"Some will never return."

On the evening of June 6, 1944, D-Day, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sat at the radio microphone in the White House to give a message to the American people and the world at large. The President wrote this message, a prayer entitled "Let Our Hearts Be Stout," at the time the invasion of Normandy by Allied troops was already underway. Many of the 10,000 men and boys who would be killed in the first days and weeks of the campaign from the shores of the French coast to the heart of Germany had already died in the dark water, on the beaches, and in the flooded fields of the Cotentin peninsula. Almost four times as many--8500-- had been wounded on this first day.

This is the prayer the president read on that fateful evening:

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

Over this weekend and on Monday, Memorial Day, there will be tens of thousands of ceremonies honoring our war dead. Will you take a couple of hours from your activities to show your gratitude and respect for those who gave their "last full measure of devotion" by attending one of those events. If so, you will also have an opportunity to thank a veteran of WWII. These men and women are dying at the rate of almost 1,000 a day. The chances for you to show them you care about their sacrifices are dwindling rapidly.

And maybe we all should pray this prayer today--and again and again--for those who now are serving our nation in places from which "some will never return" and for their families and friends, and for ourselves. Let us also remember to pray for our enemies.

For more on Roosevelt's prayer, go to

http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/fdr-prayer.htm .

Return to Normandy, Conclusion

The main monument in the cemetery is a large semi-circular structure. At the center of it is a beautiful tall bronze sculpture called "Youth Rising from the Sea." At its base are the words, "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." There are large raised maps depicting the invasion force and the plan on the interior walls of either end of the semi-circular enclosure. The following words are engraved in the monument:

1941-45

IN PROUD REMEMBRANCE

OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF HER SONS

AND IN HUMBLE TRIBUTE TO THEIR SACRIFICES

THIS MEMORIAL HAS BEEN ERECTED BY

THE UNITED STATE OF AMERICA

Looking west from the monument and past the reflecting pool, we see row upon row of white crosses. To the north and along the coast is a lookout to the ocean over the right or eastern flank of Omaha Beach. There is a group of French tourists looking at a map there. I am happy to see the French coming to this place of sacrifice.

I photograph three markers: the first, that of a Texas corporal, Philip W. Malina, who died on July 4, 1944; the second, an unknown soldier whose marker has the following words engraved on it

HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY

A COMRADE IN ARMS

KNOWN BUT TO GOD

and the third, PFC Clifton W. Burns, who died on June 27, 1944, for whom someone had left a bouquet of flowers. I want to see these dead as individuals, not as row after row of white crosses and Stars of David. I choose these particular men in order to recognize someone from my home state of Texas, someone who died in anonymity, and someone who is still remembered and honored by the living. I do not want to look at these almost 10,000 markers and have them be an anonymous and undifferentiated collective monument. I want to recognize the individual humanity of these fallen men, each someone's son, brother, father, husband, friend.

The symmetry of the markers produces a quiet calm here. The trees stand vigil for the fallen. We walk among the graves; we stop, we gaze, the tears roll gently down our cheeks.

At the far west of the cemetery, we enter the circular chapel. A cross is mounted in front of a tall rectangular window. Etched glass softens the western light. A Star of David adorns the window. Beneath the window is an altar engraved with these gold-leafed words,

I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE

AND THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH

As we leave this stirringly beautiful memorial to our war dead, Haley stops for a last look at the marker of a fallen soldier. But for the grace of God, it could have been her grandfather. If it had been, there would be no Haley, and we would not be having this most moving and profound experience. We leave the Cotentin Peninsula, the historic beaches of Normandy, that piece of earth where God's mercy was shown to the entire world through the lives of ordinary American, British, French, Australian, Canadian, and other young men in the Allied Forces, who wanted the chance to fight the evil that threatened them all. We will cherish these memories for all our lives.

We are so very thankful that we were able to visit this hallowed ground and reflect upon the great and awful feat that the United States and her Allies accomplished by the grace of God and the heroism of so many and to see where Daddy offered up his youth and strength as he took part in this unique historical event. Never in the history of mankind has there been a military feat such as this one. We honor each member of the 552nd AAA Battalion for what you did for all of us, and we pray that never again will such a task confront mankind.