Burial at South Florida National Cemetery: A family guide

History of South Florida National Cemetery

South Florida National Cemetery is the fifth national cemetery built in Florida and the 125th in the national cemetery system.

Historically, the site of South Florida National Cemetery was used as farmland, as evidenced by the historic canal systems used to irrigate the property. Portions of the site were used for cattle grazing up until the time of its purchase by the National Cemetery Administration in 2002.

The development of Palm Beach County, and South Florida in general, was sparked by the investment in the local railroad system by Henry Morrison Flagler. An early partner of Standard Oil with John D. Rockefeller, Flagler left the company in the late 19th century, turning his attention to the creation of a continuous railway system down the east coast of Florida, stretching from Jacksonville to Key West. This railway was instrumental to the rapid growth of Palm Beach County in the 20th century.

South Florida National Cemetery opened for burials in 2007, and was formally dedicated on March 9, 2008.

Notable veterans buried at South Florida National Cemetery

The National Cemetery Administration documents the following veterans of note buried at South Florida National Cemetery, listed by section and site as recorded in the cemetery's official register.

• Joseph "Joe" Henry Astroth (World War II). Astroth was born in Illinois in 1922. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and played baseball and basketball. He joined the Coast Guard in 1942 and served until the end of World War II. After the war he signed a contract with the Philadelphia Athletics professional baseball team and made his major league debut in August 1945. Astroth was a consistent catcher in 10 years with the Athletics, who moved to Kansas City during his tenure. He was a solid defensive player who had a career percentage of "caught stealing" at 49-percent. He is one of only nine players to collect six RBIs in a single inning, a feat he performed against the Washington Senators in 1950.
• SP4 Thomas Howard Corey (Vietnam). Corey (1944–2022) was a disabled Veteran and Nobel Peace Prize nominee known for his advocacy on behalf of the Veteran community. A Detroit native, Corey was drafted in 1967 and served in Vietnam with the 1st Cavalry Division. On January 31, 1968, while attempting to take an enemy-held village, he received a gunshot wound to the neck that left him a quadriplegic. Despite his injuries, Corey became a tireless advocate for his fellow Veterans, working for Vietnam Veterans of America and serving on advisory boards with local VA Medical Centers. He later made sixteen trips to Vietnam, focusing on locating POW/MIAs and issues related to Agent Orange exposure. Corey was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, and the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center was posthumously named after him. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with V device for Valor, two Purple Hearts, an Air Medal, an Army Commendation Medal, a Presidential Unit Citation, and a Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross. (Section 38, Site 734)
• John "Johnny" Leonard Gray (World War II). Gray was born in West Palm Beach, FL in 1926 and was a standout baseball player at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. During World War II he served with the U.S. Army in the Mediterranean Theater. He was signed as a pitcher by the New York Yankees in 1950 and played four years in the minor leagues before making his major league debut with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1954. He moved with that squad to Kansas City and also played with the Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies throughout a four-season major league career. His best game took place on July 30, 1957, when he pitched a three-hit shutout against the Baltimore Orioles at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.
• Chris Hixon (Persian Gulf, Iraq). Hixon enlisted in the Navy in 1986 and transitioned into the Naval Reserves in 1992 where he retired in October 2013. His military awards and decorations include 3 Navy Achievement Medals, Good Conduct Medal, Navy Reserve Meritorious Service Medal and Navy Reserve Medal. He saw service in the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Hixon worked as the athletic director and wrestling coach at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. He stepped in to coach other sports threatened to be discontinued, at different times coaching as many as five sports with no supplemental pay. During a horrific school shooting on February 14, 2018, Hixon raced toward the gunfire to protect the students and stop the attack. He was one of 17 killed at the Parkland school.
• Claude Roy Kirk, Jr. (World War II, Korea). Kirk was born in San Bernardino, CA in 1926. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve after high school and rose to the rank of second lieutenant serving stateside in World War II. He earned a bachelor's degree from Duke University and graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in Tuscaloosa in 1949. He was recalled to the Marines during the Korean War and served with the 1st Marine Division and then aboard the battleship USS New Jersey. He was discharged in 1952 as a first lieutenant, and started a successful insurance firm in Jacksonville, FL in the late 1950s. Kirk changed his party affiliation to Republican in 1960 and, after losing a bid for a U.S. Senate seat in 1964, won the Florida governorship in 1966 — the first Republican governor in the state since Reconstruction. He held the office for one term, from 1967 until 1971, earning the nickname "Claudius Maximus" for his brash, colorful personality.
• Colonel Alan Cawthra Macaulay (Korea, Vietnam). Macaulay (1937–2022) was born in Bridgeport, CT, and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1954. He was initially an aviation mechanic, but within two years was accepted for flight training, and in July 1957 he was commissioned a naval aviator. Macaulay served two tours in Vietnam, flying over 900 combat missions, for which he was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and over forty separate air medals. In 1981, Macaulay was promoted to full colonel and went on to serve as deputy director of operations, National Military Command Center, commanding officer of the 31st MAU, and executive assistant to the Marine Corps director of aviation. In retirement he, along with two business partners, founded Delpar Enterprises, a tire and automotive services company. (Section 38, Site 2622).
• John Orsino (Vietnam). Orsino was born in Teaneck, NJ in 1938 and grew up in Fort Lee. He attended the University of Bridgeport, CT, on scholarship for one year before signing with the New York Giants as a catcher prior to the 1957 season. He had five successful seasons in the minor leagues hitting 100 home runs and being named to three all star teams, including the 1960 All-American Minor League Team. Two of his minor league off-seasons were spent with the U.S. Army, one of them an 8-month tour due to the 1961 Berlin Crisis. His major league debut with the San Francisco Giants came in July 1961. He was acquired by the Baltimore Orioles the following season and remained with them through 1965, then played for the Washington Senators from 1966–1967. Orsino returned to New Jersey after his professional career ended and coached baseball at Fairleigh Dickinson University from 1970–1976 and 1980. After his baseball coaching career, he worked as a golf pro in New Jersey, then Florida. He was the Florida Atlantic University golf coach from 2004–2006.
• Henry "Hank" Rosenstein (World War II). Rosenstein was born in Brooklyn in 1920 and attended City College of New York. He was named the MVP of the Eastern Jewish Center Basketball League for 1942–1943. During World War II he served in the Navy and played for the Sampson Navy and Brooklyn Armed Guards — both Navy basketball teams playing in New York. Following WWII, Rosenstein played for a mostly Jewish New York Knicks team that took part in what is considered the NBA's first game on November 1, 1946, against the Toronto Huskies in Toronto. He was traded to the Providence Steamrollers in 1947 and played for the Scranton Miners from 1947–1952. Rosenstein was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.

