In a South Pacific cemetery chiseled on a marker outside the grounds are the words: When you go home/ Tell them for us and say/ For your tomorrow/ We gave our today. 

In James Bradley’s book Flags of Our Fathers the author notes that the United States Marine corp fought for 43 months in World War II. In one month of fighting on Iwo Jima, though, a third of all of the Marines killed in that war died. My uncle was one of them. The picture above is of his platoon. He is in the second row from the bottom, 4th from the right.

On Memorial Day we remember those who gave their today for our tomorrow. On this day, of all days, the words of the Psalmist seems appropriate:  Blessed in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints. (Psalm 116:15)

Lord God, we offer prayers of thanksgiving for those who died on the field of battle. We long for the day foreseen by the prophet of old: “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not life up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4)