National Cemetery Administration
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
2177 Puowaina Dr
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: 808-532-3720
FAX: 808-532-3756
Kiosk: Yes
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Visitation Hours: The cemetery is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day.
The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific staff thanks everyone for their patience and understanding while we are engaged in a safety enhancement project from mid-June 2024 to mid-January 2025 at Columbarium Courts 1–5. This project will replace the original concrete sidewalks and flat surfaces that were constructed over 40 years ago. These surfaces are cracking due to settling and pose a safety hazard to visitors.
Columbarium Courts 1–5 will be closed to visitors until the project is completed in approximately 6 months. This project will not delay services or the placement of urns. Cemetery staff will place the urns in the niche after construction has halted for the day.
Permanent bud vases in Columbarium Courts 1–5 will be labeled by the cemetery staff and placed in a safe location until they can be returned to their rightful place once construction is completed.
The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific has space available for cremated remains in the columbarium. We may be able to accommodate casketed remains in the same gravesite of previously interred family members. Periodically, however, burial space may become available due to disinterment from an existing gravesite or for other reasons. If burial space is available at the time of request, the cemetery will assign a gravesite to an eligible Veteran or family member. Since there is no way to know in advance when a gravesite may become available, please contact the cemetery at the time of need to inquire whether space is available.
Burial in a national cemetery is open to all members of the armed forces who have met a minimum active duty service requirement and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
A Veteran's spouse, widow or widower, minor dependent children, and under certain conditions, unmarried adult children with disabilities may also be eligible for burial. Eligible spouses and children may be buried even if they predecease the Veteran.
Members of the reserve components of the armed forces who die while on active duty or who die while on training duty, or were eligible for retired pay, may also be eligible for burial.
The cemetery is located in central Honolulu, approximately midway between the Honolulu International Airport and the Waikiki hotel area. Take the Interstate H-1 East ramp to Honolulu/Waikiki and stay on H-1 East for approximately 4 miles. Get off at exit 21A (Pali Highway). Stay in the middle lane and take a left at the stoplight. Take the first right onto School Street and follow it to a four-way intersection with a stoplight. Turn left onto Lusitana Street, then within .1 miles, take the second road on the right – this is Puowaina Drive. Follow Puowaina Drive for .7 miles, then a slight right to keep you on Puowaina Drive to the cemetery gate.
Fax all discharge documentation to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-866-900-6417 and follow-up with a phone call to 1-800-535-1117.
For information on scheduled burials in our national cemeteries, please go to the Daily Burial Schedule.
The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is in an extinct volcano near the center of Honolulu, Hawaii.
On either side of the grand stairs leading to the memorial are eight courts of the missing on which are inscribed the names of the 18,095 American World War II missing from the Pacific, excluding those from the southwest Pacific, and 8,210 American missing from the Korean War. These names were listed on the Korean War Courts of the Missing at the time of the dedication in 1966. Two half courts have been added at the foot of the staircase that contain the names of 2,504 Americans missing from the Vietnam War. At the top of the stairs is a chapel flanked by galleries containing mosaic maps and descriptions of the achievements of the American armed forces in the central and south Pacific regions and in Korea.
The memorial was established by American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) to honor the sacrifices and achievements of American armed forces in the Pacific during World War II and the Korean War. The memorial grew in 1980 to include the missing of the Vietnam War, and it expanded further in 2012 with the addition of two new pavilions. One pavilion houses an orientation map of the memorial and the other includes two mosaic battle maps depicting the Vietnam War.
For educational materials and additional information on this cemetery, please visit the Education section, located below.
The maintenance of gravesites by visitors (e.g., cutting grass; trenching around graves/markers; painting markers) is not allowed.
Fresh cut flowers, floral wreaths, and sprays in metal (not glass) containers may be placed at any time on graves; in designated areas; or in approved, mounted flower vases in the old columbarium.
