fourth. Two major locations for the cemetery were studied: Cross Florida Barge Canal and Withlacoochee State Forest. The Withlacoochee site, though more environmentally sensitive, was supported by government officials. On Feb. 15, 1983, the state transferred land to the VA for the development of a Florida National Cemetery. The first interment was in 1988.

Monument and Memorials
The cemetery features a Memorial Pathway that is lined with a variety of memorials that honor America’s veterans. As of 2003, there were 47 such memorials at Florida National Cemetery—most commemorating soldiers and veterans of 20th-century conflicts.

The American Veterans (AMVETS) donated a carillon on Oct. 9, 1993, which is located in the open meadow adjacent to the original administration building. The main assembly area is adorned with an open colonnade where Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies are held.
back to top

NOTABLE BURIALS

Medal of Honor Recipients
Sergeant Major Franklin D. Miller (Vietnam) U.S. Army 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces. Kontum Province, Republic of Vietnam, Jan. 5, 1970 (Section ML, Grave 1).

Master Sergeant James R. Hendrix (World War II) U.S. Army, Company C, 53rd Armored Infantry Battalion, 4th Armored Division. Near Assenois, Belgium, Dec. 26, 1944 (Section MOH, Site 1).

Other Burials
Major David Moniac, (2nd Seminole War) LT 6th U.S. Infantry Alabama Mounted Creek Volunteers, First Native American Graduate USMA Class of 1822, KIA Wahoo Swamp, Dec. 25, 1802 – Nov. 21, 1836 (Section MD, Grave 1).

First Lieutenant Thomas Buchanan (Civil War), Oct. 7, 1825 – June 13, 1863 (Section MD, Grave 39).

Private Albert J. Emery (Spanish American War) 7th U.S. Cavalry, 14th Division, Sept. 15, 1877 - Aug. 30, 1957 (Section 103, Grave 383).
back to top

FLORAL/GROUNDS REGULATIONS

Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.

Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Natural cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. They will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing.

Artificial flowers and potted plants will be permitted on graves during periods when their presence will not interfere with grounds maintenance. As a general rule, artificial flowers and potted plants will be allowed on graves for a period extending 10 before through 10 days after Easter Sunday and Memorial Day.

Christmas wreaths, grave blankets and other seasonal adornments may be placed on graves from Dec. 1 through Jan. 20. They may not be secured to headstones or markers.

Permanent plantings, statues, vigil lights, breakable objects and similar items are not permitted on the graves. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not permit adornments that are considered offensive, inconsistent with the dignity of the cemetery, or considered hazardous to cemetery personnel. For example, items incorporating beads or wires may become entangled in mowers or other equipment and cause injury.

Permanent items removed from graves will be placed in an inconspicuous holding area for one month prior to disposal. Decorative items removed from graves remain the property of the donor but are under the custodianship of the cemetery. If not retrieved by the donor, they are then governed by the rules for disposal of federal property.
back to top