A few years ago, I had the privilege of spending one day in Honolulu. I chose to do two things on that day. I went to Pearl Harbor and visited the Arizona Memorial - a memorial structure built over the hulk of the USS Arizona, which was sunk by Japanese invaders on December 7, 1941. The sunken battleship is the final resting place for the 1177 crewmen who died there on that day. I also visited the Punchbowl, which is a massive cemetery where the war dead from the South Pacific lie at rest. I was shown the grave of Ernie Pyle, well-known World War II war correspondent. When I mentioned this after I returned home, people asked, "Who was Ernie Pyle?" How soon we forget.

Since Civil War days, at the end of May, Americans have honored the memories of those who died in wartime. We used to call it Decoration Day, but it has become known as Memorial Day. We'll be observing that on Monday.

In our history public opinion has ebbed and flowed on the subject of war. No one likes it. Robert E. Lee once said, "It is well that war is so terrible, or we should get too fond of it." Whether one is a pacifist or a believer in the necessity of just wars, it's appropriate for us to respect the memory of those who died on battlefields. Our freedom was secured by their sacrifice

I'm reminded that scripture teaches us to respect those who have the terrible responsibility of bearing the punitive sword. Sometimes people die in that process and when they do, their relatives will grieve long after the smoke leaves the battlefield.

The late Johnny Cash once sang about a civil war soldier, who survived a battle and then was given the burden of telling the wife of his friend, Jim McKinney that her husband had died. Among the lyrics are the following sentiments:

We have a son who has been in the army for more than 20 years. We feel blessed because he's given himself to the defense of his country, but remains alive with no scars on his body. It doesn't work out that way for every "mother and sweetheart, and wife, brother and sister and daughter". From Lexington and Concord to Beirut, the country's defenders have fallen on the fields of honor.

We look forward to the day when swords are beaten into plowshares. In the meantime, we bow our heads in gratitude for those who gave all they could give. We breathe the fresh air of freedom because of their sacrifice. That will be something to think about as you make your way to the cemetery on Monday.

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