Kalaheo High School chorale students Amber McAllister, Meghann Troyer and Jauhtavia Roberts sang patriotic songs.

Bonnie Griffin, a sixth-grader at 'Aikahi Elementary School, read a poem called "Standing in Support." It honored the children of military members serving in distant wars.

Mark Dionisio, an eighth-grader at Kailua Intermediate School, read Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken," in honor of the military men and women who choose a more dangerous path.

Marco Anich, a senior at Kalaheo High, read Maya Angelou's "Words of Hope and Encouragement."

Marines, said Col. Jeffery J. Patterson, commander of the 3rd Marine Regiment, think of one another as brothers and sisters. "I know now," he said, "our family has grown to include the Hawai'i 'ohana."

Maria Baeza and daughters Amanda, 11, and Savannah, 5, held candles for the ceremony.

Baeza said she had heard of the helicopter crash the night before the news was released to the public. She knew it was her husband's unit but didn't know until 24 hours later that her husband was not aboard the helicopter.

"It hit too close to home," she said as she stood before the memorial, which depicts the flag raising at Iwo Jima. "Way too close."

This is Staff Sgt. Joshua Baeza's second tour in Iraq.

Maria said she tried to keep the full impact of what the family faces from her daughters, but Amanda, the oldest, understands too well.

"When he calls," Maria said, "he never once hears us cry. He never hears us complain about the little things that go wrong."

"But we are human — we have nights when we cry — but he doesn't have to know that. You've got to support them, no matter what."

As the last of the sun's rays gave way to darkness, the crowd lit their candles and carried them to the memorial, adding them to the flowers and notes of thanks and sorrow that already surrounded it.