NYH
It's very easy to see why those men meant the world to you. They probably GAVE more than 10 men. War is hell, for sure and oftimes leaves men to live or re-live it for many long years afterwards.
I'm sorry to hear of their sufferrings. Adolph Hitler killed WAY more than 6,000,000 jews, he killed about 5 or 6 million other good men as well, those that gave to free the world of his tyranny, and I would not want to be him when he stands before God at the judgement throne.
As far as the "religion" as you put it, I hope, but do not believe, for your sake we are wrong and you are right. If that is the case then a lot of us have lived our lives believing in something false. If we are right, then the consequences are far more dire.
MSP put it well and I mirror his comments. Nothing meant to put you on the defense or attack for that matter. It's just that when you go through the life changing experiences we have, with the meeting of our Savior Christ Jesus, it's hard to not share it with someone that hasn't meat Him yet.
If you ever want to read the book of Acts, the first several chapters. Notice how the man called Saul treated Christians until his little trip to Damascus. Where by the way he was headed to bring Christians back for torture. He met Christ on that road and read on a bit to see how it affected this man. The man who hated Christians. It's worth an hours reading, believe me.
Imagine the excitement we get when our new rifle puts 3 shots in one hole at 100yds and multiple that to the level of about 100 to the tenth power. I know my life was plodding along OK, until I made one MAJOR screw up and was watching it go completly belly up. It was then the I found myself sitting at the lawn of the church where my girlfriend had taken me a couple times with my motorcycle parked in front of me. The pastor drove up, walked up to me and began talking to me. He asked if I was OK and I surprised myself when I said, NO. We talked further in his office and it was there I gave my life and heart to Christ.
I have seen things from a different light completely since then. The old song of "I once was blind, but now I see" really started to make sense to me from then on.
As MSP said, I too, hope and pray for you that your curiosity has struck you for a reason and, more importantly, that you don't ignore why it did.
Something to think about. take care.