Capitol Words a project of the Sunlight Foundation

Rep. Marcy Kaptur

Mr. Speaker, today the House considered the World War II Memorial Prayer Act, which I cosponsored and was pleased to vote in favor of. The bill directs the U.S. Department of the Interior to include President Franklin D. Roosevelt's prayer with the nation on D-Day at the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC.

It is not possible to overstate the importance of D-Day in World War II, or the enormity of the battle the 160,000 Allied troops faced. The victory there allowed 100,000 soldiers to start to march across Europe to defeat Hitler and the Nazi forces. The battle came with an enormous cost; 9,000 soldiers were killed or wounded, including thousands of American troops there to help liberate Europe and win the war.

At home, as the battle was being waged on the beaches of Normandy, President Roosevelt led the nation in a prayer over the radio. The moving prayer concluded with these words:

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.

As the author of the original legislation to create the World War II Memorial, I think it is fitting to include President Roosevelt's prayer at the Memorial grounds. The prayer is not only important historically, but it allows us to honor those for whom the country was praying, but also those at home who were comforted by this prayer.

It will be 25 years ago next month that an important question was posed to me at a fish fry in Jerusalem Township, Ohio, by a World War II veteran, Roger Durbin. Mr. Durbin was a veteran of World War II and he wanted to know why there was no memorial for the war in our nation's capital. We set to work together, and 17 years later the nation dedicated the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Unfortunately, Roger passed away before the dedication. But I am sure he would be pleased with the passage of this bill here today.