The staff at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific will sweep the cemetery of all flowers every Friday to enhance the cemetery's appearance. All flowers will be removed and discarded from the columbaria and inground interment sites. Permanent vases will be emptied and placed inside their holders for the owner's convenience. Temporary vases will be emptied, cleaned and placed in the storage bins for easy access. This practice is widespread throughout the National Cemetery Administration to assist with beautification and maintaining the high standards of appearance for all National Cemeteries. Flowers typically wilt after a few days in hot tropical climate inside Punchbowl crater. Discarding wilted, dried flowers will enhance the cemetery's appearance. Friday is the optimal day for the cemetery staff to pick up flowers. Most family members and visitors place flowers at gravesites on weekends. Flowers will stay longer at the gravesites when they are placed on the weekends or beginning of the week. Flower vases will be emptied and placed in the bins after they are cleaned, ready for use when family members arrive.
Permanent plantings and commemorative items may not be placed on gravesites. Permanent plantings, statues, vigil lights, glass objects of any kind, pin wheels, balloons, wind chimes, stuffed toys and similar items are not permitted.
Potted plants and artificial flowers will be permitted on gravesites only during the period five days before and five days after Christmas Day. Christmas trees, no matter what size, are not considered potted plants and are not permitted.
Floral items and/or other types of decorations are not allowed to be attached to grave markers, niche covers or columbarium walls.
The religious convention of placing fruits and non-alcoholic beverages on graves is allowed. Due to limited space in the columbarium, we request that the placement of these items be minimized in that area.
Permanent in-ground flower vases:
To promote safety and standardize the appearance of Punchbowl with other cemeteries in the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Director of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific has established the following procedures for personal inground flower vases:
- Personal inground flower vases will no longer be installed.
- When personal inground flower vases become unserviceable and pose a hazard during mowing operations, they will be removed and returned to the family.
- Permanent flower vases are not allowed in the columbarium area.
Families are solely responsible for the safeguarding, maintenance, and repair of their vase. The National Cemetery does not repair or replace lost, missing, or stolen vases.
VA regulations 38 CFR 1.218 prohibit the carrying of firearms (either openly or concealed), explosives or other dangerous or deadly weapons while on VA property, except for official purposes, such as military funeral honors.
Possession of firearms on any property under the charge and control of VA is prohibited. Offenders may be subject to a fine, removal from the premises, or arrest.
Few national cemeteries can compete with the dramatic natural setting of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. The "Punchbowl" was formed some 75,000 to 100,000 years ago during the Honolulu period of secondary volcanic activity. A crater resulted from the ejection of hot lava through cracks in the old coral reefs which, at the time, extended to the foot of the Koolau Mountain Range.
Although there are various translations of the Punchbowl's Hawaiian name, "Puowaina," the most common is "Hill of Sacrifice." This translation closely relates to the history of the crater. The first known use was as an altar where Hawaiians offered human sacrifices to pagan gods and the killed violators of the many taboos. Later, during the reign of Kamehameha the Great, a battery of two cannons was mounted at the rim of the crater to salute distinguished arrivals and signify important occasions. Early in the 1880s, leasehold land on the slopes of the Punchbowl opened for settlement and in the 1930s, the crater was used as a rifle range for the Hawaii National Guard. Toward the end of World War II, tunnels were dug through the rim of the crater for the placement of shore batteries to guard Honolulu Harbor and the south edge of Pearl Harbor.
During the late 1890s, a committee recommended that the Punchbowl become the site for a new cemetery to accommodate the growing population of Honolulu. The idea was rejected for fear of polluting the water supply and the emotional aversion to creating a city of the dead above a city of the living.
Fifty years later, Congress authorized a small appropriation to establish a national cemetery in Honolulu with two provisions: that the location be acceptable to the War Department, and that the site would be donated rather than purchased. In 1943, the governor of Hawaii offered the Punchbowl for this purpose. The $50,000 appropriation proved insufficient, however, and the project was deferred until after World War II. By 1947, Congress and veteran organizations placed a great deal of pressure on the military to find a permanent burial site in Hawaii for the remains of thousands of World War II servicemen on the island of Guam awaiting permanent burial. Subsequently, the Army again began planning the Punchbowl cemetery; in February 1948 Congress approved funding and construction began.
Prior to the opening of the cemetery for the recently deceased, the remains of soldiers from locations around the Pacific Theater—including Wake Island and Japanese POW camps—were transported to Hawaii for final interment. The first interment was made Jan. 4, 1949. The cemetery opened to the public on July 19, 1949, with services for five war dead: an unknown serviceman, two Marines, an Army lieutenant and one civilian—noted war correspondent Ernie Pyle. Initially, the graves at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific were marked with white wooden crosses and Stars of David—like the American cemeteries abroad—in preparation for the dedication ceremony on the fourth anniversary of V-J Day. Eventually, over 13,000 soldiers and sailors who died during World War II would be laid to rest in the Punchbowl.
