Photo Essay: Bay Pines National Cemetery

Never Forgotten

Each day, thousands of vehicles pass by on their way to and from the beaches, oblivious to the sign that announces Bay Pines National Cemetery. Nearly 44,000 souls, all veterans of the United States military, their spouses and in some cases children, rest here in St. Petersburg. Burials include casualties of the Civil War, Spanish American War, WWI & WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, and Persian Gulf.

In 1933, the cemetery was dedicated and officially opened as a fi nal resting place for those who died in the Bay Pines Hospital nearby. The cemetery was transferred from the Veterans Administration to the National Cemetery System on May 28, 1984, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

A group of local photographers came together this year to create a visual tribute to the cemetery and our local fallen veterans in honor of this Memorial Day. Lead photographer Larry Busby of Gulfport, a US Navy veteran, organized the effort in conjunction with the cemetery administration. He was joined by photographers Eagle Finegan, Dorothy Smith and Thomas O’Connor.

Honorably discharged veterans , their spouses, and eligible dependents are still eligible to be laid to rest at Bay Pines (cremations only) by going through a pre-approval process or providing a copy of their other than dishonorable discharge documents to their funeral home or cremation service of choice. For information, call (727) 319-6479. The cemetery is open for visitation seven days a week from sunrise to sunset.