Who are our heroes?

Generally, we honor warriors (those who fight and die in battle), sports stars and the occasional political leader.

Entertainers rarely make the hero cut unless they die young in an airplane crash or otherwise find their trajectory cut short.

One classic example is Israel Kamakawiwiole, who has become larger (if such a thing is possible) in death than he ever was as a living entertainer. Brudda Iz was a classic example of someone whose unknown potential was cut short, leaving us to treasure all the more that which he left behind.

And then there is Don Ho, a pop icon from Hawai'i's day-glo heyday who came to embody our image as a laid-back, pleasure-seeking slice of paradise.

We honor Ho today not for potential lost, but for potential fulfilled. He lived life to the fullest. While most of us could never come close to the Don Ho lifestyle, we could live vicariously through his exploits and his music.

Israel lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda, an unusual and unexpected honor generally held back for those who served honorably in public life; a Patsy Mink or John A. Burns, for instance.

Ho's aloha ceremony will be on Waikiki Beach, in an event reminiscent of the sendoff for Duke Kahanamoku, with whom Ho was associated for many years. It will be a beachboy's sendoff, but it will be a hero's sendoff as well. If Duke was a hero because he represented what many think is Hawai'i's noble, modest and sunny side, and if Jack Burns became a hero because he represented what we like to think of as our inclusive, socially alert and progressive side, then Do Ho becomes a hero because he represents our vision of the Islands as a fun-loving, easy-going place.

The only point here is that we construct heroes out of many parts.

Some we honor, or should, for their selfless deeds: The people who toil day and night in homeless shelters; who voluntarily walk the beaches and mountain trails picking up thoughtless trash left behind by others; those who devote their days and nights to the education of the young people who will make up the Hawai'i of tomorrow; those who put their lives on the line for our safety — these are our real heroes.

Few of these folks will get a ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda. They won't be laid to rest in the company of thousands on Waikiki Beach.

But they count nonetheless. As we celebrate the life and times of a Don Ho or a Brudda Iz, we should remember that the fabric of our society is made strong by more than those who found the spotlight.

It is built by everyone who contributes, who makes this island state a better and more enjoyable place.

Reach Jerry Burris at jburris@honoluluadvertiser.com.