Sarasota National Cemetery

Additional Cemetery Info...

9810 Hwy 72
Sarasota, Florida, 34241 USA
Coordinates: 27.24700, -82.38184
Phone: (877) 861-9840

Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closed federal holidays.

Visitation Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Phone: 877-861-9840 Or 941-922-7200
FAX: 941-922-3457

During World War II, the U.S. Army identified Florida as an ideal location for military flight training, due to its year-round good weather and abundance of flat, open terrain. The army operated two air stations in Sarasota County. The Sarasota Army Airfield, near the border with Bradenton County, opened in spring 1942 to train bomber pilots; it transitioned into a fighter station later in the year. The Venice Air Base opened in December 1942 as a training school for fighter pilots. Over the course of the war, over 6,000 personnel were stationed at the two installations. Soon after the armistice, both bases were deactivated and turned over to local governments.

Florida's population tripled between 1950-1980 as retirees flocked there for the warm climate, and as immigrants arrived for employment opportunities. Sarasota County shared in the expansion. While agriculture and ranching continued to be an important part of the local economy, the service sector grew considerably.

With the passage of the National Cemetery Expansion Act of 2003, Congress directed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to establish six new national cemeteries. A demographic study of the nationwide veteran population identified the Sarasota area as lacking burial options. NCA considered three southwestern Florida sites before purchasing from J. Arlin Hawkins, in 2007, acreage that was operated as a family-operated ranch since the 1870s. Sarasota National Cemetery was formally dedicated in 2008 and opened for burials the following year. It is the sixth national cemetery established in Florida and the 127th in the national cemetery system.