Despite the Army's extensive efforts to inform the public that the star- and cross-shaped grave markers were only temporary, an outcry arose in 1951 when permanent flat granite markers replaced them. A letter from the Quartermaster General to Senator Paul Douglas in December 1952, explained that while individual markers are inscribed according to the appropriate religious faith:
Crosses do not mark the graves of the dead of our country in other national cemeteries. No cross marks the burial of our revered Unknown Soldier. From Arlington to Golden Gate, from Puerto Rico to Hawaii, the Government's markers in national cemeteries for all our hero—dead are of the traditional designs…[s]ome are upright and some are flat. None is in the form of a religious emblem.
The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific was the first such cemetery to install Bicentennial Medal of Honor headstones, the medal insignia being defined in gold leaf. On May 11, 1976, a total of 23 of these were placed on the graves of medal recipients, all but one of whom were killed in action. The Punchbowl has become one of the area's most popular tourist destinations. More than five million visitors come to the cemetery each year to pay their respects to the dead and to enjoy the panoramic view from the Punchbowl. One of the most breathtaking views of the Island of Oahu can be found while standing at the highest point on the crater's rim.
In August 2001, about 70 generic unknown markers for the graves of men known to have died during the attack on Pearl Harbor were replaced with markers that included "USS Arizona" after it was determined they perished on this vessel. In addition, new information that identified grave locations of 175 men whose graves were previously marked as unknown resulted in the installation of new markers in October 2002. The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Monuments and Memorials
The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific contains a memorial pathway that is lined with a variety of memorials that have been donated by various organizations and foreign governments to honor America's veterans. As of 2012, there were 74 such memorials throughout the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific—most commemorating service members of 20th-century wars, including those killed at Pearl Harbor.
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force that can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States. Recipients receive the Medal of Honor from the President on behalf of Congress. It was first awarded during the Civil War and the eligibility criteria, medal design, and recognition on a recipients' grave marker have all evolved over time. There are 390 Medal of Honor recipients interred in VA national cemeteries.
» Medal of Honor recipients buried or memorialized here:
Captain Willibald C. Bianchi (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor for service in the U.S. Army, 45th Infantry, Philippine Scouts, for actions near Bagac, Province of Bataan, Philippine Islands, February 3, 1942. He was captured in April 1942 and held as a prisoner of war. Bianchi died at sea, along with other prisoners on the Japanese transport ship, Enoura Maru, in January 1945. He is memorialized in Section MA, Site 39.
Private Erwin Jay Boydston (Boxer Rebellion). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps for actions in Peking, China, July 21–August 17, 1900. Boydston died in 1957 and is buried in Section G, Site 703.
Private First Class William Robert Caddy (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Company I, 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines, 5th Marine Division, in recognition of gallantry and self-sacrifice to protect others during the seizure of Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, March 3, 1945. Caddy is buried in Section C, Site 81.
First Lieutenant George Ham Cannon (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Marine Corps, Battery H, 6th Defense Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, in recognition of courageous disregard of his own condition during the bombardment of Sand Island, Midway Islands, December 7, 1941. Cannon was mortally wounded that day and is buried in Section C, Site 1644.
Corporal Anthony Peter Damato (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Marine Corps, in recognition of gallantry and self-sacrifice that saved the lives of comrades on Engebi Island, Eniwetok Atoll, Marshal Islands, February 19–20, 1944. Damato is buried in Section A, Site 334.
Commander George Fleming Davis (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor as commanding officer of USS Walke (DD-723) covering minesweeping operations in preparation of the Lingayen Gulf invasion on January 6, 1945. That day, his ship was attacked by four Japanese suicide planes. The crew shot down the first two, but the third struck the ship's bridge where Davis was directing fire from. This plane enveloped the bridge in burning gasoline. Severely burned and injured, Davis rallied his men to save their ship and saw his crew destroy the fourth suicide plane. After assuring his ship was saved, he relinquished his post for medical attention and died shortly after. He was buried at sea. An "in memory of marker" is located in Section MA, Site 98-E.
