Mayor’s Memorial Day ceremony draws hundreds to Punchbowl

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hundreds gathered Monday morning at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Puowaina (Punchbowl) for the 75th Mayor’s Memorial Day Ceremony.

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The free, public event featured performances from the Royal Hawaiian Band, hula from the 97th Lei Court, speeches and a military aircraft flyover. HNN’s own Ashley Nagaoka served as emcee.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said, “This is an iconic location, this hallowed ground where more than 70,000 individuals have been laid to rest. More than 43,000 of our heroes lie in graves. More than 26,000 are interred here. We are all gathered here today to acknowledge their sacrifice and to pay our utmost respect to all others who served and gave their lives to defend us.”

“We will never be able to repay that debt, but we can promise to never forget,” Blangiardi said.

Keynote speaker Will Spencer, a veteran of multiple combat tours, told the crowd Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the cost of war and to honor those who died while serving.

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“This is a sobering reminder of the violent nature of war and conflicts,” Spencer said. “Today, we remember and honor those who answered the call and paid the ultimate price in service to our nation.”

Memorial Day is a federal holiday honoring U.S. military personnel who died while serving, observed annually on the last Monday of May.

The Mayor’s Memorial Day Ceremony was started by Mayor John H. Wilson in 1951, six years after the end of World War II, and eight years before Hawaii became a state.

Each year, the city also places a fresh lei on every grave at Puowaina for Memorial Day to honor and thank Hawaii veterans for their service.

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