The National Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as Punchbowl, is the resting place of more than 25,000 people who served in three American wars. This 112-acre cemetery lies in the middle of an extinct volcano called Puowaina Crater. In Hawaiian, Puowaina means "Consecrated Hill" or "Hill of Sacrifice." The cemetery pays homage to American citizens who sacrificed their lives in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Many American heroes are buried here, some who died in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Each year on Memorial Day every grave is graced by a flower lei made by the school children of Hawaii.
A monument to Hawaii's astronaut Ellison Onizuka, who perished aboard the Challenger space shuttle, is located on the grounds. The Courts of the Missing, white stone tablets that bear the names of WWII soldiers missing in action, can be found in the cemetery. The cemetery also is known as the site of secret Hawaiian royalty burials.
Some Oahu tours include stops at the cemetery, which is located at 2177 Puowaina Drive, but it is also accessible by car. For more information, call 532-3720.
