Bay Pines National Cemetery
Encyclopedia
United States National Cemetery
"United States National Cemetery" is a designation for 146 nationally important cemeteries in the United States. A National Cemetery is generally a military cemetery containing the graves of U.S. military personnel, veterans and their spouses but not exclusively so...
located in Pinellas County
Pinellas County, Florida
Pinellas County is a county located in the state of Florida. Its county seat is Clearwater, Florida, and its largest city is St. Petersburg. This county is contained entirely within the telephone area code 727, except for some sections of Oldsmar, which have the area code 813...
, northwest of the city of St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
. It encompasses 27.3 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s (0.11 km²), and as of the end of 2008, had 27,369 interments.
Geography
Bay Pines is located at 27°48′31"N 82°46′21"W (27.819235, -82.776658). Its address is 10,000 Bay Pines Blvd., North, Bay Pines, FloridaBay Pines, Florida
Bay Pines is a census-designated place in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,065 at the 2000 census. The community is home to Bay Pines Veterans Hospital and Bay Pines National Cemetery.-Geography:...
in Pinellas County, adjacent to Bay Pines Veterans Administration Medical Center
Bay Pines Site
The Bay Pines Site is a historic site in Bay Pines, Florida. It is located on the property of the Veterans' Administration Medical Center in Bay Pines. On February 23, 1983, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.-External links:* at...
.
History
The site is believed to have been used as a burial ground as early as the Indian WarsIndian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
, but did not become an official cemetery until March 15, 1933, when it was used to inter those who died in the nearby veterans' hospitals. The first modern interment was made on April 25, 1933. By 1964, all available plots had been filled. In 1984 it was relandscaped and reorganized to allow for more space. In the same year, on May 28, administration of the cemetery was transferred to the Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
and it became a National Cemetery. It is now closed to casketed remains unless there is room at the existing gravesite of other family members.
Notable monuments
There are several monuments at the cemetery entrance. The oldest is large in size and made of pink Etowah marbleEtowah marble
Etowah marble, also called Georgia pink marble, is a marble with a characteristic pink, salmon, or rose color that comes from quarries near Tate, Georgia.-Notable buildings with Etowah marble:*Carillon, Boks Tower Gardens, Florida...
. It was erected in 1937 and dedicated to "the memory of those who served their country". Another is a polished granite bench, dedicated to the memory of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
veterans. To commemorate the United States Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
, a maple tree was planted in 1976.
A POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
/MIA
Missing in action
Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
monument is the newest addition, facing the WWI bench.
See also
- United States Department of Veterans AffairsUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsThe United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
- United States National Cemetery