About
Even before World War II, proposals had been made to build a military cemetery in Hawaii, but the need for such a cemetery became more pressing after the devastating loss of life during the war. An extinct volcanic crater located inland from downtown Honolulu was chosen as the site for the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. The crater’s original name was Puowaina, but had picked up the nickname ‘Punchbowl’ since the arrival of missionaries in the islands.
Construction on the cemetery started in 1948, with the cemetery opening to the public in 1949. While the cemetery would be expanded several times over the years, the main focus of the cemetery has been the Honolulu Memorial, which was constructed in 1966 opposite to the cemetery’s entrance.
The center of the memorial features a statue of Lady Columbia standing at a top of long flight of stairs, with the inscription “The solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom” written on the wall underneath statue. Flanking the statue are galleries with maps showing the various battles fought by the U.S. military during World War II as well as maps of the Korean War. Several courts flanking the staircase list soldiers reported as missing from engagements during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War…