For The Soldiers On The Ground......

FDR shared the enclosed prayer with our Nation as he felt it was the best way to help those who were battling to free Europe on D-Day. Today, we are engaged in a battle to free the people of Afghanistan from the tyranny of the Taliban. A prayer for our troops is appropriate and the words FDR used still resonate....Almost 70 years later, the mission is the same.

Afterwards, watch the enclosed video on the brave men & women who fly the Apache AH-64 Attack Helicopters and listen to why they do it.....

For the Soldiers on the Ground.

Our prayers of protection for all the troops who serve our nation far from home.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt - June 6th, 1944 - Address to the Nation

Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor..... 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.....

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....

Thy will be done, Almighty God.

Amen.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt - June 6, 1944