Sergeant William G. Fournier (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, Company M, 35th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division, in recognition of actions at Mount Austen, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, January 1943. Fournier was killed in action on January 13, 1943, and is buried in Section C, Site 462.
Private First Class Barney F. Hajiro (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor for service in the U.S. Army, Company I, 442nd Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division, in recognition of extraordinary heroism in action near Bruyeres and Biffontaine, France, October 19, 22, and 29, 1944. His award came after Congress authorized a re-examination of commendations received by minority servicemen. Twenty-one Asian Americans, including Hajiro, who received the Distinguished Service Cross were belatedly presented the Medal of Honor in 2000. Hajiro died in 2011 and is buried in Section G, Site 75.
Pharmacist's Mate Second Class William David Halyburton, Jr. (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Marine Rifle Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, in recognition of unwavering devotion to duty in the face of tremendous odds on Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, May 10, 1945. Halyburton was killed that day and is buried in Section O, Site 274.
Private Mikio Hasemoto (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor for service in the U.S. Army, Company B, 100th Infantry Battalion, 34th Infantry Division, in recognition of extraordinary heroism near Cerasuolo, Italy, November 29, 1943. After Congress authorized a re-examination of commendations received by minority servicemen, twenty-one Asian Americans who received the Distinguished Service Cross were belatedly presented the Medal of Honor in 2000. His award was posthumous. Hasemoto was killed in action on December 1, 1943, and is buried in Section D, Site 338.
First Lieutenant William Deane Hawkins (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Marine Corps, Scout Sniper Platoon, 2d Marines, 2d Marine Division, in recognition of actions at Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, November 21, 1943. Hawkins was killed in action and is buried in Section B, Site 646.
Private Shizuya Hayashi (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor for service in the U.S. Army, Company A, 100th Infantry Battalion, 34th Infantry Division, in recognition of extraordinary heroism near Cerasuolo, Italy, November 29, 1943. His award came after Congress authorized a re-examination of commendations received by minority servicemen. Twenty-one Asian Americans, including Hayashi, who received the Distinguished Service Cross were belatedly presented the Medal of Honor in 2000. Hayashi died in 2008 and is buried in Section V, Site 464.
Chief Boatswain Edwin Joseph Hill (World War II). Edwin Joseph Hill was born 1895 in Philadelphia, and he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1912. Chief Boatswain Hill was serving on the USS Nevada at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. The Nevada was the only battleship to escape the harbor that day, and Hill led the effort to release the ship from her moorings. He dove off the ship to cast off the lines and swam back to assume his duties on board, but he was killed when a bomb struck the bow. Hill received the Medal of Honor posthumously for actions during the attack, and he is buried in Section A, Site 895.
Captain Daniel K. Inouye (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor for service in the U.S. Army, Company E, 442nd Infantry Regiment, in recognition of extraordinary heroism in action near San Terenzo, Italy, April 21, 1945. His award came after Congress authorized a re-examination of commendations received by minority servicemen. Twenty-one Asian Americans, including Inouye, who received the Distinguished Service Cross were belatedly presented the Medal of Honor in 2000. After his military service, Inouye served as a member of Congress, first elected to the House of Representatives in 1959 when Hawaii became a state, and to the Senate in 1962. Inouye died in 2012 and is buried in Section D, Site 391-A.
Staff Sergeant Edward N. Kaneshiro (Vietnam). Kaneshiro was born in Honolulu, HI, in 1928, the eighth of sixteen siblings. He enlisted in the Army in 1959 and served a few overseas non-combat tours prior to deployment to South Vietnam. He received his Medal of Honor posthumously for actions as an Infantry Squad Leader with Troop C, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Division near Phu Huu 2 in the Kim Son Valley, Republic of Vietnam, on December 1, 1966. In this engagement, part of his unit was ambushed by North Vietnamese soldiers concealed in a trench system. Kaneshiro went towards the gunfire and crawled forward alone to attack the entrenched enemies with his rifle and six grenades. He swept the trench and allowed for the extraction of his unit and larger withdrawal from the village. He died in another combat action on March 6, 1967, leaving behind a wife and five children. President Joseph Biden presented his Medal of Honor to his son John on July 5, 2022. Kaneshiro is buried in Section W, Site 262.
