National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific

Have to take a look around this cemetery. If you appreciate history and are looking. for something to complement a visit to Pearl Harbor, this is it. The National Memorial Cemetery Of The Pacific is a resting place for those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces, especially those who were from Hawaii or who lived there. A lot of important people are buried here. You can find some who are pretty famous, with actors along with politicians and others. A long history about it for certain. It's listed on the National Register Of Historic Places. The cemetery was established in 1949, but the beginnings go back a lot farther than that. It takes up a lot of the Punchbowl Crater. This is one of the state's many dormant volcanos. Ancient Hawaiians used it as an altar for human sacrifices to pagan gods. King Kamehameha later placed two cannons here to salute the arrivals of dignitaries and mark important occasions. It was used as a rifle range for the Hawaii National Guard. Then tunnels were dug under it to place shore batteries to protect Honolulu after Pearl Harbor in World War II. After Congress was pressured to find a permanent site for soldiers in Guam awaiting burial, they soon took action on the Punchbowl Crater. It has more than 61,000 graves. Lots of well known figures including cookie maker Wally Amos, tiki bar inventor Donn Beach, tattoo artist Sailor Jerry Collins, presidential grandfather Stanley Armour Dunham, U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye, Challenger astronaut Ellison Onizuka, war correspondent Ernie Pyle, and the first governor of Hawaii William F. Quinn. Certainly there's a lot more gravesites. Most notable feature is the Honolulu Memorial. It's up a long flight of stairs flanked by memorial gardens. The top includes a small chapel and several maps paying tribute to battles in the Pacific. Also it lists the names of those never recovered from the battles. There's an observation area that offers views of Honolulu. On the north side is the area for funerals. There's services here quite often it seems. Go here to learn about the history of battles in the Pacific and visit some famous gravesites. It's kind of hard to get to, but some buses go close to it. These include the 123 bus, but transfers will have to be made if wanting to avoid too much walking.

Such a powerful cemetery and resting place for all those that gave the ultimate sacrifice. The grounds are meticulously preserved, the memorial is so well done, and this hallowed ground is one of the best I've been to outside of Arlington. Note**. This is a cemetery and should be treated with respect and reverence. Please if you're going there for pics know where you are and who is around you. While there a couple walked over the mound tributes to the MOH that had fallen, completely oblivious and just there for pics.

Along with being an important burial site for Armed Forces veterans (including my father and mother), the Punchbowl cemetery is just a flat out gorgeous piece of real estate. Do wander up the lookout path for a good view of Honolulu and Diamond Head.

Did you know that the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is in an extinct volcano near the center of Honolulu, Hawaii?According to the National Cemetery Administration's website (https://www.cem.va.gov):On either side of the grand stairs leading to the memorial are eight courts of the missing on which are inscribed the names of the 18,095 American World War II missing from the Pacific, excluding those from the southwest Pacific, and 8,210 American missing from the Korean War. These names were listed on the Korean War Courts of the Missing at the time of the dedication in 1966. Two half courts have been added at the foot of the staircase that contain the names of 2,504 Americans missing from the Vietnam War. At the top of the stairs is a chapel flanked by galleries containing mosaic maps and descriptions of the achievements of the American armed forces in the central and south Pacific regions and in Korea.The memorial was established by American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) to honor the sacrifices and achievements of American armed forces in the Pacific during World War II and the Korean War. The memorial grew in 1980 to include the missing of the Vietnam War, and it expanded further in 2012 with the addition of two new pavilions. One pavilion houses an orientation map of the memorial and the other includes two mosaic battle maps depicting the Vietnam War.I haven't visited the memorial to view the mosaic battle maps nor the pavilion until now. I've been up here on numerous occasions to pay my respects to family members and friends. This time I ventured out to the pavilion and I was amazed by the mosaic battle maps and history of the wars and battles that have taken place. The grounds are immaculate and further construction is ongoing behind the pavilion. There are bathrooms available at the pavilion area. Next time your here, please take the time to step into history and pay your respects to our veterans.

I visited Punchbowl on to pay respect to the fallen soldiers. The view from the driveway was pretty unique. It took quite a few turns to get here. My local friend was driving us. I didn't have to worry about how to get there. Parking was not possible. My friend had to keep driving in circle. I just wish the construction site had better looking signs.

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is a national cemetery at Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu. It honors those who served in the U S Armed Forces.Informative walking tours are free and sponsored by veterans of the American Legion.Visiting here is an emotional experience. It makes the hair on my arms stand up just writing this review. Thank you to the people buried here for standing tall & protecting the United States of America

Beautiful, peaceful place that honors those who served and sacrificed. Meticulously maintained grounds with amazing views.

What a beautiful place to see. I've come here a few times to visit my husband's grandfathers grave. The area is beautifully maintained and always quiet. There's a lot to see and read, and there's a really great lookout before you enter.

It is worth your time to visit. It is a beautiful place. It also has a great view of downtown Honolulu. It was peaceful. We enjoyed walking around. There are also really nice bathrooms located here. I highly recommend it.

Beautiful and TouchingCame to visit Dad today.Miss him everyday so dearly!Quite a spectacular memorial!You need to visit here!!