Eligibility for burial at South Florida National Cemetery

Planning ahead for a Veteran's or loved-one's final resting place can eliminate unnecessary delays and reduce stress on a family at a difficult time.

The Department of Veterans Affairs covers the grave plot, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government-furnished headstone or marker, and a U.S. burial flag at no cost to eligible families.

Visiting hours

Visitation Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset. Office Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed federal holidays. VA will continue its practice of honoring special requests for weekend burials for religious purposes, in cases of service members killed in action and on at least one day of any three-day Federal holiday weekend at all open VA national cemeteries.

How to schedule a burial at South Florida National Cemetery

1. The funeral home or family contacts the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-800-535-1117 (24/7 for active funeral arrangements).
2. Provide the veteran's full name, date of birth, social security number, dates of service, branch, and date of death.
3. Fax or email the DD-214 to the cemetery's interment office for verification.
4. Once eligibility is confirmed (typically 30–60 minutes for complete documentation), the cemetery assigns a date, time, and committal shelter.
5. The funeral home transports the deceased to South Florida National Cemetery at the assigned time. The cemetery handles opening, closing, and perpetual care from that point.

Where South Florida National Cemetery sits in the Florida cemetery system

South Florida National Cemetery is one of the veteran cemeteries operating in Florida. The cemetery is currently accepting new in-ground and columbarium interments. Families should verify status before planning.

For families considering alternatives, the nearest veteran cemeteries appear in our cemetery sidebar. If South Florida National Cemetery is fully reserved, those alternatives are typically the next options.