Operation 85 Partners with Wreaths Across America to Sponsor the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in 2025
Operation 85 Partners with Wreaths Across America to Sponsor the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in 2025
We’re honored to share big news for the families of the U.S.S. Arizona and all who care about America’s fallen: for 2025, Operation 85 has partnered with Wreaths Across America (WAA) and is now the official sponsor for National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on Wreaths Across America Day — Saturday, December 13, 2025. Through this partnership, families can sponsor a living tribute at Punchbowl to honor service members from World War I, World War II, the Korean War, those lost during Pearl Harbor, and the Vietnam War—while also directly supporting Operation 85’s mission.
What is Wreaths Across America?
Wreaths Across America is a national nonprofit dedicated to a simple, powerful mission: Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve, and Teach the next generation the value of freedom. Each December, volunteers across the country place fresh balsam wreaths on veterans’ headstones and speak each hero’s name aloud so their memory lives on.
The tradition began in 1992, when Maine wreath maker Morrill Worcester donated surplus wreaths to Arlington National Cemetery. The gesture grew into a movement that, in 2007, became the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Wreaths Across America we know today. In 2008, Congress unanimously designated a Saturday in December as National Wreaths Across America Day, an annual observance that continues to bring millions of Americans together at thousands of cemeteries nationwide.
For 2025, WAA has confirmed that this year’s national day of service will take place on Saturday, December 13—and at Punchbowl, the ceremony and wreath placement begin that morning. Volunteers, families, and supporters are invited to take part in person or by sponsoring a wreath in honor or memory of a loved one.
Why Punchbowl Matters—Especially to Operation 85 Families
Set within the volcanic Puowaina (Punchbowl) Crater overlooking Honolulu, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is one of America’s most storied national cemeteries. The VA notes that more than 33,000 U.S. war dead are interred here, and nearly 29,000 more are memorialized on the Honolulu Memorial’s Walls of the Missing—names that span the Pacific campaigns of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. It’s a place of service and sacrifice—and a place of deep cultural significance in Hawaiʻi.
For Operation 85 families, Punchbowl holds a particularly solemn connection. Among the Pearl Harbor unknowns interred as “Unknown” at this cemetery are service members associated with the USS Arizona. The VA itself has featured a headstone at Punchbowl marking two unknowns from the Arizona—a stark, visual reminder of the work still ahead to restore names to these heroes. Independent reporting has also noted commingled remains linked to the Arizona among the Pearl Harbor unknowns at Punchbowl. Per the cemetery’s policy – only 2,000 wreaths are allowed to be laid at the Punchbowl.
That’s why this sponsorship matters so much: the very grounds where families lay wreaths are the same grounds where our Arizona unknowns rest. Our partnership ensures that remembrance at Punchbowl also advances the effort to identify and honor those who have waited decades for their names to be spoken with certainty.
Sponsor a Wreath for $17 — and Power Two Missions at Once
Through our partnership link, sponsoring a wreath costs $17.00, and $5.00 comes back to the Operation 85 Foundation, our nonprofit 501(c)(3) partner, to help fuel the search for, and identification of, the Arizona unknowns. Wreaths Across America’s own sponsorship program offers a “$5 Back” plan that returns five dollars to participating groups for every wreath sponsored through their page—exactly how our partnership page is set up.
What does that mean for you and your family? Every wreath you sponsor does double duty. It places a living memorial on a hero’s grave at Punchbowl and directly supports Operation 85’s work to meet and surpass the DNA Family Reference Sample threshold needed to move identification forward. It’s one action that advances two important causes at once.
How the tradition works: On Wreaths Across America Day, volunteers place each wreath and say the veteran’s name aloud—a powerful, personal act that keeps their legacy alive. Families can attend the ceremony at Punchbowl or sponsor a wreath from anywhere in the country and designate it in honor or memory of their loved one.
A Brief History of Service, A Season of Remembrance
From its origin story in Arlington to today’s nationwide network of ceremonies, Wreaths Across America has grown because everyday Americans—Gold Star families, veterans, students, civic groups, truckers, first responders, and neighbors—choose to give a few hours in December to those who gave their all. The mission has expanded to include year-round education and community outreach, but the heart of it remains the same: remembering our fallen, honoring those who serve, and teaching our children why freedom matters.
At Punchbowl, that mission resonates in a special way. The cemetery’s setting in Puowaina Crater, its panoramic view over Oʻahu, and its memorial walls make it a uniquely poignant place for reflection. And for families connected to the Arizona, it’s a place where remembrance intersects with action—where honoring the past supports the ongoing work to bring names back to the unknown.
How Your Family Can Take Part
- Sponsor a wreath for $17 using our Operation 85 partnership link (each wreath sends $5 back to our Foundation). Consider sponsoring in honor or memory of a specific loved one.
- Attend at Punchbowl on Saturday, December 13, 2025. The ceremony begins that morning with wreath placement immediately after. If you plan to be on Oʻahu, we’d be honored to see you there.
- Invite others. Share this announcement with friends and relatives—especially families with connections to the USS Arizona—so they can sponsor or volunteer alongside you.
- Volunteer locally if you can’t travel. WAA holds ceremonies at thousands of cemeteries across the country the same day; you can volunteer near home and still sponsor a wreath for Punchbowl through our link.
One December Morning, Two Great Missions
This Holiday Season, families of the USS Arizona and patriots everywhere can honor our fallen heroes at Punchbowl and strengthen Operation 85’s mission—with a single, meaningful act. By sponsoring a wreath for $17 through our page, you’re placing a living tribute where it matters most and returning $5 to help us continue the painstaking work of identification and remembrance.
On Saturday, December 13, 2025, we’ll gather at Punchbowl to Remember. Honor. Teach. We hope you’ll stand with us—whether in person in Honolulu or in spirit from afar—so that every hero is remembered, every name is spoken, and the unknowns of the USS Arizona move one step closer to going home.
Sources for background and program details: Wreaths Across America mission and history; nonprofit status and origins; sponsorship pricing and “$5 back” program; Punchbowl event date and details; Punchbowl history and significance; and documentation of Arizona unknowns at Punchbowl. Wreaths Across America+4Wreaths Across America+4Wreaths Across America+4VAVeterans AffairsU.S. Department of Veterans AffairsStars and Stripes