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 - June 6, 1944
http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/fdr-prayer.htm
