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The Conversation Special Series: Grand Army of the Republic Plot in Nu‘uanu

Catherine Cruz/HPR

On the 160th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War, The Conversation explored a special plot at a Nu‘uanu cemetery for men who served in the war.

Cemetery historian Nanette Napoleon took us to a plot for the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Civil War Union veterans whose motto was Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty.

In 1882, the Capt. George W. DeLong Post No. 45 of the GAR was established in Hawai‘i, except there weren’t enough members for an independent post, so it was attached to the California GAR.

The organization supported voting rights for Black veterans and lobbied Congress to establish veterans’ pensions, among other things.

Today, 35 veterans and four wives are buried in the plot in a mauka corner near the entrance to O‘ahu Cemetery.

In the first part of this series on Monday, Napoleon introduced us to "Hawai‘i Sons of the Civil War" which is also the title of her upcoming book.

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Catherine Cruz is the host of The Conversation. Originally from Guam, she spent more than 30 years at KITV, covering beats from government to education. Contact her at ccruz@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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