Gone are the joyous reunion plans, which just a week ago were tantalizingly close but now have been replaced by a pain that will last a lifetime.

Fourteen sets of families that were looking forward to their sons' return from Iraq are now greeting their American flag-covered caskets after last Wednesday's helicopter crash.

Ten of those soldiers were from Schofield Barracks and the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry "Cacti." The four-man crew and Black Hawk helicopter were out of Fort Lewis, Wash.

The anguish from the loss of comrades and buddies was etched onto the faces of fellow Schofield soldiers at a memorial service yesterday at Kirkuk Air Base. Thousands of Task Force Lightning soldiers paid their respects during a "Tribute Ceremony" at Forward Operating Base Warrior.

Ten sets of empty desert combat boots, upturned rifles, helmets, dog tags and photos were arrayed at the memorial in a replay of another deadly helicopter crash that killed 26 Marines and a sailor from Kane'ohe Bay in western Iraq on Jan. 26, 2005.

"Words cannot express our sadness or convey how much he will be missed," said the family of Army Capt. Derek Dobogai, 26, of Fond du Lac, Wis., one of those on board. "It was Derek's dream to serve America, and his life ended during this service."

He had been selected to serve in the Army's elite Special Forces.

The grief expressed in Iraq will be replayed today at a private 10 a.m. service at Schofield's main post chapel.

The memorial today at Schofield will include comments by Maj. William O'Brien, the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry, rear detachment commander, and Lt. Col. Joel Lytle, a Schofield Barracks community chaplain.

Gov. Linda Lingle, who also will attend the remembrance, ordered all U.S. and Hawai'i state flags at state, county and federal buildings and facilities to fly at half-staff today from sunrise to sunset in honor of the 10 Schofield soldiers.

The Army said the ceremony is not open to the public.

No immediate members of the families are on the island, with the need to make funeral arrangements on the Mainland.

The body of Cpl. Nathan Hubbard, 21, is scheduled to arrive this morning at Fresno Yosemite International Airport in California. His brother, Jason, who also is in the same unit and was flying in a helicopter next to the chopper that crashed, is escorting his brother home.

Another brother, Jared, a Marine, had been killed early in the Iraq war. A funeral service is scheduled for Friday in the same church in Fresno where services were held for Jared Hubbard three years ago.

Sgt. Garrett McLead's body also is expected to arrive back home in Corpus Christi, Texas, today. The 23-year-old will receive a full military burial Saturday.

"These are difficult times when you lose soldiers as we had under these circumstances," said Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon, commander of Hawai'i's 25th Infantry Division and head of Task Force Lightning in northern Iraq.

The packed chopper went down in Multaka, 21 miles west of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq. Army officials said it experienced a mechanical malfunction, while CBS News reported a problem with the tail rotor caused it to spiral into the ground. All aboard were killed.

More than 7,000 Schofield soldiers serving in Iraq are expected home in the next couple of months.

Reach William Cole at wcole@honoluluadvertiser.com.