Remembering on Memorial Day

Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war

 break out against me, even then will I be confident.  Ps. 27:3

                There have been wars since almost the beginning of time and shall be until the end (Dan. 9:26).  However, most of you have never experienced a World War.  Some fought bravely and many died in Korea, or in Vietnam, but as bad as it was, the whole world was not at war since World War II.  Many people today do not even know what Patriotism is.  They do not understand why eyes fill with tears when saluting the American flag, or why tears flow while listening to the song, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee, Sweet Land of Liberty.”

            The word, ‘Patriotism’, means “devotion to ones country”.  Yet, how little respect many Americans have for the United States and how little for the ‘red, white and blue’.  Those without respect for country and flag are trampling on the graves of the hundreds of thousands who fought and died for love of country.  If only we could see what America would have been like if it weren’t for those brave men.

            Let me tell you of one such man.  He was young – just turned eighteen when war with Japan broke loose.  He lied his age to get in the military and joined the army to see the world, but not in the way he experienced it.  After basic training, he was stationed at Hawaii, a paradise for a small town boy.  He left home with the fear of God in his heart, but the world quickly drew him into its snare.  He partied in paradise completely oblivious to the fact that paradise was about to be turned into Hell.  He had a 3-day pass and headed away from Scoffield Barracks early in the morning, on his motorcycle, along with some of his buddies.

            Suddenly the sky was filled with planes, bombs dropping everywhere and fighter planes riddling everything that moved with the staccato of thousands of rounds of ammunition.  The boys turned around their motorcycles and headed back to camp.  The young man grabbed an anti aircraft gun of a soldier who had fallen and he began shooting, not knowing or caring who the enemy was.

            That day, the news read like this:

“Early in the morning of December 7, 1941, Japanese submarines and carrier-based planes attacked the U.S. Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor. Nearby military airfields were also attacked by the Japanese planes. Eight American battleships and 13 other naval vessels were sunk or badly damaged, almost 200 American aircraft were destroyed, and approximately 3000 naval and military personnel were killed or wounded. The attack marked the entrance of Japan into World War II on the side of Germany and Italy, and the entrance of the United States on the Allied side.”   On December 11, 1941, Germany also declared war on the United States.  The entire world was then at war.           

         When the young man went back to his barracks, it had almost been destroyed.  The water pipes were broken and many soldiers were killed as they slept in their bunks, which left the floor awash with bloody water.  His bunk, an upper one, was riddled with bullet holes, which went through killing the soldier beneath.  Truly, it was by the grace of God, he was spared.

From there he was shipped out to the island of New Guinea where he fought the Japanese for the next four years.  He was gone from his home five years to the day, when he returned. It wasn’t until he was in his sixties that the U.S. government honored him for his heroism at Pearl Harbor.  He received medals and a flag from the state capitol.  He was extremely proud of his service to his country.  He belonged to an elite group called, “Pearl Harbor Survivors”.

The horrors of the things he experienced were to remain with him the rest of his life. Over the years, he tried to drown the memories out with alcohol.  He spoke often of being a loner, who would take his camper out to isolated spots where he would just sit by a camp fire and think.  In his later years, he dried out and became a pleasanter person, but his life style of alcohol and cigarettes dissipated his body and at seventy-two, he passed from this world. 

How do I know all this about the young man?  He was my brother.

War does horrible things to people.  Some are affected more than others, but no one is ever the same.  My brother was much older than I was, but as a child, I too was touched by the war.  I grieved for the brother that carried me on his shoulders, or played horsy so I could ride on his back.  I lost him when he left for the service and that loving, caring brother never returned.  He would forever be a stranger to me.

As we remember the brave on Memorial Day, let us take a spiritual look at fighting in the service – the service of the King.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”           Eph. 5:10-13

                     The same spiritual enemy, who worked through the World Wars, is still warring against us.  He wants to defeat us and drive us into a hopeless lifestyle.  He won’t give up, but the good news is, God has provided for us, so we can stand against him.  We don’t have to turn to the things of the world.  We don’t have to be blind, wretched and naked.  Not when we can put on the whole armor of God.  Verse 18 says, “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…”

            Today let us remember those who gave their lives for our country.  Also, there are multitudes of unsung Christian heroes and martyrs who have paved the way for us.  Let us hold their service dear to our hearts and be proud to be a part of the Kingdom of God, which is the true “land of the free, and the home of the brave”.