WWII Memorial Will Now Include The FDR Prayer: The WWII Memorial is getting an addition of FDR’s prayer on D-Day! Getting the acknowledgement of God on this WWII Memorial will start to reverse a trend that has been happening over the last 30 years! What an amazing victory! Tune in now to learn more!

Air Date: 07/16/2019

Guest: Chris Long

On-air Personalities: David Barton, Rick Green, and Tim Barton

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Transcription note:  As a courtesy for our listeners’ enjoyment, we are providing a transcription of this podcast. Transcription will be released shortly. However, as this is transcribed from a live talk show, words and sentence structure were not altered to fit grammatical, written norms in order to preserve the integrity of the actual dialogue between the speakers. Additionally, names may be misspelled or we might use an asterisk to indicate a missing word because of the difficulty in understanding the speaker at times. We apologize in advance.

Faith and the Culture

Rick:

Welcome to the intersection of faith and the culture. This is WallBuilders Live! Where we”€™re talking about today”€™s hottest topics on policy, faith, and the culture, always doing that from a Biblical, historical, and Constitutional perspective.

We’re here with David Barton, America’s premier historian and the founder of WallBuilders. Also, Tim Barton, national speaker and President of WallBuilders, and my name is Rick Green, I’m a former Texas state legislator, national speaker, and author.

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A Victory Has Been Won 

One of the great investments that people have made in freedom is to actually help fund, at the World War Two Memorial in Washington D.C., the addition of FDR”€™s prayer on D-Day. And so, David, Tim, really cool program today. We’re gonna have Chris Long with us a little later to talk about how this happened: the legislation that was necessary, kind of that entire process.

The victory has already taken place. This is going to happen.

DAVID:

Rick, you’re right. The victory has already been won. And, to get the acknowledgment of God up on this World War Two memorial, will start to reverse a trend that’s happened over the last 30 years in the building of memorials in Washington D.C.

Actually, one of the things that we did just a few years ago was we came out with a video called War on God in America. You can look that on YouTube; and, it goes through the monuments in D.C., showing how many openly acknowledge God but then how that just started falling by the way and how congressmen and others started saying, “€œWait a minute; you can’t-“€

D.C. Memorials

For example, the Martin Luther King Memorial does not even mention God. How can you have a Baptist minister and not mention God anywhere in the MLK memorial? All the quotes they chose, none mentioned God.

You gotta–that’s hard to do in his speeches when you read those speeches. Then, we saw the same with the FDR memorial. Suddenly, there’s no mention of God when, here’s the guy that once a year had a rededication service at church, talking about rededicating his administration and how he wants God’s guidance.

Also, here’s the guy that, as Chris points out, the prayer. I mean, this is D-Day prayer prayed by him, and you don’t even have that at the FDR Memorial? Then, as they were building the Capitol Visitor Center, again they left God completely out.

So, that video is really good at showing you the tone that’s been in D.C. the last 20 to 30 years. And, the fact that Chris has been able to get this legislation passed and that is now a done deal–that is if we can meet our obligation from this end–this is a huge, huge victory. This is just really cool about what goes with the D-Day prayer.

Our Obligations

RICK:

Well, and “€œour obligations”€ means the general public contributing to pay for this installation at the World War Two Memorial. Which, they’re getting really close on it. You can be a part of that.

We’ll have more information on how you can do that at our website today. Chris is going to talk a little bit about it when we come back from the break. Chris Long is our special guests here on WallBuilders Live! 

Stay with us. We’ll be right back.

We Want To Hear Your Vet Story

Rick:

Hey friends! If you have been listening to WallBuilders Live for very long at all, you know how much we respect our veterans and how appreciative we are of the sacrifice they make to make our freedoms possible. One of the ways that we love to honor those veterans is to tell their stories here on WallBuilders Live.  Once in awhile, we get an opportunity to interview veterans that have served on those front lines that have made incredible sacrifices have amazing stories that we want to share with the American people.

One of the very special things we get to do is interview World War II veterans. You’ve heard those interviews here on WallBuilders Live, from folks that were in the Band of Brothers, to folks like Edgar Harrell that survived the Indianapolis to so many other great stories you heard on WallBuilders Live.

You have friends and family that also served.  If you have World War II veterans in your family that you would like to have their story shared here on WallBuilders Live, please e-mail us at [email protected]  Give us a brief summary of the story and we’ll set up an interview. Thanks so much for sharing here on WallBuilders Live!

