National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu (must see)

The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is a cemetery that is dedicated to the memories of men and women who have given their lives while serving with the United States Armed Forces. The cemetery is located in the Punchbowl Crater, which has given it the nickname "Punchbowl Cemetery."

The cemetery was established in 1949. Since that time, more than 50,000 service members have been laid to rest in the cemetery. The first was on January 4, 1949.

Among the notable interments and tributes at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific are Stanley Armour Dunham, President Barack Obama's grandfather; Daniel Inouye, Hawaii's first congressional member; and Ellison Onizuka, the first astronaut from Hawaii. Onizuka was killed while onboard the Challenger space shuttle.

The tribute to Onizuka lies within The Courts of the Missing. This is an area that is dedicated to those who were not recovered from their missions. The cemetery also includes a number of unknown service people. Those who were lost during the Pearl Harbor attack have symbols representing the USS Arizona.

Visitors are welcome to explore the cemetery from 8 AM to 6 PM each day.

Tip:
Be sure to walk up along the west side – the views of Honolulu & Waikiki are spectacular. You can see all the way from Hawaii Kai, Diamond Head, downtown, and out to Pearl Harbor. Great photo ops! Finally, don't miss the chapel and the rotunda. The full-color mosaics of the WWII campaigns in the Pacific are stunning.