Second Lieutenant Yeiki Kobashigawa (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor for service in the U.S. Army, Company B, 100th Infantry Battalion, 34th Infantry Division, for extraordinary heroism in action near Lanuvio, Italy, June 2, 1944. His award came after Congress authorized a re-examination of commendations received by minority servicemen. Twenty-one Asian Americans, including Kobashigawa, who received the Distinguished Service Cross were belatedly presented the Medal of Honor in 2000. Kobashigawa died in 2005 and is buried in Section CT8-E Row 500 Site 536.
Staff Sergeant Robert T. Kuroda (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor for service in the U.S. Army, Company H, 442nd Infantry Regiment, 34th Infantry Division, in recognition of extraordinary heroism in action near Bruyeres, France, October 20, 1944. After Congress authorized a re-examination of commendations received by minority servicemen, twenty-one Asian Americans who received the Distinguished Service Cross were belatedly presented the Medal of Honor in 2000. His award was posthumous. Kuroda was killed in action on October 20, 1944, and is buried in Section D, Site 92.
Corporal Larry Leonard Maxam (Vietnam). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his service in the U.S. Marine Corps, Company D, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, in recognition of actions as fire team leader during an assault on the district headquarters in the Cam Lo District, Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, February 2, 1968. Maxam was killed in action and is buried in Section J, Site 388.
Private First Class Martin O. May (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, 307th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division, in recognition of the extreme tenacity with which he held firm during the fight for Iegusuku-Yama, Ie Shima, Ryukyu Islands, April 19–21, 1945. May was killed in action April 21, and is buried in Section N, Site 1242.
Gunnery Sergeant Robert Howard McCard (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Marine Corps, Company A, 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division, in recognition of valiant fighting spirit and sacrifice of his life to insure the safety of his crew during the battle for Saipan, Marianas Islands, June 16, 1944. McCard is buried in Section B, Site 1024.
Sergeant LeRoy A. Mendonca (Korea). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, Company B., 7th Infantry, 3d Division, in recognition of actions that stalled an assault and protected his platoon, enabling the retention of a vital hilltop position near Chich-on, Korea, July 4, 1951. Mendonca was killed that day and is buried in Section Q, Site 1408.
Private First Class Kaoru Moto (World War II). Kaoru Moto was born April 25, 1917, in the sugar plantation town of Sprecklesville, Hawaii. A second-generation Japanese American, or Nisei, he was a field laborer after completing grade school. Private First Class Moto enlisted in the U.S. Army in March 1941 and served in the 100th Infantry, one of four segregated units. After the war, Moto oversaw Maui Veterans Cemetery. In the 1990s, Congress authorized a re-examination of commendations received by minority servicemen and twenty-one Asian Americans who received the Distinguished Service Cross were belatedly awarded the Medal of Honor in 2000. Moto was among them. He died August 26, 1992, and was recognized posthumously for actions on July 7, 1944, near Castellina, Italy. He is buried in Section CT2-F Row 400 Site 422.
Sergeant Joseph E. Muller (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, Company B, 305th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division, in recognition of heroic self-sacrifice to save comrades near Ishimmi, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands, May 16, 1945. Muller is buried in Section N, Site 1259.
Private First Class Masato Nakae (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor for service in the U.S. Army, Company A, 100th Infantry Battalion, 34th Infantry Division, for extraordinary heroism in action near Pisa, Italy, August 19, 1944. After Congress authorized a re-examination of commendations received by minority servicemen, twenty-one Asian Americans who received the Distinguished Service Cross were belatedly presented the Medal of Honor in 2000. His award was posthumous. Nakae died in 1998 and is buried in Section U, Site 1446.
Private Shinyei Nakamine (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the U.S. Army, Company B, 100th Infantry Battalion, 34th Infantry Division, in recognition of extraordinary heroism in action near La Torreto, Italy, June 2, 1944. After Congress authorized a re-examination of commendations received by minority servicemen, twenty-one Asian Americans who received the Distinguished Service Cross were belatedly presented the Medal of Honor in 2000. His award was posthumous. Nakamine was killed in action on June 2, 1944, and is buried in Section D, Site 402.
