HANAPEPE — There was just a smattering of flowers and some American and Hawaiian flags flying in the warm Hanapepe morning at the Kaua‘i Veterans Cemetery.
“Normally, this place would be choked with flowers and people,” said cemetery caretaker Junior Leones who was trimming palm fronds following his morning of mowing the grounds. “But the cemetery expansion project is going on. It was supposed to have been completed, but there are shipping delays. The materials they need are stuck.”
This world of dust, construction noise, and scores of roped-off areas was broken with the arrival of more than two dozen volunteers with the Kaua‘i United Hongwanji Buddhist Women’s Association, including a contingent from Kapa‘a who were victims of the no contra-flow lanes.
“This is done so every grave has at least greenery,” said James Yamamoto. “Greens and flowers.”
Roberta Yanagawa of the Kapa‘a Honganji Mission said the Lonesome Grave project is done annually, and the graves are decorated on the day before the Veterans Day Service that traditionally fell on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Volunteers arrived from the West Kaua‘i, Lihu‘e, and Kapa‘a Hongwanji temples armed with buckets and loads of greenery and hardy flowers.
This year, for the second consecutive year, there will not be the traditional service because of the COVID-19 health and safety protocol, and the ongoing construction of the cemetery expansion project. The traditional Veterans Day Parade was also canceled, and the golf tournament that replaced the first year of the parade cancellation was also canceled this year.
Instead, individuals and families can brave the construction to visit the cemetery that will be adorned with lei from employees of the Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa that plan to be in Hanapepe at sunrise with their load of lei for placement on individual gravesites.
Over at the Veterans Memorial Highway fronting the Kaua‘i Veterans Center, the East Kaua‘i Lions Club will be hosting a flag-waving to draw attention to the “Thank You, Veterans!” message that appeared on the chain-link fence.
According to information from a Buddhist newsletter, the Lonesome Grave service project was started in 1998 when Barbara Funamura, a member of the Koloa Hongwanji Mission, suggested that all graves at the Kaua‘i Veterans Cemetery be decorated for the annual Veterans Day Service.
“All” includes those graves whose relatives or family are not physically able to come and tend to the graves.
Funamura felt that potted marigolds should be used to honor Gold Star Mothers.
“Many years have passed since the first Lonesome Grave Project, but the tradition continues,” the newsletter states. “We may no longer use just marigolds, but members, families, and friends of the West Kaua‘i Hongwanji, the Kapa‘a Hongwanji, and the Lihu‘e Hongwanji temples still gather each Nov. 10 to decorate with flowers and greenery to ensure there is no ‘lonesome grave’ at the Kaua‘i Veterans Cemetery.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
