Even before World War II, proposals had been made to build a military cemetery in Hawaii, but the need for such a cemetery became more pressing after the devastating loss of life during the war. An extinct volcanic crater located inland from downtown Honolulu was chosen as the site for the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. The crater’s original name was Puowaina, but had picked up the nickname ‘Punchbowl’ since the arrival of missionaries in the islands. Construction on the cemetery started in 1948, with the cemetery opening to the…
