Memorial Day

America has a long history of military members who have shown extraordinary courage by giving their lives for the freedoms our nation enjoys. On Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) we honor the sacrifice of these brave men and women.

World War II (1941-1945) was an especially deadly war, with over 400,000 Americans killed in military engagements such as the Battle of the Bulge, D-Day, and other battles. There were many heroes in that war, sung and unsung.

One example of such a hero came from the Campaign of Guadalcanal (August 1942-February 1943). Sergeant John Basilone and his handful of men were responsible for holding back a Japanese assault of thousands on October 24-25, 1942. Basilone, throughout this engagement, personally repaired and manned multiple machine guns. The Americans eventually won this long campaign and Basilone was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. (The picture on the left is of a magazine signed by Basilone, one of the many treasures from WallBuilders' collection.)

Another example of courage relating to John Basilone happened during the Battle of Iwo Jima (February 19-March 26, 1945). Shortly after landing in the early stages of this battle, Basilone single-handedly destroyed one of the blockhouses with machine guns that had pinned down his unit. Later, he guided a tank out of a minefield. He was eventually killed during this battle by flying shrapnel and was awarded the Navy Cross for his courageous actions.

This Memorial Day, let us remember the military members who died in battle for this great nation. You can honor them by praying for the families of those they left behind or visiting a veteran cemetery and leaving flags on their graves.

(By the way, some early sermons on Memorial Day can be found in the WallBuilders' library.)

Warrior Heroes:
By Land, By Air, By Sea

CD or MP3

(Proceeds from the sale of this item go to
veteran organizations.)