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Punchbowl

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Oahu

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Quick Facts

  • Name: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Punchbowl
  • What: Prominent national cemetery honouring America’s Armed Forces
  • Where: North of Downtown Honolulu
  • More Info: Open daily. Closed on federal holidays except Memorial Day.

Honolulu

Located just north of Downtown Honolulu in a long-extinct volcano called Punchbowl Crater, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is the resting-place for 48,296 soldiers. The memorial, placed on the National Register of Historic Places, stands in honour of the sacrifices and achievements of the American Armed Forces and commemorates the soldiers of 20th century wars, including those who were lost during the attack at Pearl Harbor.

Medal of Honor recipients and other notable Hawaii heroes are buried here including Ellison Onizuka, Hawaii’s first astronaut, and Stanley Dunham, World War II veteran and President Obama’s grandfather. The engraved names of 18,094 World War II heroes missing in action are honoured in the ten "Courts of the Missing" that flank the cemetery’s monumental staircase. Serene and poignant, Punchbowl also offers a panoramic view of Honolulu from the top of Punchbowl’s crater rim. Informative, free walking tours are sponsored by Veterans of the American Legion.