On Memorial Day we honor those who have served our nation, those who have given of themselves, sacrificing their time, their careers, and their families to stand in the gap to defend our freedom. It is a day for thanking those veterans who have lived among us, those who were discharged from the service with honor and distinction. I remember three of my now-deceased grandfathers, George Reuss (Marine, Pacific Theater, WWII), James Bantz (Medic, WWII and Korea), and David Meier (Army, European Theater, WWII). They experienced something akin to hell on earth and lived with those horrific memories the rest of their lives. I also recognize the veterans I know at Peace Lutheran Church: Jon Tangen, Phil Sorom, Paul Spafford, and Aaron Szuberski.
Memorial Day is a day for thanking those who currently serve in our military. I personally thank Pastor Bill Tesch (currently chaplain in Kyrgyzstan), Joe Urquhart (who just returned to Germany from a tour in Afghanistan), Tanya Reiman (currently in the reserves, previously serving a tour in Iraq) for their service.
Memorial Day is also a day to remember those who do not live among us…those who now rest in graves throughout our world…those whose service ended with a bullet…or grenade...a mortar…a roadside bomb...or other tragic end. These did not serve for a few years and move on in life. They sacrificed everything for the cause of freedom. They left behind wives and husbands, children and neighbors and friends. Today, we honor them and vow to remember what they have done. I personally remember my grandfather Charles Dodd, killed in France on October 31, 1944. My mother hadn’t been born at the time of his death.
War is inherently evil. It serves to kill and destroy. Unfortunately, at times war is necessary. It is never something to enter into lightly, for the effects are long lasting.
A prayer from the United Church of Christ is quite appropriate:
Gracious God, on this Memorial Day weekend, we remember and give thanks for those who have given their lives in the service of our country. When the need was greatest, they stepped forward and did their duty to defend the freedoms that we enjoy, and to win the same for others. O God, you yourself have taught us that no love is greater than that which gives itself for another. These honored dead gave the most precious gift they had, life itself, for loved ones and neighbors, for comrades and country – and for us. Help us to honor their memory by caring for the family members they have left behind, by ensuring that their wounded comrades are properly cared for, by being watchful caretakers of the freedoms for which they gave their lives, and by demanding that no other young men and women follow them to a soldier’s grave unless the reason is worthy and the cause is just. Holy One, help us to remember that freedom is not free. There are times when its cost is, indeed, dear. Never let us forget those who paid so terrible a price to ensure that freedom would be our legacy. Though their names may fade with the passing of generations, may we never forget what they have done. Help us to be worthy of their sacrifice, O God, help us to be worthy. Amen
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