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KEN IGE / KIGE@STARBULLETIN.COM
The World War II memorial at Punchbowl and South King streets was built in 1944 to honor fallen 100th Battalion soldiers.
WWII memorial upgrade
to be finished this monthQuestion: What ever happened to the beautification project at the World War II memorial in front of the old Territorial Office Building across from the main branch of the state library?
Answer: Additions to the memorial -- a concrete walkway, a wrought-iron fence and surrounding greenery -- should be finished by the end of October, said James Hisano, the manager of the Central Services Office with the state Department of Accounting & General Services.
Passers-by can already see the dark-green fence and the widened concrete area around the monument. Hisano said the state only needs to add plants and flowers to complete its work on the memorial.
The total cost for the renovation, which began about six months ago, will be approximately $74,000, Hisano said.
The memorial's upgrade is part of a statewide beautification project, which included fixing the Capitol's roof and landscaping the inner courtyard at the Department of Labor.
The state installed the fence to prevent graffiti on the World War II memorial in front of the old Territorial Office Building at the corner of Punchbowl and South King streets.
The fence will be open during the day for visitors who want a closer look at the soldiers' names, Hisano said.
The memorial was built in 1944 for about $5,000 as a temporary monument to fallen 100th Battalion soldiers. It stayed at the site because there wasn't enough money to move it, Hisano said.
Honolulu sculptor Roy King created the 18-foot-high monument with the following inscription: "In honor of all Americans of Hawaii who died in this world war that the beauty and freedom of our land might be preserved for all humanity."
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