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FDR's D-Day Prayer

This is the prayer originally entitled "Let Our Hearts Be Stout"

written by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt as Allied troops

were invading German-occupied Europe during World War II.

President Roosevelt read this prayer to the American people

on nationwide radio on the evening of D-Day, June 6, 1944,

while American, British and Canadian troops were fighting

to establish beach heads on the coast of Normandy in France.

The previous night, June 5, the President had also been on

the radio to announce that Allied troops had entered Rome.

The spectacular news that Rome had been liberated was

quickly surpassed by news of the gigantic D-Day invasion

which began at 6:30 a.m. on June 6. By midnight about

57,000 American and 75,000 British and Canadian soldiers

had gotten ashore. Allied losses on D-Day included 2,500

killed and 8,500 wounded.

My Fellow Americans:

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 goodwill

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 continuance 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 keeness 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 arrogances. 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 of men live in freedom, reaping

the just rewards of their honest toil.

"Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen."

Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States

- June 6, 1944