National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
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National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific Few national cemeteries can compete with the natural setting of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. The "Punchbowl" was formed some 75,000 to 100,000 years ago during the Honolulu period of secondary volcanic activity. Although there are various translations of the Punchbowl's Hawaiian name, "Puowaina," the most common is "Hill of Sacrifice." This translation closely relates to the history of the crater. The first known use was as an altar where Hawaiians offered human sacrifices to pagan gods and the killed violators of the many taboos. By 1947, Congress and veteran organizations decided to find a permanent burial site in Hawaii for the remains of thousands of World War II servicemen on the island of Guam awaiting permanent burial. The first interment was made Jan. 4, 1949. Eventually, over 13,000 soldiers and sailors who died during World War II would be laid to rest in the Punchbowl. 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. 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. Visitation Hours: The cemetery is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Doug Ho
00
My wife and I were at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu today. We walked up the steps and visited the memorial halls for the missing, the chapel, and then the beautiful mosaics. We were walking along the exterior road to the scenic overlook when a gentleman from the security company pulled up in a gray sedan and started questioning us and accused us of loitering. He hassled us about it and said we had to leave. I said I’d never had this issue at other National Cemeteries and he said, “that’s the main land.” He then followed us closely while we returned to the center to leave. I called the cemetery administration to complain and the first gentleman was very interested and seemed concerned but then transferred me to a higher up (Mr M something) who seemed to want to tell me why we were loitering or the guard perceived us as exercising. We are a married couple in our 40’s and I’m a disabled vet with sketchy knees and a bad shoulder. There was no exercising. He then started saying all he could hear was my wife (talking to the driver as we left - as asked) and basically I should call back. I’ve been to Arlington, Gettysburg, and Fort Rosecrans among others. My Grandfather is buried at Fort Custer in Battle Creek, MI. I’ve never been hassled by a private security guard at any of these National Cemeteries and told to leave. We came to pay our respects and the beautiful scenery while marveling at the magnificent monuments to our fallen. I wanted to pay my respects to Ernie Pyle. Instead I was disrespected and thrown out of a National Cemetery.
AJM BLAZER
00
I have mixed feelings about this place. Firstly thanks to Google Maps we walked up from downtown Honolulu on the side of a really dirty and unpaved road - luckily I saw a different route from the top and went down the other side. Now although the memorial is well maintained, there were workers cutting the grass and blasting music out even though they were right next to signs stating not to play loud music. Also, having all the traffic including tour buses driving around the memorial seems highly disrespectful. It could have been built so differently, with a car park where the visitor centre is and people walking up the little hill to the memorial. We didn't go to the monument as a service was taking place and wanted to be respectful. The views from the viewpoint were nice, but the viewpoint itself was not signposted and so we were roaming around on the road around the gravesites (there are no pavements, just a road circling through- strange. Even stranger was a sign offering drive-thru, first time I've really been reminded that I'm in the USA).
Nathalie Fannon
00
This place is monumental! The thought and care that was put into this layout of honoring our men and women that have fought for our freedoms is impeccable! So many points of interest on this volcano crater. The lookouts over the city are expansive as you can see Diamond Head on one end and Pearl Harbor at the other end. And the Honolulu skyscrapers fill the gap in the middle as they tease the point where the horizon meets the ocean line. Then when you walk the grounds and see all the headstones that adorn the lawn…you feel a real sense of reverence and respect for our fallen soldiers. And the chapel and mosaic war map murals that fill the forward monument are amazing pieces of art. I also took in all the carved walls of names of WORLD WAR heroes. This is an incredible place to find a moment of meditation, reflection, and gratitude for all the blessings we have due to those that have fought before us.
Brandt Callahan
00
I've been coming here for years and the place is very well kept up and lovely. I'm not dismissing the grounds for what it truly is. Today was just the strangest incident ever. I was with a co-worker of mine at the memorial and a few of the staff asked us to leave due to "loitering". There wasn't any talking, music playing, or anything that would be considered disrespectful from our end. There wasn't any event or many people around (maybe 3 others in the area overall). I've never heard of a time limit that you can stay until it's considered "loitering". It's 3:16PM on a regular Monday afternoon. I even double checked the rules on the walk out to see what the potential issue was. This whole situation was extremely strange and wrong. Gene and Mike are an embarrassment to this memorial and to the Hawaiian people.
Julian Andrade
00
Walking around this very solemn cemetery is a very humbling experience and it sends deep emotions to the core, especially for us Filipinos who are indebted to the brave American saviours during WW2. There is a mural of the Philippines on the wall and on another part of the cemetery is a slab of concrete placed on the ground that immortalized the relationship between the US and the Philippines. There's also a chapel that offers a quiet place to pray and reflect. Be it known, too that the washrooms are very clean. I highly recommend to visit this site when visiting Oahu. It is located close to downtown so it is very accessible.
Marilou Tolentino
00
Nearby Attractions Of National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Booth District Park
Papakolea Community Park
Punchbowl Scenic Lookout
Punchbowl Crater
Dole Community Park
Fantastic Sams Cut & Color
Danger Close Tactical
Makiki Nails
Hawaii Rainbow Tours
Blessed Sacrament Church

Booth District Park
4.4
(178)
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Papakolea Community Park
4.5
(88)
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Punchbowl Scenic Lookout
4.8
(85)
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Punchbowl Crater
4.8
(80)
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Nearby Restaurants Of National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Peppa's Korean BBQ
SushiMan
Vintage Wine Cellar
Booth District Swimming Pool
Pizza Hut
K D Cafe Hawaii
$5 Bento Box Makiki
Subway
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue

Peppa's Korean BBQ
4.2
(150)
Click for details

SushiMan
4.0
(66)
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Vintage Wine Cellar
4.7
(45)
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Booth District Swimming Pool
4.5
(13)
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Basic Info
Address
2177 Puowaina Dr, Honolulu, HI 96813
Map
Phone
(808) 532-3720
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Website
cem.va.gov
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Reviews
Overview
4.7
(346 reviews)
Ratings & Description
cultural
scenic
accessibility
Description
The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is a national cemetery located at Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu, Hawaii. It serves as a memorial to honor those men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces, and those who have been killed in doing so.
attractions: Booth District Park, Papakolea Community Park, Punchbowl Scenic Lookout, Punchbowl Crater, Dole Community Park, Fantastic Sams Cut & Color, Danger Close Tactical, Makiki Nails, Hawaii Rainbow Tours, Blessed Sacrament Church, restaurants: Peppa's Korean BBQ, SushiMan, Vintage Wine Cellar, Booth District Swimming Pool, Pizza Hut, K D Cafe Hawaii, $5 Bento Box Makiki, Subway, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue

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