U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono, along with Representatives Ed Case and Jill Tokuda, has introduced the Hawaii National Cemetery Act. This legislation would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a new national veterans cemetery in Hawaii.
Currently, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is the only national cemetery in Hawaii. It has been functionally closed for in-ground burials since 1991 and is expected to stop accepting cremated remains by 2036. The cemetery serves as the burial site for about 53,000 veterans from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
Senator Hirono stated, “Those who have served our country, many of whom have made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their life to defend our nation, deserve to have the option to be buried in a national cemetery in their home state. With less and less space remaining at the only national cemetery in Hawaii, I am proud to introduce this legislation to establish another national cemetery that will serve as a fitting final resting site for veterans in our state. These veterans bravely served our country and deserve to be buried in a place of recognition of their service and courage.”
Representative Case emphasized the urgency: “Veterans who qualify for burial benefits should continue to have full choice in their final resting place, including burial in a national cemetery close to their homes and families. Sadly, we have begun to run out of room to bury our nation’s heroes at Hawaii’s national cemetery, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, at Punchbowl. It became essentially closed to casketed burials in 1991 and will stop accepting cremated remains by 2036. This is a serious concern for the roughly 115,000 veterans living in Hawai‘i, some 11% of the state’s population. To maintain equitable access to burial benefits in a national cemetery for veterans residing in Hawai‘i, where the next closest national cemetery is over 2,500 miles away, our nation must begin the process for a new cemetery. The work should start immediately, as developing a new national cemetery involves many phases, including community consultation, which can take more than eight years to complete.”
Representative Tokuda added: “The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific has served as a sacred place of honor for Hawai?i’s veterans. But with the site nearing capacity, we must plan for a new resting place that continues to honor our veterans with the dignity and respect they deserve,” she said. “That’s why I’m proud to join my Hawai?i colleagues on this legislation which helps guarantee our veterans and their families have a deeply meaningful choice — one that reflects their service and sacrifice — here at home.”
The Department of Veterans Affairs aims for most veterans—95 percent—to live within 75 miles of a veteran’s cemetery; however, this does not account for those living on islands such as Hawaii where distance makes travel difficult.
The proposed act seeks to address these concerns by requiring construction of an additional facility so that local veterans retain access comparable with other states.
