Natatorium, Punchbowl events part of Memorial Day weekend

A Medal of Honor-decorated Vietnam veteran and the Hawaii Army National Guard deputy commander will deliver remarks Sunday at the annual Memorial Day Weekend at the War Memorial Natatorium in Waikiki.

In addition to honoring Hawaii’s military veterans from all wars, Sunday’s World War I Centennial Commemoration will pay special tribute to the 10,000 from Hawaii who served a century ago.

Retired Maj. Gen. Patrick H. Brady, a Vietnam veteran who won the Medal of Honor, and Brig. Gen. Bryan E. Suntheimer, U.S. Army National Guard deputy commanding general, are keynote speakers.

Entertainment prior to the ceremony by ukulele group 4U will begin at 9:30 a.m. The commemoration begins at 10 a.m. and includes a 21-gun salute, hula and other performances. A scattering of flowers will follow.

Riders representing veterans motorcycle clubs will arrive at the Natatorium shortly before 10 a.m.

For more information, see natatorium.org.

In preparation for the state and city Memorial Day Ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl, Girl Scouts of Hawaii will gather at the Windward Mall center court today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the annual Lei of Aloha Memorial Day project.

Girl Scouts will be sewing lei to place on more than 11,000 graves at Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe.

On Sunday, Cub Scout packs and Boy Scout troops will walk up to Punchbowl for an interfaith service at 1 p.m., and at 1:30 p.m. will place lei and flags on graves there.

Free shuttle service will be available Monday for the Memorial Day ceremony at Punchbowl.

The shuttle pickups will be at the Alapai Transit Center, 5:30 to 7:30 a.m. Free parking for shuttle users will be available at the Honolulu Civic Center, the Joint Traffic Management Center and McKinley High School. Return shuttles will run after the ceremony, the last bus leaving at noon.

In a change in usual policy, taxis will be allowed to drop off people at the cemetery, but only permitted private vehicles will be allowed to drive in or park there. Visitors in private vehicles will be allowed back into Punchbowl after noon.