The Hawaii Sons of the Civil War Memorial Committee is seeking funds to help pay for a memorial plaque honoring individuals from the Islands who served in the Civil War.

The memorial will consist of a bronze plaque mounted on an a granite base. It will feature Union and Confederate flasg and be placed along the Memorial Walk at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

A news release from the Hawaii Civil War Round Table says exact numbers of men with Hawaii ties who served in the war are hard to come by since Native Hawaiians were often given made-up names when they signed on with whaling ships that went to join Union and Confederate navies.

The Round Table says some known instances include:

• James Bush, a Native Hawaiian who served in the Union navy.

• Twelve Hawaiian sailors serving aboard the CSS Shenandoah, which actually fought in the Pacific.

• Samuel Chapman Armstrong, the son of Hawaii missionaries, who became a brigadier general in the Union army and would go on to found what is now Hampton University.

The Round Table says a dedication ceremony will be held later this year.

Donation checks can be made payable to the Oahu Cemetery Association at 2162 Nuuanu Avenue, Honolulu 96817. Please note on the check that it is for the Civil War plaque.

For more information, call Dr. Justin Vance, president of the Round Table, at 226-1254 or e-mail him at jvance@hpu.edu