Thursday, May 19, 2011
Memorial Day is especially significant on Oahu — site of the Japanese attack that ushered the United States into WWII, and host to a large military population and their families at bases around the island (many of these families make their permanent home here). Ceremonies are held throughout Memorial Day weekend to honor those who died serving.
Another ceremony, rooted in Buddhist tradition but open to people of all faiths, broadens the scope of Memorial Day to include blessings and hopes for all our departed. Derived from similar ceremonies in Japan, this year's Lantern Floating event, always moving, is sure to be particularly poignant in light of Japan's tragic earthquake and tsunami this year. Here's a wrap up of Memorial Day activities this year, plus relevant sites to see:
Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium
This monument between Kaimana and Queens beaches in Waikiki was built to honor the fallen from World War I. It included a saltwater pool for competitive swimming events — three-time Olympian Duke Kahanamoku christened it with the first dive on Aug. 24, 1927, his birthday.
The pool facility has over the years fallen into disrepair under county ownership and is closed to the public, but a stalwart band of supporters — the Friends of the Natatorium — has rallied to protect the monument. Every year, they host a Memorial Day observance to keep the original intent of the structure alive.
This year's service includes an address from World War II veteran Ronald M. Oba, 88, a member of the legendary 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the all-Japanese unit of the U.S. Army that fought in Europe and went on to become the most decorated regiment in the history of the U.S. military. The service will also include keynote speaker Lt. Gen. Duane Thiessen, commander of U.S, Marines in the Pacific; a Marine Corps rifle detail and color guard; dancing from a hula halau (group) and a civic chorus.
The ceremony begins on Sunday, May 29 at 10 a.m., but singer Rodney Cazimero and his sister, hula dancer Kanoe Cazimero, will entertain early arrivals starting at 9:30 a.m.
Photo Credit: Waikiki Natatorium.
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl
There had been a civic debate for decades about using the extinct crater known as Punchbowl for a Honolulu cemetery. After the mass casualties of World War II, that discussion sharpened into a executable plan — Congress authorized funding in 1948 for a military cemetery; it was opened to the public on July 19, 1949. More than 45,000 U.S. servicemembers and a few civilians are buried here.
The cemetery holds extended hours on Memorial Day, from
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The graves are decorated the day before with lei by local Boy Scout troops and other volunteers. The official service, led by Mayor Peter Carlisle, begins Monday, May 30, at 8:30 a.m.
Photo: Memorial Day observance at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, 2007. Credit: Coconut Wireless/Creative Commons.
Lantern Floating Hawaii
Thousands turn out for this visually stunning event at Ala Moana Beach Park, held every Memorial Day. More than 2,000 lanterns bearing messages to the departed and victims of disaster will be cast into the reef-protected waters. Starting at 1 p.m., lanterns will be made available to the public to inscribe messages of peace, hope, forgiveness and love. The ceremony, conducted by Buddhist Shinnyo-en master Keishu Shinso Ito, begins at 6:30 p.m. Photo: Kyle Nishioka/Creative Commons.
Arizona Memorial
Honor the fallen at the battleship that suffered more casualties than any other during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kickoff of summer and this site, one of the most visited in the state, is sure to be busy — arrive early. The Visitor Center is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with tours beginning at 8 a.m. On Memorial Day, the Visitor Center will host a special flag-raising and bell-ringing ceremony to be attended by Pearl Harbor Survivors. The bell, extracted from the USS Arizona, is on permanent display at the Visitor Center. Photo: U.S. Navy.
Hikes with WWII-era structures
Concrete bunkers that served as lookouts and defensive positions were built atop several mountain summits around Oahu. Some of our favorite hikes have them, including Diamond Head, Makapuu Lighthouse, Koko Crater and the Lanikai Pillbox Hike.
Opana Point Radar Station
This may only be worth visiting in 3D — the original station is long-since gone and a communications complex stands there now — but history buff and 3D modeler Jack Clark recreated it for Google Earth. It is the radar tower that initially tracked the coming Japanese aerial fleet on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, but the information was dismissed as a local military exercise — the definitive "what if" moment of the tragedy. The location, on a hillside on Oahu's North Shore, is listed with the National Register of Historic Places. Photo: SCR-270 radar tower, similar to the SCR-270B used at Opana Point. Source: Creative Commons.
U.S. Army Museum at Fort DeRussy
The Pearl Harbor Visitors Center is truly the hub of American military history on the island, but this museum in Waikiki, next to the military owned Hale Koa Hotel, gives a broader overview of military history and its impact in the Islands. Of particular interest for Memorial Day — the Gallery of Heroes, which honors Hawaii-born recipients of the nation's two highest awards of valor, the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross, or its equivalents, the Navy Cross and the Air Force Cross. The museum is closed Sundays and Mondays, so plan a trip before or after the holiday.
