This is the prayer originally entitled Let Our Hearts Be Stout written by
President Franklin D. Roosevelt as Allied troops were invading German-occupied
Europe during World War II. The prayer was read to the nation on 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 - June 6, 1944
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