Captain Allan M. Ohata (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor for service in the U.S. Army, Company B, 100th Infantry Battalion, 34th Infantry Division, for extraordinary heroism in action near Cerasuolo, Italy, November 29–30, 1943. After Congress authorized a re-examination of commendations received by minority servicemen, twenty-one Asian Americans who received the Distinguished Service Cross were belatedly awarded the Medal of Honor in 2000. His award was posthumous. Ohata died in 1977 and is buried in Section III, Site 474.
Private Joseph William Ozbourn (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Marine Corps, 1st Battalion 23rd Marines, 4th Marine Division, in recognition of actions and self-sacrifice that saved comrades during the battle for Tinian Island, Marianas Islands, in July 1944. Ozbourn died July 28, 1944, and is buried in Section F, Site 77.
Private First Class Herbert K. Pililaau (Korea). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, Company C, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, in recognition of indomitable fighting spirit and self-sacrifice near Pia-Ri, Korea, September 17, 1951. Pililaau is buried in Section P, Site 127.
Radio Electrician Thomas James Reeves (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Navy on board USS California, in recognition of distinguished conduct in line of his profession, courage, and disregard for his own safety during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, December 7, 1941. Reeves is buried in Section A, Site 884.
Second Lieutenant Joseph R. Sarnoski (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army Air Corps, in recognition of resolute defense of his aircraft at the price of his life over Buka Area, Solomon Islands, June 16, 1943. Sarnoski is buried in Section A, Site 582.
Platoon Sergeant Elmelindo Rodrigues Smith (Vietnam). Elmelindo Rodrigues Smith, native of Hawaii, enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1953. Smith served with the 1st Platoon, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division, during the Vietnam War. On February 16, 1967, Smith and comrades were attacked but he directed a counter strike until dying of wounds. Smith received the Medal of Honor on October 3, 1968. He is buried in Section W, Site 131 .
Sergeant Grant Frederick Timmerman (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service as a tank commander in the U.S. Marine Corps, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, in recognition of exceptional valor in saving his men at the cost of his own life on Saipan, Marianas Islands, July 8, 1944. Timmerman is buried in Section A, Site 844.
Captain Francis B. Wai (World War II). He received the Medal of Honor for service in the U.S. Army, 34th Infantry Regiment, in recognition of determined efforts to secure the beachhead in Leyte, Philippines Islands, October 20, 1944. After Congress authorized a re-examination of commendations received by minority servicemen, twenty-one Asian Americans who received the Distinguished Service Cross were belatedly awarded the Medal of Honor in 2000. His award was posthumous. Wai was killed in action on October 20, 1944, and is buried in Section Q, Site 1194.
Major Benjamin F. Wilson (Korea). He received the Medal of Honor while serving in the U.S. Army, Company I, 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, for actions near Hwach'on-Myon, Korea, June 5, 1951. Wilson died in 1988 and is buried in Section A, Site 1060-A.
Sergeant First Class Rodney J. T. Yano (Vietnam). He received the Medal of Honor posthumously for service in the U.S. Army, Air Cavalry Troop, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, in recognition of conspicuous gallantry at the cost of his life near Bien Hoa, Republic of Vietnam, January 1, 1969. Yano is buried in Section W, Site 614.
Other Burials
John A. Burns, U.S. Army, Section N, Site 828-A, former Governor of the State of Hawaii, interred on April 9, 1975.
Born in Nevada, Norman Keith Collins (1911–1973) is known as "Sailor Jerry" for his tattoo artistry and influence over the craft. Collins grew up in northern California and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1928. Seaman Collins served until 1932. Wanderlust took Collins early; he hopped freight trains across the country before sailing the Pacific Ocean and moving to Hawaii. He learned the art of tattooing on these travels, to Alaska and later Chicago. Collins opened a studio in Honolulu's Chinatown. He popularized the practice of single-use needles and is known for advancements in sterilization as well as his development of pigments and designs that became iconic. Sailor Jerry is celebrated each June with a festival in Oahu, where he spent most of his life—creating body art, playing the saxophone, hosting a radio show, and giving boat tours of the islands. He died June 12 (Section T, Row 124).
