With an older section linked to the civil-war era stockade, and a newer, larger section across the…read morestreet, Florence National Cemetery displays history and modern history all at once. In the older section, I watched the staff set up the flags around the driveway in advance of the Memorial Day service. With military from the Civil War, through the Gulf War, there's history here. The older section has the huge, old trees providing coolness from the hot sun that invites lingering. The shade from the trees darkens some of the headstones from the white, to a dark gray. It's visually striking. Some of those same trees are almost equidistant from each other, which keeps it consistent with the markers. I'm not sure if it was planned, but it's still interesting. Unusual in this part, is a large section flanked by markers of "unknowns" with numbers representing the civil war dead from the nearby stockade, buried here. There's also a marker representing a memorial area for other soldiers who never came home for the obvious reasons, or the less obvious, such as cremation or a donation to science. Across the road, the newer, much larger section is modern era classic styling. There aren't the large trees, but it does have some small hills that break up the view. The markers on the hill, because of either the stone itself, or perhaps the sun and weather, are yellowed to nearly gold, yet fade to the standard white. As I drove in, I heard the bugler playing taps and shortly thereafter saw the soldiers carefully and slowly folding the flag and later presenting it to the older woman sitting under the pavilion with her family. It was sad and beautiful all at once and fitting on a Memorial Day weekend.

Enormous respect for those that served our nation and many who lost their lives with courage and…read moredignity. This cemetery is broken into two parts, one on each side of the road, serving as the final resting place for those that passed in the Civil War to those that died in 2016. Aligned and space with respect with many stones decorated with flowers and one with a smiley yellow balloon. That was an unexpected smile to see in this cemetery. The location is also the site of a historic stockade. There is amble room to drive with your car right up to the spots you want to see and it is also the final resting place for thousands of unknown union soldiers that died in prison camps or in transport. Florence cherishes and respects their military current and past.