Thousands of military families packed the Honolulu Zoo yesterday, relishing a short reprieve from their worries about upcoming deployments or loved ones in combat zones.

"It's a good, family day," said Moli Poching, as she took a quick break in the shade while her husband and three children — ages 7, 3 and 4 months — explored the petting zoo. "It's really important to give back to those who have sacrificed so much."

Military members and their families got into the zoo free from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. yesterday for Military Appreciation Day, and were also treated to free food and entertainment.

Throughout the day, nearly 7,300 people turned out for the event, filling up nearby parking lots quickly and more than tripling the zoo's regular Saturday turnout of 2,000.

In addition to the regular exhibits, kids got to decorate animal masks, pose for pictures or get a wash-away tattoo. For their parents, the Royal Hawaiian Band played patriotic tunes.

The day was organized by the USO, which last put on the zoo event in 2005. Cassandra Isidro, USO-Hawai'i director, said the event was brought back by popular demand.

And, since it was so well-attended this year, it will undoubtedly be back in 2008.

"It's just a great event," she said.

One of the more touching booths was near the zoo entrance, where USO volunteers recorded video messages for family members deployed overseas and put them on DVDs.

The messages will be sent to deployed military members around the globe.

"Whenever I talk about that one, it gets me teary-eyed," Isidro said.

As the midmorning sun beat down on the zoo, Raleigh Harris and his family ducked under the mask-making tent. Four-year-old Laila started coloring a leopard mask while 2-year-old Amara got busy decorating a monkey face. Monkeys are her favorite animal, Amara proclaimed with a smile. Laila likes leopards best — and was dying to see one.

Harris, an Air Force staff sergeant, said the family outing meant a lot to him. He recently returned from a deployment in Korea. "It's a good environment for families," he said.

Poching's husband, too, recently returned from a deployment. He spent 18 months in Iraq.

"It was a lot of sacrifice. It was stressful," she said, slightly pushing her youngest son's empty stroller back and forth and looking out into the crowd for her husband and three kids.

When the festivities started yesterday, Mayor Mufi Hannemann addressed the crowd to thank them for their service and offer support to families going through deployments.

"I'd like to extend a message to those who have loved ones overseas," he said. "Part of our spirit of aloha is to ensure that as your loved ones are away, we're here for you."

In addition to the thousands of military families who turned out for the event, many others showed up to honor the troops.

North Carolina resident Stuart Cooke was one of them. He said every other year at this time he and his family have gone to Normandy, where his father served on D-Day. But since the family was on vacation in the Islands this month, he decided to celebrate Military Appreciation Day with service members.

The zoo visit was a "close second" to Normandy, he joked.

"We just want to kind of instill in the children that they should appreciate the military," Cooke said. His 6-year-old son, Thomas, added with a grin, "I like the Army best."

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.