Volunteers Plant 35,000 Flags At Bay Pines National Cemetery

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Those attending Memorial Day services at Bay Pines National Cemetery will be greeted by an overwhelming patriotic display of 35,000 American flags planted throughout the cemetery grounds.

About 200 volunteers, including members of Boy and Girl Scout troops and veterans organizations, spent Saturday decorating each grave site with a flag in what's become a Memorial Day tradition.

Once again, Bay Pines National Cemetery, 10000 Bay Pines Blvd. N., St. Petersburg, will host one of the area's largest Memorial Day observances with an estimated 4,000 people expected to attend.

The program will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 27 and will feature speakers, flag presentations, the laying of memorial wreaths and a patriotic performance by the Suncoast Symphony Orchestra.

Bay Pines is the only national cemetery in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.

“We will never cease to honor the immense collective service and sacrifices of the heroes who have laid down their lives in service to this nation to keep it safe and free,” said Paul Russo, medical director of the Bay Pines Veterans Administration Health Care System.

Guest speakers will include U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, 13th Congressional District of Florida.

Retired U.S. Army Master Sgt. Scott Neil will provide the keynote address.

Following the events of 9/11, Neil conducted numerous successful Special Operations combat missions as part of the Commander’s In-Extremis Forces. He was one of the first to lead the direct action and counter-terrorism charge into Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Horn of Africa.

His contribution and experience in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks were recently portrayed in the movie "12 Strong." The movie is the declassified true story of the horse soldiers who were part of Special Operations in Afghanistan during the first days of the war.

In addition, Neil actively participates with the George W. Bush Military Service Initiative and Team 43, a collaboration of former veterans and the former president and his staff. This collaboration focuses on the power of outdoor recreational sports such as mountain biking and golf. President Bush recently painted a portrait of Scott, and his story is now featured in the former president’s best-selling book “Portraits of Courage.”

Parking for the ceremony will be available nearby. Shuttles will provide transportation for guests from the parking lots to the national cemetery. The venue is handicapped accessible.

A sign language interpreter will also be available for the hearing impaired.

The ceremony will be held rain or shine. Please plan appropriately for inclement weather.

For further information, contact the cemetery office at 727-319-6479.

Memorial Day remembers those who died while serving the country in the Armed Forces. The practice of honoring the fallen began as Decoration Day after the Civil War when families of both Union and Confederate forces began to decorate the graves of the fallen. In 1971, Decoration Day became Memorial Day in an effort to remember all who died in service to the nation.