The tranquility of a Waikele stream that faces the man-made cave known as Bunker A-21 was pierced by an explosion on April 8, 2011, a horrific disaster that killed five men and forever changed the lives of their families and friends.

A year later, the survivors are still trying to come to grips with what happened that Friday morning when something went horribly wrong as the Donaldson Enterprises workers were dismantling aerial fireworks in the bunker.

The five killed were Neil Benjiman Sprankle, 24; Robert Kevin Freeman, 24; Bryan Cabalce, 25; Justin Kelii, 29; and Robert Leahey, 50. A sixth man was injured.

About 25 family members and friends of Kelii visited the entrance to the bunker Friday morning, leaving flowers, balloons and messages for the Kaneohe man his aunt called "the strength of our family."

Deborah Dulatre said the group said a prayer in honor of her nephew. A poem written by Kelii’s mother, who lives in Alabama, was then read. The group then played Hawaiian music from one of the cars and shared stories.

"It’s still very hard trying to get used to life without him," Dulatre said. "He was the strength in our family."

When her own son, Keoki, entered the Army, it was Kelii who encouraged him and kept his spirits up when he was stationed abroad, she said.

The family has made T-shirts with Kelii’s favorite saying, "No matter how hard it rains, withstand the pain," a line from the song "Ready to Meet Him" by rapper DMX.

The family has made several treks down the winding road to the bunker’s locked entry. At first it was hard, Dulatre said, but she’s learned to appreciate the tranquility of the area. "I don’t feel like this is such a place of sadness anymore," she said. "I feel like this is where Justin met God."

Dulatre said she visited Golgotha, also known as Calvary, where Christ is believed to have been crucified, and being struck by the peacefulness of the area. "This feels like that place."

While trying to come to grips with the tragedy, the families have also continued to seek answers.

"Everybody’s telling you a lot of things and you don’t know what to believe. We’re waiting for an explanation about what really happened. I don’t think that we’ll ever really know," Dulatre said.

The families of all five victims have retained attorneys, and various sources said at least one lawsuit is expected to be filed soon against Donaldson Enterprises and likely VSE Corp., the international corporation that contracted Donaldson to dispose of illegal fireworks seized by the federal government from at least one local fireworks dealer.

In September, the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said its investigation into the explosion found 11 possible causes and proposed a $415,200 fine against Donaldson for violating health and safety laws.

Donaldson is contesting the charges, and the Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division is scheduled to hold a hearing on the matter Sept. 11-13. Thomas Otake, a Donaldson attorney, said, "In broad terms, we believe there is a misapplication of the law along with a misunderstanding of the facts."

Otake added, "The company acknowledges that this was a tragic accident; however, their supposition is that it was an accident."

A federal investigation conducted by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board with assistance by the Hawaii division of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Health Response Team has not yet been completed.

Don Holmstrom, lead investigator of the Waikele explosion for the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, told the Star-Advertiser days after the explosion that the tunnel was being used not just for storage, but also for preparation of fireworks for demolition elsewhere. Federal regulations pertaining to fireworks indicate prepping fireworks for disposal at a storage site is prohibited.

The Honolulu Fire Department announced in July that it could not pin down exactly what caused the explosion because there were a number of possible ignition sources.

There are 130 bunkers built into the hillside in the gulch between Waikele and Kunia owned and leased out by HIDC Small Business Storage. The bunkers were built by the military during World War II to store explosives.