D-Day – 80 years ago

Today we commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the allied assault on Normandy in World War II. The operation was codenamed Overlord. We honor today the estimated 6,000 Americans who were killed, wounded or missing by the end of the first day. That day about 156,000 troops were hurled against Hitler’s Atlantic Wall, the largest amphibious operation in history. On four of the five landing beaches, the Allied troops made quick work of the German defences at Omaha beach, they encountered fresh troops and the fighting was ferocious. On the night of June 6, 1944, President Roosevelt addressed the nation by radio. His speech consisted mostly of a 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. 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.

Here is Christian nationalism done right: Petitioning, inclusive, noble, heartfelt. So this year, as we reflect upon the fact that the last soldiers who fought that day will soon join their comrades who died that very day, it is good to be horrified by that violence. It is good, too, to be grateful to those who braved it in order to liberate France and all of Europe from the Nazi tyranny. It is difficult to conceive of the ordeal they faced 80 years ago and of the courage that was required, but they faced it. All peoples who value freedom and democracy owe them a debt that can never be repaid.