If you’re driving through the hills of Honolulu, you’ll eventually find yourself staring at a massive, verdant crater. It’s an extinct volcano. It's called Punchbowl. Formed roughly 75,000 to 100,000 years ago during the Honolulu Period of secondary volcanic activity, this site was once known to Native Hawaiians as Pūowaina, or the "Hill of Sacrifice." Today, it serves a different, somber purpose as the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Most tourists flock here for the view. They aren't wrong; the lookout over Pearl Harbor and the city skyline is breathtaking. But honestly, if you just snap a photo and leave, you’ve missed the entire point of the place. This isn't just a cemetery. It’s a massive, living archive of the 20th century’s most brutal conflicts.
Why the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific feels different
You’ve likely seen Arlington. It has those rolling white headstones that stretch forever. Punchbowl is different. Because it sits inside a crater, the space is contained, intimate, and surprisingly quiet despite being in the heart of Honolulu.
The most striking thing you’ll notice is that the markers are flat. They are flush with the ground. This was a deliberate choice by the Department of Veterans Affairs to maintain the natural, park-like beauty of the crater floor. It creates a seamless green carpet. When you stand at the top of the "Stairway to the Stars" at the memorial's focal point, the lack of upright headstones makes the space feel infinitely vast yet strangely personal.
Over 53,000 veterans are buried here. They represent the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. It’s a heavy list. But it’s not just about the numbers. It’s about the specific faces—like Ernie Pyle, the famous war correspondent who was killed by machine-gun fire on Iejima. He’s buried here among the soldiers he wrote about. He wanted it that way.
The Lady of Columbia and the Courts of the Missing
Walk up the grand stairs. You'll see her. A 30-foot statue of Lady Columbia stands atop the memorial, holding a laurel branch. She’s meant to represent all grieving mothers.
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Flanking the stairs are the Courts of the Missing. This is where the weight of the Pacific theater really hits you. There are stone maps made of Italian glass mosaic and concrete. They detail the battles of Midway, Iwo Jima, and Guadalcanal. But more importantly, the walls are inscribed with the names of over 28,000 service members whose remains were never recovered or were buried at sea.
You’ll see small rosettes next to some names. These aren't just decorations. They mean the person has since been identified. Thanks to advances in DNA testing—specifically the work done by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) based right here in Hawaii—new rosettes are added every year. It’s a slow, meticulous process of bringing the missing home.
A Quick Note on the "Punchbowl" Name
People call it Punchbowl because of its shape. Simple. But the Hawaiian name, Pūowaina, carries a much heavier weight. Historically, this was a site where taboo breakers were executed. The transition from a place of ancient sacrifice to a place of modern military sacrifice is a layer of history most visitors never stop to consider.
The Secret History of the 442nd
If you wander the grounds of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, you'll find the graves of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. These were Nisei—second-generation Japanese Americans—who fought for the United States while their families were often held in internment camps back home.
They became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service. Their motto was "Go for Broke." Seeing those names in a Hawaiian crater, surrounded by the very land they were once viewed with suspicion upon, is a powerful lesson in American complexity.
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Take Ellison Onizuka, for instance. He wasn't a soldier in the traditional sense, but he's buried here. He was the first Asian American in space and tragically died in the Challenger disaster in 1986. His presence here reminds us that service to the country takes many forms, not just on the battlefield.
Navigating the Crater: What You Need to Know
Don't just show up at noon. You’ll bake. The Honolulu sun inside a volcanic crater is no joke. The heat reflects off the stone.
- Timing: Get there at 8:00 AM when the gates open. It’s cool, the dew is still on the grass, and the tour buses haven't arrived yet.
- Protocol: This is an active cemetery. People are burying their parents and spouses here every week. Keep your voice down. Don't walk on the flat markers if you can help it.
- The Lookout: Drive all the way to the top of the crater rim. There’s a small parking area that gives you a panoramic view of Diamond Head and Waikiki.
The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) manages the site, and they are pretty strict about decorum. No jogging. No picnics. It sounds harsh, but it’s necessary to keep the atmosphere what it needs to be.
Realities of the Site: It's Filling Up
Honesty time: The cemetery is basically full. It reached capacity for casketed burials in the late 1960s, though they still accept cremated remains in the columbarium niches. This is why you’ll see the new stone walls being built to hold urns.
Space is a premium in Hawaii. Even in death.
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This scarcity makes the site even more significant. It’s a finite piece of history. Unlike some mainland cemeteries that can just expand into the next field, the walls of the crater define the limits of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Once a space is used, it’s gone.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
To get the most out of a trip to Punchbowl, you should do more than just wander aimlessly.
1. Use the Gravesite Locator. Before you go, use the VA’s online tool to find a specific person. Even if you don't have a relative there, look up a historical figure like Ellison Onizuka or Senator Daniel Inouye. Finding a specific spot makes the scale of the place feel more human.
2. Visit the Honolulu Memorial first. This is the structure at the head of the cemetery. Spend twenty minutes reading the battle maps. It provides the context for why all these people are here in the first place. Without the maps, the graves are just stones; with them, they are the aftermath of a global catastrophe.
3. Check the DPAA Updates. If you see a rosette on the Wall of the Missing, look up that name later. The stories of how these individuals are found—sometimes 80 years after they disappeared in the jungles of Papua New Guinea—are fascinating and often deeply moving.
4. Respect the Neighborhood. The drive up to the crater goes through a residential area (Papakea and Tantalus). The roads are narrow. Local residents deal with thousands of tourists daily; being a quiet, respectful driver goes a long way.
The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific isn't a "tourist attraction" in the way Pearl Harbor or Waikiki is. It's a place of quiet reflection. It's where the cost of the Pacific war is laid bare, one flat stone at a time. Go for the view, sure, but stay for the names. They have a lot to say if you’re willing to listen.