Remembering the Courageous, While Mourning the Cause

Wartime memorials, like this in one of Savannah, Georgia's
squares, give solemn and sad tribute to courageous lives.

With Memorial Day approaching, the counter-culture era soul song of the ‘60s, “War,” came to my mind. Originally sung by the Temptations, and later by other artists, its lyrics not only reflected the thinking of many during that era, but also mirrors our feelings today: “War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing.”

One of the great, recurring tragedies of human history has been the ever-present reality of war – between nations, cultures, and even within nations. The founding of the United States involved the Revolutionary War, and mortal combat has never been far from our collective thinking. The War Between the States, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam war, and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East have been continual reminders of the horrific devastation of warfare.

As some take this Memorial Day to protest wars of every kind and form, this is our opportunity not to commemorate conflict, but to remember those who nobly and bravely sacrificed their lives to protect and preserve the rights and privileges we enjoy today – and often take for granted. Most of us have family members or friends among them, making this observance particularly poignant.

Many whose time on earth ended abruptly on fields and seas of battle were young men and women, with hopes and dreams still unfulfilled. They fought to protect freedom, values and ideals that were threatened by adversarial forces. The conflicts they engaged in may have been distasteful, but their heroic service should never be forgotten.

War, of course, has hardly been an American invention. The annals of time are punctuated by wars waged throughout the world. Sad as it is, warfare has been a permanent part of the sin-scarred human condition. Reading the Bible, we find numerous accounts of war between peoples – often the Israelites in battle against the Philistines, Babylonians, Hittites, Midianites, Amorites, and all the other “ites.”  

We read of the exploits of good and bad kings like Saul, David, Ahab and Jehoshaphat, as well as great warriors like Abishai, Nimrod, and a fiercely loyal soldier named Uriah the Hittite. While Uriah was in the heat of battle, King David chose to have a dalliance with his wife, Bathsheba. War, as we know, often isn’t the source of the highest virtues.

As we contemplate the horrors of war, and those who gave their lives in defense of their cause, it’s good to remember that our hope should not be placed in military might. As Psalm 20:7 states, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Proverbs 21:31 adds, “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord.”

Yes, war might be good for “absolutely nothing,” as the song says. And it’s often difficult to discern whose “side” God is on. But in the battle against evil, not only externally but also within ourselves, our trust must always be in the Lord, not any human arsenal.

As He promises in Isaiah 41:10, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." On this Memorial Day, it’s important to remember this.

Deserving of Remembrance

Again on this Memorial Day, thoughts turn to the countless thousands of Americans through the years who have lost their lives defending our nation and paying the highest possible price for the freedom we enjoy – even with its flaws. We also think of the flag that represents our country, the banner that has flown over many of those who suffered death or grave injury to protect many of us who have never seen a real battlefield.

Recently I saw a video of how patriotic Americans quashed a planned flag-burning by students staging a protest at a prominent university in the South. Not only was the intended igniting of the American flag averted, but a soldier in uniform also shamed one of the protestors, shouting at him, “My brother died (in battle) for you!”

I can’t imagine what it must be like to have a loved one’s life taken on the field of battle. My father was wounded twice during World War II, but returned home after the war alive and intact. If he hadn’t, I certainly wouldn’t be writing this blog post today. A friend of mine was not as fortunate – he never knew his biological father, who died during a battle in that war. My friend’s pain of loss may have dulled, but has never disappeared.

So as we pause for this annual commemoration, I respect the right of people to protest how our country is being run. However, I believe that to burn or desecrate the flag in any way is a heinous act of disrespect – not only to the nation it represents, but also to the lives that were cut short in preserving that right to express protests.

Like most people, I wish there was no war. I wish there had never been any wars. In any form, war seems so senseless, but wishful thinking has yet to make war go away.

So it seems the prudent, compassionate strategy is to strive for peace – praying for it, seeking non-violent resolutions to conflicts, and hoping the loss of lives due to war in the future will be minimal. At the same time, it’s also fitting to recognize and honor the lives of those many who bravely and nobly sacrificed themselves so that people like you and me could live, work, play, and yes, even protest.

In John 15:13, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.” This applies to every soldier and sailor, male and female, that has not returned from a field of battle, whether in Europe, Asia, Africa or the Middle East. And of course, Jesus was also referring to Himself, as He prepared to singlehandedly engage in the greatest war of all, the war against sin and the powers of evil.

His “battlefield” was unique, a cross atop a lonely hill that seemed so stark and obscure at the time. Two thousand years later that cross, that hill, and that life are hardly obscure or forgotten. This event has become the linchpin that serves to link – and divide – all of humanity today. The battle against sin continues, but the war has been won once and for all. Jesus declared such when He said just before breathing His last, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

So it seems fitting that as we honor and memorialize the countless American lives that have been lost from the Revolutionary War to the present, it would be proper also to ponder the death of the one called the “King of kings.” We should call to remembrance the Christian “soldiers” who have defended the faith all around the world, including missionaries and martyrs who have stood firm in the face of persecution and oppression.

These lives were not lost in vain. In Acts 10:4 a devout Roman centurion was told, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.” In the same way, all who live for the Lord and serve Him are not forgotten but remembered forever.

Thanks For the Sacrifice

The closest I ever came to serving in the military was one quarter of ROTC in college. I attended Ohio State during the height of the Vietnam War, while the draft was still in effect, but my lottery number was 279. As long as I remained in good standing with the university, I did not need to be concerned about rice paddies, monsoons and jungle warfare.

But my father was in the Army for 22½ years, serving in armored and infantry divisions in North Africa and Europe during World War II, including the famed Battle of the Bulge, being wounded twice. So I still have a very personal interest in Memorial Day. Julius Tamasy was one of the courageous men and women who since the founding of our nation have experienced war’s horrors – literally devoting their lives for our freedom.

Dad hardly ever talked about the war, at least not when I was around. But I do remember the nights when his muffled screams would shatter the quiet, a vivid wartime nightmare disrupting his sleep. So I knew that, unlike depictions in the John Wayne movies, his were not fond memories of battlefield camaraderie.

I’m glad this day is devoted not only to those who did not come home, but also to those noble veterans who did return and resumed lives unpunctuated by gunfire and explosive concussions. We owe them all far more than we could ever repay; more than we can truly imagine.

Jesus, looking ahead to what would prove to be His ultimate of “ultimate sacrifices,” said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). To the servicemen and women who have ventured to foreign lands to help protect freedom and combat tyranny, we are in your debt.