National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific

Punchbowl Crater, located in the Kewalo district of Honolulu, is home to The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific and The Honolulu Memorial. The crater is a tuff cone volcano and in Hawaiian is known as Pūowaina. It picked up the name Punchbowl due to its obvious resemblance to a large punchbowl.

On January 4, 1949, The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific was opened. The first to be interned there was an unknown soldier from the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. At the same time, 776 other casualties from that attack were buried there. Some of the others who have been buried there include World War II war correspondent Ernest Taylor "Ernie" Pyle and Hawai'i's Ellison Onisuka who died in the Challenger tragedy.

On May 1, 1966, The Honolulu Memorial was dedicated to honor the sacrifices and achievements in the Pacific during World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam Conflict. It would be worth a stop to visit the memorial and see the 10 courts of the missing which honors the 26,280 MIA soldiers, the mosaic maps showing the progression of the wars, plus a chapel. To the front of the memorial is the most recognized feature of the memorial, Lady Columbia. She stands 30 feet tall on what symbolizes the prow of an aircraft carrier. She is meant to symbolize victory and also all the grieving mothers from the wars. Just under Lady Columbia are the words of Abraham Lincoln written to a Civil War mother who had just lost five sons: "The Solemn Pride That Must Be Yours to Have Laid So Costly A Sacrifice Upon the Altar of Freedom."

On August 1, 1991, with 33,143 graves, the 114 acre cemetery was declared full. Now, veteran's may be buried at the Hawai'i State Veterans Cemetery located in Kāne'ohe, on the windward side of O'ahu.

NOTES:  You can get a map and drive there on your own, or get there by The Bus.  To go by bus, catch number 2, 13, or B from Waikiki (be sure you ask for a transfer) and get of at Bertitania and Alapai Streets.  Catch the number 15 bus (Pacific Heights) and just ask the driver to tell you when to get off.  From the bus stop, it's a 15 minute walk into the crater.  There are also several tours that include Punchbowl, however, the buses are not allowed to stop in the Memorial (they just drive in and out slowly).

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Information and photos taken from the book Grand Circle Island Tour written by myself.