More than a decade ago on the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, Pope John Paul II wrote: “As the years go by, the memories of the war must not grow dim; rather, they ought to become a stern lesson from our generations and for generations to come.”

John Paul II, who experienced the death and destruction of the war in his native Poland, added: “It is our duty before God to remember these tragic events in order to honor the dead and to share in the sorrow of all those whom this outbreak of cruelty wounded in body and soul.”

There are many things that keep the remembrance of this war alive, including memorials to the war dead and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. And there is Ken Burns’ epic 15 1/2-hour documentary, “The War,” which was televised on PBS in September and which has been repeated on Kentucky Educational Television over the past several weeks.

Burns’ documentary is unlike others that have been produced over the years on World War II. “The War” tells about the conflict that killed 60 million people through the experiences of Americans who fought in it and those on the homefront. And it focuses on residents of four towns in California, Alabama, Connecticut and Minnesota.

This documentary is important for several reasons — the reasons that John Paul II mentioned about the lessons of World War II.

World War II often is romanticized as the “good war” (even a book by that title was published), and the war’s realities are sometimes glossed over in films of the period. But there is no romanticizing for those who served in the conflict, and some of these veterans still bear the physical and emotional scars of their war experiences. Burns’ documentary captures these realities.

In fact, the words of one veteran at the start of series put it in perspective. “I don’t think there is such a thing as a good war,” a former pilot says. “There are sometimes necessary wars. ... It was something that had to be done.” Another veteran remarks, “We were just guys who were there and did what we were supposed to do.”

There is no romanticizing in those who recalled the death, the fear of going into battle and the horror of the prisoner of war and Nazi death camps. Many told of their experiences without looking at the camera. One remarked, “I don’t talk about it very much.” Another said, “I can’t stand seeing dead people.”

A pilot wrote to his fiancée back home, “I live in a world of death. Like everything else around me, my dreams are dying, too.”

Words such as a “necessary war” or “something that had to be done” come across throughout Burns’ documentary. And no one doubted the necessity or reasons for the war — the need to combat the aggression by Nazi Germany and imperial Japan.

“The War” documentary is not easy to watch, and being on PBS there are no commercial messages that allow viewers to take a break. Viewing it can be emotionally draining. But perhaps that is how it should be. The realities of war — even a necessary war — need to be understood by all.

If there is one lesson to be gained from Burns’ documentary, it’s that going to war must be a necessity when there are no other alternatives. War always must be the very last resort.

We are engaged in a war today in Iraq, a conflict that many thought was not necessary and that continues to drag on with no end in sight. Many people, including Pope John Paul II and the U.S. Catholic bishops, raised serious questions about the necessity of the war before it started more than five years ago. Now we face the difficult task of trying to end it.

And as this war goes on, we even hear some voices calling for a stronger response to the nuclear build-up in Iran. These voices are reminiscent of the drumbeat that sounded for military action in Iraq.

Speaking at the opening session of the U.N. General Assembly last month, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Vatican’s top foreign affairs official, said war and armed conflict are no longer sustainable means for promoting or protecting national interests. “In the difficult crossroads in which humanity finds itself today, the use of force no longer represents a sustainable solution,” the archbishop said.

Pope John Paul II said in 1995, “May the memory of the Second World War rekindle in all ... a resolve to work for a firm political commitment to peace in Europe and in the entire world.” This task still remains.