City Called Heaven

It is seldom spoken out loud, but Memorial Day is a violent holiday. It commemorates those members of the United States armed forces killed in the line of duty. We think first of soldiers on the battlefield, but should also remember those who die in training, in traffic accidents while on duty, and of injuries and illnesses contracted in their service. We remember especially those who died, because there is no way to repay the service they gave. In answering the call to service, their lives came to an end, and no honors paid to their memory, no benefits paid to their families, can change that sad reality. In service to their country, they gave their lives. We are bound to give back this small measure of appreciation. When we as a nation feel it necessary to put men and women in uniform and send them into places of danger, we are obliged to give them honor and respect. This is true regardless of how you feel about any particular military enterprise. U.S. military cemeteries blan...