Welcome Chris Long

RICK {in studio}:

Welcome back to WallBuilders Live! Thanks for staying with us today. Chris Long is with us, president of the Ohio Christian Alliance. He”€™s been working on this awesome D-Day prayer project.

RICK:

Chris thanks for coming on. Appreciate your time today.

CHRIS LONG:

Well, thank you Rick. Glad to be on with you.

RICK:

Well, hey, we’re excited about this effort and wanted to get an update from you on what people can do to help. Also, just kind of what the status is. I understand the legislation was passed a few years ago; but, we’re still trying to get this into the monument.

So, just start from day one: what the concept was, how the legislation got passed, and what we need to do.

Congressman Bill Johnson

CHRIS LONG:

Well, that’s right. It was a few years ago, actually, that we approached Congressman Bill Johnson from Ohio”€™s 6th district and asked him if he would introduce legislation that would add FDR”€™s D-Day prayer, in its entirety, at the World War Two Memorial. That memorial is a little different than other monuments in Washington in that it doesn’t have a scripture verse, a prayer, or a reference to God anywhere on it.

It’s a wonderful tribute to the 16 million Americans who served us in World War Two. And, it’s a really a magnificent tribute to their service to our country. But, unfortunately, they have censored any expression of faith on the monument, Whether that was done intentionally or by omission.

Nevertheless, our idea was to add this wonderful, historical, presidential prayer. Well, Congressman Johnson accepted the challenge. This was back in 2011 when he was first sworn into office.

So, actually, it passed the House that year really by an overwhelming margin. There were only 26 nay votes or “€œnays”€ in the U.S. House of Representatives. But, that year in–

RICK:

So, Republican and Democrat alike joined in on it.

CHRIS LONG:

Yeah, that’s right; it was a great bipartisan effort. Now, in fact, Senator Portman approached us and said, “€œHey, I’d like to introduce that in the Senate for you.”€ And, of course, we were thrilled.

So, he started the process in the U.S. Senate. Unfortunately, that year time ran out in 2012. Then, it had to be reintroduced again.

Opposition from Obama

Well, Bill Johnson and Senator Portman, then reintroduced the legislation in both the House and the Senate. But, it was the Senate version that actually passed the committee. Then, some time expired, and we really were losing a little bit of hope because the administration at that time, the Obama administration, initially opposed it.

Their Secretary of the Interior came in, opposed it in committee, and said that it would take away from the grandeur of the monument. Well, thank God for small favors, because that little escapade that they did in committee went viral overnight. The Associated Press picked it up and other media outlets; it went coast to coast in newspapers, in print media.

And, people were commenting all over the country and saying, “€œThat’s ridiculous. This is a wonderful idea.”€ Well, they changed course in the space of two weeks. The Secretary of the Interior came back into that same committee, and the congressman asked him, “€œMr. Secretary, your undersecretary came in and opposed this legislation; iis that your opinion, sir.”€

He said, “€œIt is not.”€

RICK:

Wow.

A Change of Course

CHRIS LONG:

So, he changed course. And, then it was President Obama who did sign it into law once it passed in 2014, on the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. That was five years ago.

RICK:

Whoa. By the way, what a great example of public opinion. You can let your voice be heard and change the direction of our elected officials. If they’re going the wrong way, let your voice be heard. That’s a great example of that.

CHRIS LONG:

Absolutely. And so, Senator Portman then offered a unanimous-consent measure. Well,  what that is, Rick. It’s like a Hail Mary pass in the U.S. Senate.

It means that every member has to agree. If one objects, it’s got to go back through the committee process. Well, on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, no one objecting, he called me and said, “€œChris, I have momentous news.

“€œIt passed by unanimous consent.”€ The House concurred two weeks later; then, on June 30 of 2014, President Obama quietly signed it without a signing ceremony. But, we just really needed him to sign it to move forward; and, that the legislation was complete.

How Are These Monuments Paid For?

Well, now you have to work through the U.S. Park Service, the National Capital Planning Commission, the Fine Arts Commission. Now, we’re talking about the bureaucracy of Washington to, first of all find a place for it to be added to the memorial, then of course, the cost is not paid for by tax dollars but by private contributions from individuals. In fact, most of our monuments in Washington were paid for by private contributions of people contributing, whether it’s the Washington Monument, the World War Two Memorial itself–172 million dollars that erected that monument was all paid for by private donations across the country.

The Circular Remembrance Enhancement

So, our projected goal here is $500,000 for the prayers addition, the circular remembrance enhancement–the good news is they want to do it in a grand way in adding this prayer: all 515 words, two-inch type. And, that will be the circle remembrance. And, that’s a two to three million dollar project. But, our goal was $500,000 for the prayers addition.

