This article is part of a monthly series highlighting successful annual events held by Scouting America councils.
Every Memorial Day weekend, Scouts in Hawaii take part in a tradition as moving as it is massive — and not just because it takes place atop a 272-foot extinct volcano.
Known locally as “Punchbowl cemetery” because it sits in an extinct volcanic crater of the same name, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific brings thousands of Scouts, leaders and community volunteers to place flags and flower leis on the graves of America’s service members. The event has become one of the most meaningful traditions for Scouting America’s Aloha Council because it blends service and Hawaiian culture in an unforgettable setting.
Overlooking Honolulu, Punchbowl is Hawaii’s equivalent of Arlington National Cemetery. It’s the final resting place for veterans of the Pearl Harbor attack, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and more recent conflicts. It also contains the grave of Eagle Scout Ellison Onizuka, the first astronaut from Hawaii, who died aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1986.
For many Scouts and leaders involved, it’s more than just an annual flag planting.
“A lot of people from Hawaii who served in conflicts are buried there, so this event has extra meaning,” says St. John “SJ” Molale, Oahu program executive in the Aloha Council. “I have family buried up there. For many of us, it’s deeply personal.”
The tradition stretches back generations.
Leaders estimate Scouts have participated in the Punchbowl Memorial Day observance since the late 1940s. For Molale, the longevity of the event is part of what makes it special.
“My dad was a Scout, and he was here as a Wolf back in the ’60s and ’70s,” Molale said.
Planning for the event begins months in advance. Leaders coordinate with the city and county of Honolulu, military officials and community partners. Scouts sign up by unit, transportation is organized, speakers are invited and logistics are finalized for an operation that spans several days.
“It’s a big undertaking, but we’ve been doing this a long time and have an excellent group of staff and volunteers throughout the community,” says Blake Parsons, Scout executive/CEO of the Aloha Council. “Everybody pitches in, and everybody understands how important this is.”
On Sunday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend, Scouts begin placing flags and leis across the cemetery grounds, covering about 40,000 graves.
The work is physically demanding. Scouts spend a few hours in the Hawaiian heat carefully moving from grave to grave. Food is not allowed inside the cemetery, making the day especially challenging for younger Cub Scouts. Still, leaders emphasize that the event is about reverence, not speed.
“It’s not a race to get through the cemetery,” says Billy Rayl, Oahu field director in the Aloha Council. “We try to teach the Scouts how to honor our veterans, how to salute properly, how to place the flag and how to show respect while doing it.”
Some units begin preparing well before Memorial Day weekend arrives. Troop 181, for example, holds a lei-making event during the Friday troop meeting before the ceremony. Former members, families and community supporters return to help create the floral tributes that Scouts will place at graves days later.
“They actually do a little talk there before to get the kids in the mindset,” Molale said. “Then Sunday they go up, hit those particular graves first thing and then help out with everything else.”
Other troops visit specific graves of veterans connected to their units or communities. Many Scouts also stop at the grave of Onizuka to pay their respects.
The Memorial Day observance continues Monday morning with the mayor’s official ceremony at Punchbowl. Military leaders, elected officials, Scouts and community members gather beneath a ceremonial tent overlooking the cemetery. The event regularly features military speakers with ties to Scouting. Last year’s speaker was the commander of Schofield Barracks, a U.S. Army installation in Honolulu.
On Tuesday morning, after Scouts have returned to school, adult volunteers and community organizations return to remove the flags, roll them properly and store them for the following year.
Despite the long hours and complicated logistics, leaders say the setting itself provides constant reminders of why the effort matters.
As visitors drive into Punchbowl, the crater walls rise around them. Flags line the road leading into the cemetery. From the upper levels, visitors can see rows of graves below along with sweeping views of Honolulu and Oahu’s southern coastline.
“From a Scouting perspective — and just being an American — it’s one of the most awe-inspiring things you can be a part of,” Parsons says. “It’s such a great way to honor our veterans.”
Photo: City and County of Honolulu.