III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 587 

Declaring June 6, 2008, a national day of prayer and rededication for the 

men and women of the United States Armed Forces and their mission. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 5, 2008 

Mr. DEMINT (for himself and Mr. HATCH) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Declaring June 6, 2008, a national day of prayer and rededication for the men and women of the United States 

Armed Forces and their mission. 

Whereas public prayer and national days of prayer are a 

long-standing American tradition to bolster national resolve and summon the national will for victory; 

Whereas the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray 

for wisdom in forming a nation in 1775; 

Whereas Benjamin Franklin proposed that the Constitutional 

Convention begin each day with a prayer; 

Whereas General George Washington, as he prepared his 

troops for battle with the British in May 1776, ordered 

them to pray for the campaign ahead, that it would 

please the Almighty to ‘‘prosper the arms of the united 


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•SRES 587 IS 

colonies’’ and ‘‘establish the peace and freedom of America upon a solid and lasting foundation’’; 

Whereas President Abraham Lincoln, in declaring in the Gettysburg Address that ‘‘this nation, under God, shall have 

a new birth of freedom’’, rededicated the Nation to ensuring that ‘‘government of the people, by the people, for 

the people, shall not perish from the earth’’; 

Whereas, as 73,000 Americans stormed the beaches at Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944 (D-Day), President 

Franklin Delano Roosevelt went on the national radio to 

lead the Nation in prayer for their success; 

Whereas, in his D-Day radio prayer, President Roosevelt did 

not declare a single day of special prayer, but instead 

compelled all Americans to ‘‘devote themselves in a continuance of prayer’’; 

Whereas the words of President Roosevelt calling on all 

Americans to ‘‘devote themselves in a continuance of 

prayer’’ for American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines in harm’s way are just as appropriate today as they 

were in June 1944; 

Whereas, with our troops once again facing danger abroad 

and the Nation looking for support here at home, the 

time is ripe to once again heed the words and prayerful 

wisdom contained in the D-Day radio address of the 20th

century’s greatest Democrat president as he implored the 

Nation: ‘‘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’’; 

Whereas more than 300,000 men and women of the United 

States Armed Forces are deployed worldwide today; 


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Whereas about 200,000 of these troops are engaged in armed 

combat in Iraq and Afghanistan against determined and 

ruthless enemies; 

Whereas more than 4,500 brave Americans have been killed, 

and over 42,000 have been wounded, while fighting the 

War on Terror; 

Whereas, because the War on Terror will be long and hard, 

because success is not likely to come with rushing speed, 

and because the sacrifice will continue to be immeasurable in human terms, it is appropriate to make the anniversary of D-Day, June 6, a national day of prayer and 

rededication for the men and women of the United States 

Armed Forces and their mission; and 

Whereas the D-Day radio address of President Roosevelt is 

the inspiration and model for this annual national day of 

prayer and rededication: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) June 6, 2008, will be a national day of 

3 prayer and rededication for the men and women of 

4 the United States Armed Forces and their mission; 

5 and 

6 (2) in encouraging our fellow Americans to join 

7 us in this national day of prayer and rededication 

8 for our troops and their mission, by reflecting on 

9 President Roosevelt’s D-Day radio prayer, as fol10 lows: 

11 ‘‘My Fellow Americans: 


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1 Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, 

2 I knew at that moment that troops of the United States 

3 and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and 

4 greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus 

5 far. 

6 And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me 

7 in prayer: 

8 Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have 

9 set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our 

10 Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free 

11 a suffering humanity. 

12 Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, 

13 stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith. 

14 They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and 

15 hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our 

16 forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we 

17 shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy 

18 grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will 

19 triumph. 

20 They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without 

21 rest—until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent 

22 by noise and flame. Men’s souls will be shaken with the 

23 violences of war. 

24 For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. 

25 They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end 


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1 conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice 

2 arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. 

3 They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to 

4 the haven of home. 

5 Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and re6 ceive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom. 

7 And for us at home—fathers, mothers, children, wives, sis8 ters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts 

9 and prayers are ever with them—help us, Almighty God, 

10 to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this 

11 hour of great sacrifice. 

12 Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single 

13 day of special prayer. But because the road is long and 

14 the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves 

15 in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, 

16 and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer 

17 be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts. 

18 Give us strength, too—strength in our daily tasks, to re19 double the contributions we make in the physical and the 

20 material support of our armed forces. 

21 And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, 

22 to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage 

23 unto our sons wheresoever they may be. 

24 And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith 

25 in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united cruVerDate Aug 31 2005 04:35 Jun 06, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR587.IS SR587

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1 sade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. 

2 Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal mat3 ters of but fleeting moment—let not these deter us in our 

4 unconquerable purpose. 

5 With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces 

6 of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed 

7 and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our coun8 try, and with our sister nations into a world unity that 

9 will spell a sure peace—a peace invulnerable to the 

10 schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all 

11 of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their 

12 honest toil. 

13 Thy will be done, Almighty God. 

14 Amen.’’. 

Æ 


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