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Hawaii’s annual Veterans Day ceremony will not take place this year at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl due to the federal government shutdown. Observed annually on Nov. 11, the federal holiday honors members of the U.S. military for their service and sacrifice. The ceremony usually draws more than 600 attendees to pay tribute to veterans and their families. The closure of the national cemetery means there will be no missing man formation flyover, 21-gun salute or military band performances that usually mark the occasion. This year, the Oahu Veterans Council, which normally organizes the official Veterans Day ceremony at Punchbowl, will instead host an event at 10 a.m. Tuesday at its Oahu Veterans Center in Salt Lake. The indoor venue, located at 1298 Kukila St., has a capacity limit of 200 people and registration has already closed. Organizers said they are preparing contingencies for those who arrive without registering, including a refreshments area outside where guests can gather and watch parts of the Parking will be available across the street at Makalapa Elementary School, with shuttle buses providing transport to the Veterans The event will feature keynote speakers, live entertainment and opportunities to meet and connect with veterans. The program is scheduled to run until 1 p.m. The Wahiawa Lions Club is inviting the public to join the 79th annual Wahiawa Veterans Day Parade, the oldest and largest — and now the only — Veterans Day parade on Oahu. Registration to walk or ride in the parade closes in two days. Participants can sign up by calling, texting or registering online at bit.ly/Veterans Parade2025. Participants may walk or ride in vehicles to honor veterans and can hand out flags or red poppy flowers, a traditional symbol of support for veterans’ services. Co-sponsored by the City and County of Honolulu, the parade typically features military units, the Royal Hawaiian Band, marching bands, schools, JROTC and JPO groups, Scouts, churches, community organizations and local businesses. This year, for the first time, the Wahiawa Middle School Jazz Band will perform while riding a trolley, a long-held goal for the group, which is not a traditional marching band. Parade organizers said the event has been impacted by the federal shutdown. Brig. Gen. Tyson Tahara, commander of the Hawaii National Guard and original parade grand marshal, canceled his participation, along with other military units, marking the first time since 1946 that Wahiawa has experienced reduced military support for the parade. Organizers noted that even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the parade was canceled, supporters held a tribute along Kamehameha Highway with military vehicles to salute veterans. Despite these setbacks, the parade will go on. All parade units are required to display a “Mahalo Veterans” sign. This year’s parade will feature two local grand marshals: Pfc. Masahiro Saito, a Bronze Star recipient representing the 100th Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and retired Col. Kimo Dunn, former commander of the same battalion during his service in Afghanistan and Iraq. Local veterans’ organizations will host a Veterans Day ceremony Tuesday at the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial to honor Hawaii’s first U.S. citizens who served in World War I. The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8616, the American Legion, Honolulu Elks Lodge 616 and Friends of the Natatorium will lead the ceremony at 11:11 a.m., recognizing the 10,000 Hawaii veterans of the Great War. Organizers said these early service members helped pave the way for improved health and service benefits for all veterans and played a key role in establishing organizations and memorials that continue to support service members today. The program will feature remarks from veteran and community leaders, a moment of silence at 11:11 a.m. and a tribute to all who have served in the armed forces. Adm. Steve Koehler, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, will be the keynote speaker at a special sunset ceremony aboard the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor to commemorate the Army, Navy and Marine Corps’ 250 years of service and sacrifice. The hourlong ceremony will start at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday on the fantail of the Battleship Missouri Memorial. The event is free and open to the public. Organizers request that attendees wear “summer whites, service equivalent or aloha crisp The Battleship Missouri Memorial is located on an active Navy base and is accessible only via a complimentary shuttle from the Pearl Harbor National Memorial Visitor Center. The ceremony also will be livestreamed on the Battleship Missouri Memorial’s YouTube and Facebook channels. The YouTube live-stream will begin at 4:15 p.m.
