FDR's D-Day Prayer

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="005d2a23.png"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div>      |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE NATIONAL PRAYER EMBASSY VICTORY WOR">home</A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="THE NATIONAL PRAYER EMBASSY VICTORY WOR">THE NATIONAL PRAYER EMBASSY & VICTORY WORLD OUTREACH CHURCH IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. 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Roosevelt as Allied troops </div> <div> were invading German-occupied Europe during World War II. </div> <bR> <div> President Roosevelt read this prayer to the American people</div> <div> on nationwide radio on the evening of D-Day, June 6, 1944, </div> <div> while American, British and Canadian troops were fighting </div> <div> to establish beach heads on the coast of Normandy in France. </div> <bR> <div> The previous night, June 5, the President had also been on </div> <div> the radio to announce that Allied troops had entered Rome. </div> <div> The spectacular news that Rome had been liberated was </div> <div> quickly surpassed by news of the gigantic D-Day invasion </div> <div> which began at 6:30 a.m. on June 6. By midnight about </div> <div> 57,000 American and 75,000 British and Canadian soldiers </div> <div> had gotten ashore. Allied losses on D-Day included 2,500 </div> <div> killed and 8,500 wounded. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>My Fellow Americans: </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, </B></div> <div> <B>I knew at that moment that troops of the United States </B></div> <div> <B>and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and </B></div> <div> <B>greater operation. It has come to pass with success </B></div> <div> <B>thus far.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me </B></div> <div> <B>in prayer:</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day </B></div> <div> <B>have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve </B></div> <div> <B>our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set </B></div> <div> <B>free a suffering humanity.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, </B></div> <div> <B>stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and </B></div> <div> <B>hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our </B></div> <div> <B>forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but </B></div> <div> <B>we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy </B></div> <div> <B>grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons </B></div> <div> <B>will triumph.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest -- </B></div> <div> <B>until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by </B></div> <div> <B>noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the </B></div> <div> <B>violences of war. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"For these men are lately drawn from the </B></div> <div> <B>ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. </B></div> <div> <B>They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They </B></div> <div> <B>fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill </B></div> <div> <B>among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of </B></div> <div> <B>battle, for their return to the haven of home.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and </B></div> <div> <B>receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.</B></div> <div> <B>And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, </B></div> <div> <B>wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, </B></div> <div> <B>whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help </B></div> <div> <B>us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed </B></div> <div> <B>faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"Many people have urged that I call the nation into a </B></div> <div> <B>single day of special prayer. But because the road is </B></div> <div> <B>long and the desire is great, I ask that our people </B></div> <div> <B>devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we </B></div> <div> <B>rise to each new day, and again when each day is </B></div> <div> <B>spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy </B></div> <div> <B>help to our efforts.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to </B></div> <div> <B>redouble the contributions we make in the physical and </B></div> <div> <B>the material support of our armed forces.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, </B></div> <div> <B>to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage </B></div> <div> <B>unto our sons wheresoever they may be.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith </B></div> <div> <B>in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united </B></div> <div> <B>crusade. Let not the keeness of our spirit ever be </B></div> <div> <B>dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of </B></div> <div> <B>temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not </B></div> <div> <B>these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy </B></div> <div> <B>forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles </B></div> <div> <B>of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the </B></div> <div> <B>saving of our country, and with our sister nations into </B></div> <div> <B>a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace </B></div> <div> <B>invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And </B></div> <div> <B>a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping </B></div> <div> <B>the just rewards of their honest toil.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen."</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States</B></div> <div> <B> - June 6, 1944</B></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>