SHARING MANA‘O

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. — Mahatma Gandhi

At the volunteer orientation for The Wall That Heals - Maui, we were told that, regardless of whether we were seasoned or novice volunteers, we would likely remember this assignment as a “once in a lifetime” experience. I confess, at first, I thought Tim, our trainer, was a bit overdramatic in his presentation.

I’d had no personal connection to the Vietnam War or its veterans, other than knowing maybe a dozen friends and acquaintances who had served in that war. One of those friends, Bo Mahoe, was a member of the committee that facilitated the exhibit’s local visit. When Bo started recruiting volunteers a couple of months ago, I signed up, more out of a desire to help him, rather than the cause.

It has been one week since The Wall That Heals departed Maui, and not a single day has passed without me reflecting on the hours spent at the Wall, and how accurately Tim represented this particular opportunity. I’m willing to bet that all 125 of my fellow volunteers feel the same.

Simply being in the presence of the Wall was profoundly stirring, and the displays in the accompanying Mobile Education Center were equally impactful. Most moving of all was the one-to-one contact with some of the more than 12,000 visitors to the exhibit, helping family members and service buddies find their loved ones among the 58,281 inscribed names.

One of the most chicken skin moments, for me, came at 3:30 one morning, when there were four volunteers and no visitors at the Wall. We were sitting in the welcome tent, talking story to keep each other awake, when the plaintive notes of Taps began to softly echo through War Memorial Stadium. “Is that a recording? Is it part of the exhibit?” we asked Bo, who was as mystified as the rest of us. The sound seemed to come from the grandstand, and when Bo went to investigate with his flashlight, he found a grizzled gentleman camped out behind the wall, playing a harmonica. He called himself Little Dog, a Vietnam vet from Georgia who has followed the Wall for years, playing Taps every few hours throughout the exhibit term. Later, we learned that the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund had offered him a job with the tour, but he declined, preferring to pay tribute to his fallen comrades in his own way, on his own dime.

Another veteran who traveled from afar to see the Wall on Maui was Dennis, born and raised here, but living in Texas for the past 50 years. He showed up before dawn on the first morning, sat in solitude for several hours, and then returned every night to volunteer as a wall attendant on the graveyard shift.

Volunteers come from all walks of life, for all sorts of reasons. I was reminded of that on Valentine’s Day, at Maui Economic Opportunity’s annual volunteer recognition luncheon, at which Justin Yanagida of Yanagida Fitness was named Volunteer of the Year for the longtime services he’s provided MEO Youth Services’ middle and high school students; and Highridge Costa was honored as Benefactor of the Year for supporting and partnering with MEO in building affordable housing on Maui.

If there’s someone you want recognized for their community service, nominations are now open for the County of Maui’s 2024 Volunteer Hero Celebration of Service. Submit nominations online at www.handsonmaui.com/nominate before March 5. The first 25 nominees will receive a certificate of recognition and a Volunteer Hero t-shirt, and will be acknowledged and celebrated through social media.

April is National Volunteer Month, but every day brings opportunities to find yourself.

■ ▪ Kathy Collins is a radio personality (The Buzz 107.5 FM and KEWE 97.9 FM/1240 AM), storyteller, actress, emcee and freelance writer whose “Sharing Mana‘o” column appears every other Wednesday. Her email address is kcmaui913@gmail.com.