Young-Oak Kim (1919–2005) grew up in Los Angeles' Bunker Hill neighborhood. Unable to join the military until the draft was extended to Asian Americans for World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1941 and served with the Japanese-American 100th Infantry Battalion. Captain Kim was wounded during the liberation of Biffontaine, France. His many citations for valor include two Purple Hearts and Distinguished Service Cross, plus honors bestowed by the Italian and French governments. Kim reenlisted during the Korean Conflict and became the first minority officer to command a battalion on the battlefield. Colonel Kim retired in1972. The Korean government honored him in 2003 for his social work at home where his advocacy was equally demonstrated; the University of California Riverside Center for Korean American Studies is named for him. Kim died December 29 (Section CT9-G, Row 400, Site 458).
Paul Kinlahcheeny, native of New Mexico, was a member of the 5th Division, U.S. Marine Corps. PFC Kinlahcheeny was a Navajo Code Talker in the Pacific Theater during World War II. In 2001, the Navajo Code Talkers were presented with the Congressional Silver Medal. Kinlahcheeny's honor was posthumous. He was killed on Iwo Jima February 19, 1945 (Section E, Site 311).
Spark Masayuki Matsunaga, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, Section V, Site 334-B, former U.S. Senator, interred on April 19, 1990.
Patsy Takemato Mink was born in 1927 in Hawaii to Japanese immigrants. Despite the growing racial prejudice after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and drew the United States into World War II, Mink persevered. She was the first female president of her high school and its valedictorian in 1944. In graduate school, she met and married fellow student 1st Lt. John F. Mink, who served during World War II. Discrimination led her to politics as a champion of social justice, civil rights, education and welfare. Her efforts were integral to the passage of Title IX, the educational amendment stipulating for equal funding for men's and women's athletics and academics. In 1965 Hawaiians elected Mink as the first woman of color to serve in Congress. She served in the House of Representatives in two eras: 1965–1977 and 1990–2002. She died in 2002 and was reelected posthumously. Mink was buried in National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific with her husband (Section U, Site 1001-B).
Born in 1901, Clara (Haili) Nelson taught elementary school before embarking on a show-business career as "Hilo Hattie." The singer-actress was known for her hula routine, a comedic turn that entertained her students with before she ascended the stage. Hilo Hattie performed full-time beginning in 1940, on the radio broadcast Hawaii Calls and made the movie, Song of the Islands. During World War II she lived in San Francisco and performed regularly at the St. Francis Hotel. After the war, Los Angeles and Las Vegas venues lured her to the mainland where she married World War II veteran and violinist Carlyle F. Nelson, U.S. Army TSGT. Hilo Hattie returned to Hawaii in 1960 and performed through the 1970s. Career highlights include the film Blue Hawaii starring Elvis Presley and the television show Hawaii Five-O. She died December 12, 1979 (Section U, Site 653-A).
Born in Hawaii, Ellison Shoji Onizuka was a distinguished military graduate of the University of Colorado who received a U.S. Air Force commission. Lt. Col. Onizuka entered active duty in January 1970 as an aerospace engineer at the Sacramento Air Logistics Center. In 1975, Col. Onizuka became a squadron flight test officer and led the engineering support section at Edwards Air Force Base. This work led him to become, in 1978, a NASA Mission Specialist. Col. Onizuka was part of the support team for the first two shuttle missions and joined the Discovery crew in flight in 1985. He was one of seven crew members aboard space shuttle Challenger when it exploded on lift off January 28, 1986. Col. Onizuka posthumously received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 2004, bestowed on individuals who perish during flight. (Section D, Site 1).
Ernest Taylor Pyle, Seaman Third Class, U.S. Navy, Section D, Site 109, interred on July 19, 1949. Pyle, a World War II correspondent, was killed by a Japanese sniper on Ie Shima, an island off the northern coast of Okinawa on April 18, 1945. He was awarded the Purple Heart by former President Ronald Reagan.
Charles Lacy Veach was born in Chicago but considered Hawaii home. He studied engineering management and received a commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1966. Col. Veach served as a fighter pilot in the United States, Europe, and Asia, including combat missions in the Republic of Vietnam. He left active duty in 1981 but continued to fly F-16s for the Texas Air National Guard. In 1982, NASA invited Veach to Houston's Johnson Space Center to work as an engineer and research pilot. He served as a mission specialist on two space shuttle missions, 1991–1992. He died October 3, 1995 (Section CT3-J Row 200 Site 233).
We are developing educational content for this national cemetery, and will post new materials as they become available. Visit the Veterans Legacy Program and NCA History Program for additional information. Thank you for your interest.
