BUSHNELL, Fla. — It's impossible to describe the pain people feel on the day they say goodbye to their loved ones. At the Florida National Cemetery, those goodbyes are sometimes said by more than 20 families a day.
What You Need To Know
- 80% of the staff at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell are veterans
- The cemetery is the final resting place for 180,000 military members
- Staff say the military tie helps them feel a special connection to the grieving families
While grief comes in all forms, for many during a funeral on internment, it can feel like you may never smile again. But then families are guided on that tough day by employees like Adrian Ramsey. He is a cemetery representative and tasked with taking families to the place where they say their final goodbyes.
Ramsey has a knack for putting people at ease, finding a smile, and showing compassion, but it's actually another connection that set him and other employees here apart from other cemeteries.
“United States Marine Corp, I served from 2004 to 2008," said Ramsey.
“I served in the Marine Corp, 2010 to 2015," said Arcel Sabilona of niche internments.
“Retired Marine Corp, oorah!" said David Varnum, administrative officer for Florida National Cemetery.
In fact, 80% of the staff at the Florida National Cemetery are veterans. And that not only means a lot to the families, but also to the workers themselves.
“It's like a brotherhood again all over," said Sabilona. “In the end we work together, we love each other like brothers and sisters, and we look out for each other too.”
“It’s a brotherhood. You know, you are very close with everybody, everybody kind of gets one another, your sense of humor, the way you act the way you do things, how you carry yourself most of the time. So it’s nice to have that camaraderie with everybody," said Ramsey.
Sabilona seals up the cremation remains into the columbariums.
“Every single one of them need to be treated with respect, dignity and honor, that is what they deserve. And we make sure everyday that is happening," said Sabilona.
From the landscaping to the burials to the actual services, former service members work in every job at this cemetery. It's the largest veteran workforce by percentage within Veterans Affairs.
“We have a staff of 62, with two-thirds of those being the field employees that do the internments and the grounds. As you can see they do a tremendous job," said Varnum.
Tremendous in its sheer size and beauty. Across 515 acres, it's perfectly manicured gravestones all sit perfectly in straight rows.
“The white stones are the older part of the cemetery," said Ramsey. "That is when we first open back in '88, '88 and '90s is when we did all the marble.”
More than 125,000 graves, then add in the remains in the columbariums, there are 180,000 people who have been laid to rest in there. That is a lot of goodbyes.
“After awhile now it doesn’t get me as much, but there's those times where you have a couple services that really do get you," said Ramsey.
“Quite sometimes yes. And, we still got to do our job at the time, but sometimes you just can’t detach yourself from the situation, you feel empathy," said Sabilona. “Personally I couldn’t find anything more rewarding than this job.”
For any veteran or family member, staff at the Florida National Cemetery encourages you to reach out if you have any questions on veteran burial rights.