The History Guy
Presents:
World War
Two:
President
Roosevelt's
D-Day
Prayer
June 6,
1944
Following the
successful D-Day landings on the coast of Normandy,
President Roosevelt spoke to the nation via the radio, and
offered a prayer for the nation.
Last night, when I spoke with you
about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of
the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel
in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with
success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I
ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: our sons, pride of
our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a
struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our
civilization, and to set free a suffering
humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give
strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts,
steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their
road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may
hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing
speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that
by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our
sons will triumph.
They will be sore tried, by night
and by day without rest - until the victory is won. The
darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will
be shaken with the violences of war.
For these men are lately drawn from
the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest.
They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They
fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will
among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle,
for their return to the haven of home.
Some will never return. Embrace
these, Father, and receive them, thy heroic servants, into
Thy kingdom.
And for us at home -- fathers,
mothers, children, wives, sisters and brothers of brave men
overseas -- whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them --
help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed
faith in Thee in this hour of great
sacrifice.
Many people have urged that I call
the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because
the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our
people devote themselves in a countenance of prayer. As we
rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let
words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our
efforts.
Give us strength, too -- strength
in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in
the physical and the material support of our armed
forces.
And let our hearts be stout, to
wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to
impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may
be.
And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us
faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith
in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit
ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of
temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not these
deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail
over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the
apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the
saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a
world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace
invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace
that will let all men live in freedom, reaping the just
rewards of their honest toil. Thy will be done, Almighty
God. Amen.
Pres. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, June 6,
1944
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