Let's remember the price for freedom 81 years ago
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Senator Doug Mastriano
His last photo -
Colonel Robert Lee Wolverton, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, led his men in a powerful prayer on the eve of D-Day, June 5, 1944. This moment, shared by 750 paratroopers before their perilous drop into Normandy, has become a poignant symbol of courage and faith in the face of war.
Men, I am not a religious man and I don't know your feelings in this matter, but I am going to ask you to pray with me for the success of the mission before us. And while we pray, let us get on our knees and not look down but up with faces raised to the sky so that we can see God and ask His blessing in what we are about to do.
The prayer itself was heartfelt and solemn:
God almighty, in a few short hours we will be in battle with the enemy. We do not join battle afraid. We do not ask favors or indulgence but ask that, if You will, use us as Your instrument for the right and an aid in returning peace to the world. We do not know or seek what our fate will be. We ask only this, that if die we must, that we die as men would die, without complaining, without pleading and safe in the feeling that we have done our best for what we believed was right. O Lord, protect our loved ones and be near us in the fire ahead and with us now as we pray to you.
After a moment of silence, Wolverton ordered;Move out. Tragically, he was killed by German machine gun fire shortly after landing in Normandy, before he could touch French soil. His sacrifice and leadership left an indelible mark on his men.
Colonel Wolverton's legacy endures, not only through his heroic actions but also through the enduring power of his words, which continue to inspire generations.
Let's remember the price for freedom 81 years ago
See newsConversation
Senator Doug Mastriano
His last photo -
Colonel Robert Lee Wolverton, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, led his men in a powerful prayer on the eve of D-Day, June 5, 1944. This moment, shared by 750 paratroopers before their perilous drop into Normandy, has become a poignant symbol of courage and faith in the face of war.
Men, I am not a religious man and I don't know your feelings in this matter, but I am going to ask you to pray with me for the success of the mission before us. And while we pray, let us get on our knees and not look down but up with faces raised to the sky so that we can see God and ask His blessing in what we are about to do.
The prayer itself was heartfelt and solemn:
God almighty, in a few short hours we will be in battle with the enemy. We do not join battle afraid. We do not ask favors or indulgence but ask that, if You will, use us as Your instrument for the right and an aid in returning peace to the world. We do not know or seek what our fate will be. We ask only this, that if die we must, that we die as men would die, without complaining, without pleading and safe in the feeling that we have done our best for what we believed was right. O Lord, protect our loved ones and be near us in the fire ahead and with us now as we pray to you.
After a moment of silence, Wolverton ordered;Move out. Tragically, he was killed by German machine gun fire shortly after landing in Normandy, before he could touch French soil. His sacrifice and leadership left an indelible mark on his men.
Colonel Wolverton's legacy endures, not only through his heroic actions but also through the enduring power of his words, which continue to inspire generations.