Bay Pines hosts annual Memorial Day ceremony
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (FOX 13) - Thousands are expected to honor the fallen at Bay Pines National Cemetery.
On Memorial Day, 4,000 are likely going to be in attendance. Volunteers marked more than 35,000 headstones at the St. Petersburg cemetery with U.S. flags to honor the men and women who served the nation.
"They say that you die twice: once when you die, and the second time is the last time you say their name. Memorial Day, when we're out placing the flags, we say their name so that they're never forgotten," said Glen Howell with The Veteran Initiative.
The annual ceremony begins at 10 a.m. It’s one of the largest Memorial Day events in the Tampa Bay area. Guest speakers include U.S. Representative Charlie Crist and retired U.S. Army Master Sgt. Scott Neil.