Community pays respect to over 15,000 buried at Florence National Cemetery
FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) — With more than 15,000 buried at the Florence National Cemetery, those who came out on Memorial Day felt it was the least they could for the price that so many paid.
'It's amazing. Everyone wanted to come together all for the same reason,' director Anthony Ramos said. 'To honor our vets, our fallen veterans, and be able to come together as a whole, as a collective and do this ceremony.'
Over 15,000 men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in some form or fashion are buried at Florence National Cemetery. Whether they're a spouse of a soldier, or a soldier themselves, Memorial Day gave the community the opportunity to show their appreciation.
'I feel like a lot of the veterans are forgotten about, and anything we can do to help their honor and have them recognized is something that we really need to do,' Mark Baur of Christian Motorcycle Association said.
The keynote speaker, retired Naval officer Lt. Commander James Bethea Jr., is now over the Naval JROTC program at South Florence High School. He served for 30 years and says Memorial Day is more than just the start of summer.
'For those that have served in the military, Memorial Day holds a greater significance, as it commemorates the brave men and women who lost their lives defending our great nation,' Bethea said.
The flags were put out in just over and hour and a half on Saturday, with the help of volunteers like the Boys and Girls Scouts, as well as other groups in the community.
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Eric Cooper is a multimedia journalist at News13. He joined the team in September 2024 and covers stories in the Pee Dee. He is a native of Cades in Williamsburg County and a proud graduate of Kingstree Senior High School and Benedict College. You can read more of his work here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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