Discovering Patriot Plaza on the Suncoast

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - On Veterans Day, Patriot Plaza at Sarasota National Cemetery stands as a place built to honor those who served in the U.S. armed forces.National cemeteries are a final resting place for Americans who honorably served in the armed forces. They are somber and quiet places. Cemetery Director Richard Wallace said Patriot Plaza is what makes the cemetery unique.“It’s one of the centerpieces, the jewels of the Southeast District, which we fall under,” Wallace said.The plaza is a place to sit, remember and honor loved ones, out of the burning sun.Linda Gould, community connection consultant for the Patterson Foundation, said the plaza has a stated purpose.“Patriot Plaza is intended to honor veterans, inspire patriotism and embrace freedom,” Gould said.Art is the centerpiece of that inspiration. Gould pointed to the photographs and what the foundation calls “Witness to Mission,” the outer ring of Patriot Plaza.“It evokes a story. You’re the witness to them,” Gould said.