So, we committed. We presented a 20,000 dollar check three weeks ago on the 75th anniversary. We actually had a ceremony; it’s on the website.

Let me give that. It’s DdayPrayerProject.org. And, that’s where folks can give a contribution small or large, which is how we’re gonna get it done. In the next four to six months, we want to get the funding secured so construction of the addition of the full and permanent prayer that will be a lasting tribute to our World War Two to veterans, that wonderful, historical, presidential prayer that FDR prayed with the nation on the morning of the D-Day landings.

In fact, Rick, it was the way in which he announced to the nation that the liberation of Europe was underway.

Congress Did Their Part; Let’s Do Ours!

RICK:

So, this is at the World War Two National Monument where this is gonna be added.

And, it’s been passed by law, but we have to raise the funds to actually install the addition. Am I understanding that correctly?

CHRIS LONG:

That is correct. And, good folks across the country, small and large donations. We’re getting really great little notes too: “€œMy father,”€ “€œMy grandfather served in World War Two,”€ and they tell us where they served, which is wonderful.

We”€™re keeping all of that and will make that available on the website later on. My father served; he passed away five years ago and was a wonderful Christian man. He was my biggest supporter in that way, morally always encouraging me in the ministry and the work that we were doing in public policy.

Ensuring the Legacy of Great Men 

But, these are great men that we want to make sure that their legacy lasts. The reason why they fought against tyranny–and this prayer that FDR prayed is a wonderful prayer. We encourage people to go to the website where they can actually listen to the audio of the prayer as FDR prayed it on the morning of the D-Day landings. And, that’s ddayprayerproject.org

RICK:

All right, ddayprayerproject.org. And, the timeframe for doing this? This isn’t something we can put off; we need to get this done now because there is the deadline of when it has to be completed.

CHRIS LONG:

Well, that’s right. You know, I’ve been in public policy, and you’ve done some work in public policy, Rick. And, it’s very unusual to have actually a deadline or a time expiring on legislation.

The Deadline

But, in this instance, one, adding something to the Mall in Washington is no small deal; it’s a big deal. And, because of the Commemorative Works Act, once legislation is passed, you have seven years from the time in which the legislation passes to add the addition to the monument in Washington. So, in this instance with the prayer, we have to have it done by June of 2021.

So, that’s our desire, to reach the financial goal by the end of this 2019 so that construction can begin next year. Then, this will be a lasting tribute for many years to come for folks to see. And, our vision is for young people to come  read the prayer aloud.

Well, just three weeks ago, we were passing out a little flyer with the prayer on it. And, we had groups we could see sitting down on the grass and reading it, which was a wonderful thing.

RICK:

Oh that’s great. I love it. All right, well, we are going to send out the website today.

Folks, this is a great one to share on social media to get them involved as well: DDayPrayerProject.org. What a cool thing it would be to donate to this, then have your family in Washington D.C., and be able to go over there to the World War Two monument–which is amazing–and go to see this plaque once it’s in this part of the monument, once it’s installed, and be able to say, “€œI helped make that happen.”€

That would be amazing. What a great opportunity to be a part of something historic here. I guess; is the best thing to do, Chris, to just go to the website and donate there? That’s the easiest thing, right?

DDayPrayerProject.org

CHRIS LONG:

That is correct. And, all those proceeds are going for the prayers addition, any dollar amount that they would like to contribute. So, we’d like them to have a buy-in on this, that we can get it done together. And, it is going to be a wonderful moment once the prayer is permanently added.

I would like to say for those visiting Washington this summer, in the next couple of weeks a temporary prayer plaque will be there. We did a ceremony on that three weeks ago and understand that the Park Service has the plaque that they’ll be putting it in the next 10 days. So, at the Circle of Remembrance, you can actually go and see the temporary prayer plaque that will be there for only four months.

But, the permanent addition is a much bigger, grand scale. That’s what we’re raising the funds for.

RICK:

All right. Great stuff, the D-Day prayer project. We will have a link today at WallBuildersLive.com to make it easy for our online listeners to get to, for all of our folks listening across the country on our partner stations. Go directly to DDayPrayerProject.org, make that contribution.

Also, sign up for the updates. That way, Chris, as this moves along, you”€™re keeping people posted on the status, the fundraising, and when it’s going to be installed and all those things, right?

CHRIS LONG:

Absolutely. We’ll have a celebration together in Washington together and read the prayer aloud.

