MAKAWAO — When the cost of flowers nearly doubled, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters thought it might have to forgo the annual Memorial Day tradition of showering the graves of Maui’s veterans with flowers.

But then the community stepped up — employees of the helicopter company, Maui Plumeria Gardens, the Montage Kapalua Bay and others helped pick and gather enough flowers to keep the tradition alive.

“Hopefully this is how we will do it from now on. We’ll get it from the community because it’s more meaningful that way,” said Blue Hawaiian Helicopters Director of Revenue Kyu Yi, who was attending the ceremony with his family on Monday.

“Flowers coming from the backyards of those that have family here.”

From the petals that floated onto the cemetery grounds to the ti-leaf lei handwoven by Kaunoa Senior Center volunteers, the spirit of aloha for those who served was on full display Monday morning at the Maui Veterans Cemetery.

For many, it was because the day hit so close to home.

Janna Hoehn, president of the Maui County Veterans Council, remembered growing up next door to Danny Joe Richardson, who helped look after her until her parents got off of work.

“I enjoyed Danny very much. He was so fun. I looked up to him like a big brother,” Hoehn told the crowd gathered at the cemetery pavilion. “We played a lot of games, especially soldiers.”

Richardson went on to serve in Vietnam, where he was killed on April 3, 1968, not long after his 20th birthday.

“Every Memorial Day since 1968, I take a few minutes and think about the boy next door,” Hoehn said. “Let us all remember the ultimate sacrifice for our country and our freedoms, and never forget and always carry them in your heart and mind.”

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. is the son of two veterans — his mother was a member of the Women’s Army Corps and his father was a sergeant first class in the Army, serving in both the Korean and Vietnam wars and earning two Bronze Stars and one Purple Heart. Bissen’s parents are buried at the Maui Veterans Cemetery along with his wife’s parents, her two older brothers and three of his uncles.

“My parents, beloved role models for my three sisters and I, gave their lives in dedication, honor and duty, as did all those who are honored today,” Bissen said.

Others who came to the cemetery on Monday also rattled off long lists of family members in the military.

Honokowai resident Pam Coley’s parents both served in the Air Force, and Coley grew up creasing her pants and ironing her socks and still says “yes, ma’am,” to this day. Her uncle flew the aircraft that would bring back bodies from Beirut in 1985, and her cousins have served in the Navy and the Marines. And the history of service goes way back — Coley says that her family is among the Daughters of the American Revolution.

“Today is a day about the people that served, their courage and their bravery to go and answer the call, basically, that God had on their lives to serve our country and to give our lives for our country,” Coley said.

Manila-born, Molokai-grown siblings Cora and Alfonso Angel said they try to come to the cemetery every year to honor their brother, Danilo Angel, who served 20 years in the Army before retiring in 2000 and passing away in 2001.

The family had nine kids, and four of the brothers served in the military — two in the Army, one in the Air Force and one in the Marines and the Navy. Alfonso Angel, who enlisted in the Air Force, said there was always friendly competition about which was the best branch. (The Air Force has it pretty good, both Cora and Alfonso agreed.)

“Just to come here and remember my brother, what he did and how proud we are, and just family gathering just to remember the loved ones, that’s what the memorial event is,” Alfonso said.

“We are just proud of them giving themselves to serve,” Cora said.

Monday’s ceremony honored service members both past and present, with a ceremony of remembrance for those missing in action, a ringing of bells for the more than 70 Maui County veterans who died since the last Memorial Day and a medley of branch songs while veterans of each branch stood to applause.

When the ceremony ended with a 21-gun salute and taps, the sound of the bugle brought 82-year-old Vietnam veteran Roy Nakasone back to his days in the Army and the people he served alongside.

“It’s a very emotional day for me because when I think about the soldiers I served with, some of them didn’t come home. And especially when I hear taps, it just hits me right here,” Nakasone said as he placed a hand over his heart. “That they’re not coming home. Some of them are buried here.”

Nakasone graduated from Maui High School in 1959 and attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He worked as a teacher for a short time before enlisting in the Army, where he was sent to Vietnam in 1969 and was tasked with keeping soldiers’ records and making sure they got paid. In his mind, he still keeps record of his fellow service members, like the young man from Maui that he went through basic training with who was sent straight to Vietnam. Nakasone now visits his grave at the Makawao cemetery.

Nakasone, who got his master’s degree thanks to the GI Bill and taught at several schools including Lihikai, Kahului and Waihee elementaries, thinks of that young man and others on Memorial Day.

“It’s just a very special day. I just wanted to pay tribute to them and honor them,” he said. “I’m fortunate I came home, and then I can do my part in trying to remember what they did for our country.”

* Colleen Uechi can be reached at cuechi@mauinews.com.