Florida is flat. If you’ve spent any time driving through Sumter County, you know the landscape is a repetitive blur of scrub oaks, pine trees, and cattle fences. But then you turn off toward the Florida National Cemetery near Bushnell, and the vibe changes completely. It’s quiet. It’s heavy.
Most people just call it Bushnell. It’s technically the Florida National Cemetery, but the locals and veterans’ families have called it Bushnell for decades because, well, that's where it is. When you're headed there for a service, you aren't just looking for a grave marker. You’re looking for the Bushnell National Cemetery ceremonial assembly area.
Don't let the name trip you up. It sounds like a formal building or a massive stadium seating section, but it’s basically the staging ground for the final goodbye. It’s where the motorcade gathers. It’s where the chaos of Florida traffic stops and the actual military honors begin. Honestly, if you miss the assembly area, you might miss the entire service. These ceremonies move with military precision—literally—and they don’t wait for people circling the grounds looking for parking.
Why the Ceremonial Assembly Area Is the Only Spot That Matters at First
Here is the thing about national cemeteries: they don’t usually hold the service at the actual graveside. I know, that’s not what we see in the movies. In the films, everyone is standing on the grass around a hole in the ground. At a high-volume site like Bushnell, which is one of the busiest in the entire Department of Veterans Affairs system, that just isn't practical.
Instead, everything happens at a committal shelter.
But you don't drive straight to the shelter. If you do, you’ll likely find another family finishing their service. You have to go to the Bushnell National Cemetery ceremonial assembly area first. Think of it as the "check-in" point for the funeral procession. When you arrive, you’ll see signs directing "Funeral Processions" or "Services" toward a specific lane.
The staff there are pros. They’ll ask you which veteran you’re there for, and then they’ll tuck your car into a specific line. You sit there. You wait. You might talk to your cousins through the car window. Then, exactly on time, a lead vehicle—often a cemetery representative or a volunteer—will lead the entire line of cars out to the designated committal shelter.
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The Layout and What to Expect
The assembly area isn't fancy. It’s functional. It’s a series of paved lanes designed to hold dozens of cars at once. It’s located near the main administration building, which is usually the first big structure you see after passing through the main gates.
If you’re the one driving, keep your hazard lights on. That’s the universal signal in the cemetery that you’re part of the official group. It helps the staff keep the different families separated so you don't accidentally end up at a service for a stranger three miles away on the other side of the 500-acre grounds.
The Committal Service: 20 Minutes of Precision
Once you leave the Bushnell National Cemetery ceremonial assembly area, the clock starts ticking. The VA is very strict about timing. Most services are exactly 20 minutes long. That sounds short, right? It is. But it’s also incredibly powerful because there is zero fluff.
You'll arrive at the shelter. These are open-air structures. They have a roof to keep the Florida sun and the inevitable 3:00 PM rain off your head, but the sides are open to the woods.
- The honor guard will be there.
- The flag folding happens.
- Taps is played.
- The shell casings are sometimes handed to the next of kin.
It’s intense. Because the assembly area did its job of grouping everyone together, the transition is seamless. You aren't wandering around looking for a seat. You follow the car in front of you, park where the attendant points, and walk ten feet to the benches.
A Common Misconception About Burial
A lot of people get upset when they realize they won't see the casket or urn actually lowered into the ground. I get it. It feels unfinished. But because Bushnell handles so many burials a day—sometimes 30 or more—the actual interment happens later in the day after the families have left.
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If you really want to see the gravesite, you usually have to come back after 4:00 PM or the next morning. The staff in the administration building (near that Bushnell National Cemetery ceremonial assembly area) can give you a map with the exact section and grave number. They even have kiosks where you can type in a name and it prints out a little map for you. It’s surprisingly high-tech for such a somber place.
The Logistics of the Bushnell Experience
Getting there is easy; getting there on time is the hard part.
Bushnell is located off I-75. If you're coming from Tampa or Orlando, you're looking at about an hour drive, but I-75 is notorious for accidents that back things up for miles. If you’re late and miss the departure from the Bushnell National Cemetery ceremonial assembly area, you are going to have a very hard time finding your group.
The cemetery is massive. We’re talking over 500 acres of developed and undeveloped land. If you miss the procession, you can't just drive around hoping to hear a bugle. The admin office can tell you which shelter your group is at, but by the time you navigate the winding roads to get there, those 20 minutes might be up.
Rules You Should Actually Follow
- No Flowers on the Casket: They generally don't want you leaving floral arrangements at the committal shelter. They have a central floral area, and staff will move everything to the grave site later.
- Stay on the Pavement: Florida soil is basically sugar sand. If you try to pull off the road to let someone pass, there’s a 50/50 chance your SUV is going to get stuck.
- Speed Limits: They are serious. It’s 15 mph. It feels like crawling, but it’s about respect. And safety. There are often older folks walking across the roads who aren't looking for cars.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Location
People often confuse the Florida National Cemetery with the Bushnell "National Forest" or other local parks. There’s also the Dade Battlefield Historic State Park nearby. Don't go there. If your GPS says you’re going to a "state park," you’ve got the wrong address.
The actual address is 6502 SW 102nd Ave, Bushnell, FL 33513.
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When you enter, don't just stop at the first pretty tree you see. Keep driving until you see the signs for the Bushnell National Cemetery ceremonial assembly area. It’s the heartbeat of the facility. Without that staging ground, the whole system would collapse into a mess of lost visitors and delayed honors.
The Emotional Weight of the Assembly
There’s a specific kind of silence in the assembly area. You’ll see a biker group—maybe the Patriot Guard Riders—leaning against their Harleys, waiting to escort a brother-in-arms. You’ll see a young widow in a sedan. You’ll see an old veteran in a "World War II" hat sitting in his truck.
Everyone is in the same boat. You’re all waiting for that signal to move. It’s the last moment of "normalcy" before the finality of the committal service hits.
Honestly, the Bushnell National Cemetery ceremonial assembly area is where the community of veterans is most visible. You see the sheer scale of the service. You realize your family isn't the only one grieving, and there's something oddly comforting about that. You're part of a long, long line of people who served.
Actionable Steps for Families
If you are coordinating a service or attending one soon, here is what you actually need to do to make sure things go smoothly:
- Arrive 15–20 Minutes Early: Do not arrive 5 minutes before the scheduled time. Arrive early enough to find your lane in the Bushnell National Cemetery ceremonial assembly area. If the service is at 10:00, the procession is moving at 10:00 sharp.
- Coordinate Your Group: If you have 20 cars coming from different directions, tell them all to meet at a gas station off the I-75 exit first. Trying to find each other inside the assembly area is a nightmare.
- Check the Grave Locator: Use the VA’s online gravesite locator before you leave the house. If you want to visit the site after the ceremony, having the section number ready will save you a trip to the admin building.
- Prepare for the Weather: It's Florida. The assembly area is a parking lot. It will be hot. Have water in the car.
- Floral Policy: If you're bringing flowers, keep them simple. Natural cut flowers can be placed on graves at any time, but potted plants and "trinkets" are usually removed by the grounds crew on a weekly basis to keep the cemetery looking uniform.
The Bushnell National Cemetery ceremonial assembly area serves as the gateway. It’s the transition from the busy world of the highway and the town of Bushnell into the hallowed ground of the cemetery itself. Understanding how it works doesn't just make the logistics easier—it gives you the mental space to focus on the person you're there to honor rather than worrying about where to park.