Punchbowl Crater- Honolulu, HI

Punchbowl Crater is a prominent landmark and one of the notable outdoor Honolulu attractions, is not a particularly new development. It was formed over 74,000 years ago by volcanic action. Today it is a beautiful extinct volcano, right in the middle of Honolulu. Its Hawaiian name is Puowaina, which has been translated in various ways, but most commonly as "Hill of Sacrifice."

This translation of "Hill of Sacrifice" is probably the best one as it is in keeping with the known history of the crater. Within the Punchbowl Crater is believed it was used as an ancient alter for human sacrifice to the various pre-Christian gods. In more recent times the rim of the crater was used as the platform for two cannons. The cannons were fired on special occasions as a way of letting the people know and for marking the occasion. They also were used to form a salute for special and distinguished visitors to the area.

Between the world wars parts of the rim slopes were used by the Hawaii National Guard for rifle practice. Near the end of World War II shore batteries were erected and tunnels dug through the rim. The guns were used to guard Honolulu harbor, as well as the southern part of Pearl Harbor.

In 1948 the National Cemetery of the Pacific extending to 112 acres in size was created inside the crater. The idea had first been mooted in the late 19th century, but residents of Honolulu were worried that their water supply might be polluted and nothing more happened for over fifty years. Early in 1949 the first bodies were buried in the cemetery, including almost 800 military personnel who had perished during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor just over seven years earlier on December 7th 1941.

Today the Punchbowl Crater National Cemetery of the Pacific is at full capacity. There are almost 34,000 military personnel graves there, and the range from the wars of World War II, through the Korean War, to the war in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s. An annual Memorial Day ceremony is held every year at the cemetery. Thousands of Hawaiian flower leis, common in local culture, are used to decorate and adorn the thousands of graves on each occasion.

The Honolulu Memorial in the Punchbowl Crater was erected in 1964 by the American Battle Monuments Commission.  It was dedicated two years later in 1966. A huge larger than life statue of a woman named Columbia, who is symbolic of all grieving mothers for their sons in battle, is situated prominently on the memorial tower.

Some of those honored in the cemetery are those who were lost in battle, missing without trace. A memorial plaque to them reads: "In these gardens are recorded the names of Americans who gave their lives in the service of their country and whose earthly resting place is known only to God."

The Punchbowl Crater is open daily between the hours of 8am and 6.30pm. Admission to the crater is free of charge.