BUSHNELL, Fla. — When you’re responsible for laying to rest 6,500 veterans a year, timing is everything.

Roberto Pizarro, assistant director of the Florida National Cemetery, said it’s the second-busiest national cemetery when it comes to interments. It was established in 1986 and currently maintains over 137,000 grave sites.

For Pizarro, his job is more than just a highlight in his life, it’s personal. He’s a U.S. Army veteran who did one tour in Kuwait and another in Iraq.

“As veterans, when we’re in the service, we feel we have a purpose. Coming out to the civilian world, this is an extension of that,” Pizarro said. “It’s not just another job. It’s an extension of what we did in that culture that we have brought in just to be able to help others.”

With no time to spare, Pizarro hits the road to make sure everything is in order for active interments.

“Any national cemetery, we have a set of standards and measures. That’s what dictates everything that we do — from how our turf needs to look to how our headstones are installed,” Pizarro said.

So when Pizarro isn’t on his golf cart, he’s on the ground making sure everything is pristine.

“I go randomly to different sections to look at the turf, look at the status of the headstones, look at the trees. See if there’s any maintenance activities to take place,” he said.

But he’s not alone in taking care of the grounds.

“As a veteran, it’s the same teamwork. One team, one fight. It’s the same approach we actually take here at the Florida National Cemetery,” Pizarro said. “This is not me doing all the work. We have an amazing team both on the administration side and on the field side.”

While the nation celebrated the living on Veterans Day, Pizarro can’t help but think about who helped him get where he is today. 

“I’m extremely proud of my service and being able to be a veteran,” he said. “It’s a legacy that I can show. It’s important while we’re here that we are making an impact.”

It’s that impact and patriotism that he hopes to continue carrying with him as he helps veterans and their families as they say their last goodbyes.