A Voice in the Wilderness In Defense of "Mere Conservatism"

D-Day Reflections From Reagan & FDR

It was 68 years ago today that The New World went to see about rescuing The Old one from the seemingly unstoppable Nazi juggernaut.  It was 68 years ago today that unspeakably brave young men from places like Mott, ND and Eugene, OR and Pensacola, FL stormed the beaches of Normandy.

We know the right side eventually won WWII in the end, but it is impossible for us to imagine the costs involved or how scary it all seemed to soldiers and their families at the beginning.  People were being baked in ovens.  Nations were being annexed at the whims of a mad-man.  Cities like London were bombed out of recognition.

And their hopes - the hopes of the free world and all the generations to follow - were pinned to the courage and ability of farm boys from Iowa and cities boys from Brooklyn.  It's absolutely staggering.  Even if I weren't a Christian, I'd know there was a God just from studying WWII alone.

Here are some remarks that President Reagan made on the 40th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion. Honestly, you'll be doing yourself a favor to watch this clip.

Writing a blog-post and tugging at your heart strings isn't enough. I get that. I'm no better than anyone else, and I take my freedoms for granted every day of the week.

Just know that I'm utterly humbled by history and simply want to share a piece of that with you.  I close with President Franklin Roosevelt's prayer, given publicly on behalf of his nation, on this day 68 years ago:

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 good will 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 keenness 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 arrogancies. 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.

God bless our troops, and thank God for our grandparents.