He was a gifted musician and falsetto, but George Helm is best remembered for his martyrdom as a leader of the movement to stop military bombing of Kaho'olawe.
The Moloka'i native felt a special connection to the land — Helm coined the phrase aloha 'aina, which is Hawaiian for love of the land — and he joined the first group of activists to make an illegal landing on Kaho'olawe on Jan. 4, 1976.
The visit triggered an activist movement among Hawaiians and their supporters. They formed Protect Kaho'olawe Ohana and engaged in numerous other landings, which got some of them jailed.
Helm was a spiritual and charismatic man who was an influential part of the movement. He was moved by what he experienced on Kaho'olawe and believed that peaceful civil disobedience, which included civilian occupation, would lead to the island's return. Helm was a skilled activist, too, dealing with the media while planning future landings. He appealed to lawmakers in Honolulu and Washington.
Helm would never live to see the day the military stopped bombing the island. In early 1977, Helm and his cousin Kimo Mitchell disappeared during a visit to Kaho'olawe.
Emmett Aluli said the legacy of Helm, Mitchell and others linked to the Kaho'olawe Nine serves as an inspiration for younger generations.
Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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