Delray Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Col. Ellison Shoji Onizuka

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, January 27, 2026

1. Col. Ellison Shoji Onizuka Marker

Inscription. The Asian-American Federation of Florida
The Japan-America Society of South Florida
respectfully dedicate this lantern to the memory of

Col. Ellison Shoji Onizuka
and his Challenger crewmates
Jan. 25, 1987
in cooperation with
American Airlines • Eastern Airlines • Waste Management of Florida

Erected 1987 by The Asian-American Federation of Florida and the Japan-America Society of South Florida.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Asian Americans • Disasters. A significant historical date for this entry is January 28, 1986.

Location. 26° 25.632′ N, 80° 9.434′ W. Marker is in Delray Beach, Florida, in Palm Beach County. It can be reached from Morikami Park Road north of Puzzle Place, on the left when traveling north. The marker is located on the grounds of Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, and is accessible with an entry ticket. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4000 Morikami Park Rd, Delray Beach FL 33446, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Florida,

on the Gold Coast,

on the Treasure Coast,

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and in Greater Miami.

It is also in the American South

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: What is Bonsai? (within shouting distance of this marker); 平庭 Hiraniwa Flat Garden (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Early Rock Garden (about 300 feet away); Late Rock Garden (about 300 feet away); 浄土庭園 / Paradise Garden (about 300 feet away); Shinden Garden (about 500 feet away); Welcome to Wakodahatchee Wetland (approx. 3.6 miles away); Boca Raton Army Air Field B-34 Crash (approx. 5.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Delray Beach.

Also see . . . Ellison Onizuka, Mission Specialist (Challenger Center).

In January 1978, Onizuka
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, January 27, 2026

2. Col. Ellison Shoji Onizuka Marker
The marker and lantern may be found overlooking the lake behind the Yamato-kan building on the museum campus grounds.
was selected as a NASA astronaut. He became the first Asian American and the first person of Japanese ancestry to reach space. Since he was an Air Force officer on detatched duty with NASA, Onizuka served on the first dedicated Department of Defense classified mission as Mission Specialist on Discovery STS-51-C. In 1986, Onizuka was selected as one of three Mission Specialists on the fated Challenger 51-L crew. This flight was his second shuttle mission.

(Submitted on January 30, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York.)

Col. Ellison Shoji Onizuka Lantern image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, January 27, 2026

3. Col. Ellison Shoji Onizuka Lantern

The lantern and plaque, located at the Morikami Museum.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 30, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 53 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 30, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.