HHF In the Field: Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Consulting In the Field - Helping to Protect our Historic Memorials Historic sites can deteriorate over time as the elements take their toll, especially here in the islands. The well known National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, (known informally as Punchbowl Cemetery) is home to eight Courts of the Missing on which are inscribed the names of the 18,096 American World War II missing from the Pacific and 8,200 American missing from the Korean War. This important Memorial is visited by thousands each year, many with personal ties to the missing. The Courts of the Missing stand on either side of the grand stairs leading to the Memorial. Over time, the existing stone walls have been marred by staining, probably from the internal anchor system rusting and oxidized materials migrating to the surface, leaving them discolored and obscuring the names. Attempts to repair the walls, including painting over the stains, have been short-lived. The paint is peeling and chipping, leaving the walls in disrepair. The American Battle Monuments Commission* (ABMC) has investigated alternatives for replacing the damaged stones to restore the Courts of the Missing to an appropriate appearance. The project team inspected marble, granite and limestone alternatives from quarries around the world before selected the preferred material. The white limestone closely matches the original appearance of the Memorial. Chemical testing is being conducted to check on the susceptibility to corrosion and staining from weather or oxidation. The project team is also changing the installation technique to minimize the probability of the staining recurring. Historic Hawai‘i Foundation is a consulting party to ABMC and has the opportunity to review and comment on projects that could affect the historic site. On February 26, HHF participated in [...]
