Legislators Push for New National Memorial Cemetery in Hawaii

The National Memorial Cemetery in Hawaii is running out of space, but a group of politicians is hoping to persuade the Department of Veterans Affairs into building a new final resting place for veterans. 

Sen. Mazie Hirono, along with members of Congress Ed Case and Jill Tokuda, have proposed the Hawaii National Cemetery Act. If passed into law, the measure would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to construct a new national veterans cemetery on the Hawaiian Islands. 

Currently, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, located on Oahu, includes the graves of more than 53,000 veterans from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam. It’s Hawaii’s only national veteran cemetery. 

However, space is shrinking. The cemetery stopped doing in-ground burials in 1991 and predicts it will run out of space to house cremated remains around 2036.  

Hirono believes the proposed legislation is needed to make sure Hawaiian veterans have a local cemetery to be buried in after they die. 

“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,” Hirono said in a release. “With less and less space remaining at the only national cemetery in Hawaiʻi, 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.”

Years of Planning Required 

A facility of significant size would require years of planning and construction, which is why the senator and representatives are advocating for the bill to be passed soon. 

“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,” Case said in a press release. “Sadly, we have begun to run out of room to bury our nation’s heroes at Hawaii’s national cemetery.”

Case said the state has about 115,000 veterans living on the islands, consisting of 11 percent of Hawaii’s population. As those veterans continue to age and pass away, they will need a space to be buried in. 

“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,” Hirono said in a release. 

In the release, Tokuda said that finding a new cemetery for Hawaiian veterans is an opportunity to maintain integrity, providing veterans with the dignity they deserve. 

“National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific has served as a sacred place of honor for Hawaiʻi’s veterans,” Tokuda said. “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.”

Will the VA Step up for Hawaii? 

The National Cemetery Administration, part of VA, strives to provide burial for about 95 percent of veterans within 75 miles of a federal, state or tribal cemetery for veterans. However, the administration’s policy doesn’t factor in Hawaiian veterans wishing to be buried in a national cemetery. California, more than 2,000 miles away, would be the closest location for burial. 

According to VA, the administration manages 157 cemeteries, along with 35 soldiers’ lots and monuments in 44 states and Puerto Rico. More than 4 million veterans are buried in national memorial cemeteries. 

VA funds the construction, expansion and renovation of 124 veterans’ cemeteries in 47 states and territories. For Hirono, Case and Tokuda, and thousands of Hawaiian veterans hoping to be buried in their home state, the opportunity for a new final resting place could be on the horizon.