The Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium is many things: recreation facility, competition venue, gathering space, cultural icon. It is also, first and foremost, a memorial to those who served our nation, especially those from Hawai’i who served in World War I.
It was built as a memorial to warriors, and opened as a memorial 86 years ago this month. The beautiful Beaux-Arts-style ocean pool still stands as a memorial, even though as a recreation facility it awaits preservation, restoration and reopening.
Air Force MSgt. Brian Hornbuckle at the 2012 Natatorium Memorial Day service. (© Greg Concilla May 2012/licensed to the Friends of the Natatorium)
A memorial is a living thing. Its meaning is expressed in the interactions between the place itself and the people who visit to remember and to honor those who have gone before.
The Friends of the Natatorium work diligently to keep those interactions going. We have held a solemn Memorial Day observance at the site for 25 years. Our friends at Veterans of Foreign War Post 8616 have gathered at the Natatorium on Veterans Day annually for 16 years, and we join them then.
But shouldn’t we remember every day? Shouldn’t we honor veterans every day? Yes: We think so too.
Be a Natatorium Bugler!
That’s why we’re organizing a cadre of committed volunteers to sound Taps at the Natatorium every sunset, 365 days a year. And you can be one of those volunteers.
Trained buglers are especially welcome, of course. But anyone – including you – can help us make this happen. Thanks to a relatively new innovation called the Ceremonial Bugle, Taps can be sounded with dignity even when a trained musician cannot be present. We envision a solo “bugler,” dressed sharply, appearing at sundown to “play” taps with our special bugle. You can be a member of this corps.
Sign Up Now
We’re organizing this new daily ceremony now and hope to start soon. Interested? We’d love your help. Please send an email message with the subject line “Taps bugler” to natatorium@natatorium.org. We’ll get back to you soon with more information.
On behalf of those we honor: Mahalo.
Larry Wiseman
We have volunteer Live Buglers in Hawaii, who will be happy to help you honor the Veteran…please contact our Hawaii State Director, Johnny Sanchez at cagebird44@aol.com phone 907-223-7695 Maybe you can work our buglers into your rotation. Thanks Larry Wiseman National Coordinator, Bugles Across America Honoring the Veteran with Live Taps over 210,000 Veterans Funeral Services since the year 2000 Founded by Marine Tom Day Sanus Veneratio~Veneratio Sanus Sound the Honor~Honor the Sound Follow us on Face Book https://www.facebook.com/BuglesAcrossAmerica
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p>Larry, thank you! We will reach out to Johnnu.