National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific and Honolulu Memorial

Commonly known as Punchbowl and historically known as Puowaina Crater, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific was originally listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 as “Puowaina—Hill of Sacrifice.” The historic designation was updated in 2014 to include the Honolulu Memorial and to update the documentation about the design significance of the entire district.

The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is located within a caldera that was formed about 275,000 years ago. The Cemetery was established in 1948 as burial space for U.S. military dead from the Pacific Theater of World War II. From January 4 – March 25, 1949, nearly 10,000 World War II casualties were laid to rest; another 1,777 were interred in June that year. It remains an active cemetery.

The Cemetery is designed to fit within the caldera. The interior walls form a green backdrop while an 800-foot long central boulevard provides a formal central east-west axis connecting a circular flagpole plaza at the entrance and an imposing marble memorial as a focal point at the western end. Two circular drives wind around the crater floor and sides. Granite markers lie flush with the lawn while Chinese banyan trees line the central drive. Monkey pod, shower trees and other landscaping contribute to the lush and serene setting.

The substantial Honolulu Memorial was planned from the beginning and opened in 1964. The crescent-shaped building is centered on an 80-foot tall tower which carries a 33-foot-high sculpted figure of Columbia. In her left hand she holds a laurel branch, symbolizing valor or victory, and stands on the prow of a Navy carrier. The central galleries include a chapel, flanked on either side by map galleries. A monumental staircase, decreasing in width as it rises to the upper level, is flanked by ten Courts of the Missing with names of those missing in action from World War II, Korea and Viet Nam wars.

HHF has been involved in preservation projects related to the design and construction of the Viet Nam pavilions, ADA accessibility, replacement of components in the Courts of the Missing, and a current project to select a site for an interpretive center.

Learn more:
https://historichawaii.org/2014/02/19/puowaina-national-memorial-cemetery-of-the-pacific/
https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/nmcp.asp