It Takes Persistence

RICK:

Chris, thank you, man. Appreciate you all doing this. Thanks for your persistence.

It takes a long time sometimes to get things done in government and takes people that are willing to stay at it year after year in a case like this. We just appreciate you being a part of this and creating this important piece of our history to be there for our children and grandchildren to see when they go visit Washington D.C. We appreciate you, brother and bless you and the whole–all the other things you”€™re working on too.

I know you’re doing a whole lot more than just this; so, thanks for what you guys do on a daily basis there in Ohio. You are basically be on the front lines of freedom and stand guard at the watchtower. Appreciate the Christian Alliance there as well.

CHRIS LONG:

Thank you my brother, appreciate it very much. Thanks for the opportunity.

RICK:

Since we’re talking about this prayer of FDR on D-Day that we’re going to actually have included on the Monument in Washington D.C., let’s listen to it in FDR”€™s own voice.

The D-Day Prayer

FDR {Recording}:

“€œAlmighty 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 {but} “€¦ to end conquest…liberate…to let justice arise, 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.

FDR’s Prayer Continued

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.

“Thy will be done, Almighty God.”

And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons… each other… 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.”

RICK:

That was President Franklin D. Roosevelt saying the prayer that was given for D-Day in 1944. That’s the prayer that’s gonna be installed at the World War Two Monument.

Stay with us folks. Quick break right here on WallBuilders Live!

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You Can Leave a Legacy

RICK:

And, we’re back here on WallBuilders Live! As we were going to break, that was Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s prayer on D-Day, the very thing that we’re getting installed in the World War Two Monument. And, you can be a part of that with the contributions.

We’ll have a link today to where Chris was talking about that you could contribute to help pay for that. We”€™re back with David and Tim now. And, guys, what a great way to invest in freedom because you’re really investing in the millions of people that are going to come through that World War Two Monument over the years and them being able to see that prayer. Like you were saying at the beginning of the program, David, restoring that God consciousness of why we do the things we do and why we believe what we believe.

TIM:

Well, guys, it is also about preserving truth in history, because this is a significant thing that happened as our boys are going over on D-Day. And actually, I know we played the prayer; but, FDR even talks about, before the prayer, that the reason that we’re doing this, what this is about, and the setup for the prayer. There’s so much context.

This is to imagine that we live in a world where people are going, “€œWait a second; we can’t have that. Now, it might have happened; but, we can’t have that there.”€ Dad, as you mentioned, even with the MLK memorial: You can’t have him mentioning God, even though he was a Baptist minister and mentioned God all the time. You can’t have quotes of that.

President Trump”€™s Speech

Which is why I even thought this summer, it was so interesting when President Trump was there as they’re celebrating the 75th anniversary of D-Day, and he actually read a portion of FDR”€™s prayer that concluded with “€œThy will be done, Almighty God. Amen,”€ That’s so cool that President Trump is there reminding people of this prayer. 

And, as he’s doing this, I thought There’s probably going to be different law firms: the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the atheist United for Separation of Church and State, these different groups, that are having a hissy fit and freaking out that the president is doing something religious; yet, he’s actually just quoting one of the heroes of the liberal movement, FDR, in this prayer. 

And, it really would be so cool to have this prayer put up, even as was mentioned in the interview, where they’ve given out these cards and are seeing kids that would gather around, sit down, and read these prayers out loud. It’s such an important part of history to know that we were not a nation who was doing things devoid of God, but we were a nation that in the middle of what we were trying to accomplish, we remembered God and asked for His help. That’s exactly what FDR prayer was all about.

We Don”€™t Want This Part of Our History to Go Away

DAVID:

And, this is really a project worth donating to: DDayPrayerProject.org. Everybody needs to give to this; it  is part of our history. We don’t want this part of our history to go away.

You know, as Tim and Chris mentioned, they gave this to young people who read it at the monument. Then, for the millions of visitors a year who go through there to see that this is the way the president announced to the nation what was going on on D-Day. As the landing was happening, he says, “€œLet’s all stop and pray.”€

I mean, that is the tone that we just don’t see in history books today but that every American needs to know. So, this is a project worth donating to. Everybody please go give something: DDayPrayerProject.org.

Congress has done their part. They have allowed us to be able to put this history back in. This is where We the People need to stand up and really make a difference so we can get this done.

Time’s short. So, we really need to step up.

RICK:

DDayPrayerProject.org. We don’t ask you to go online and give to things that we don’t believe in and support as well. And, I just think it’d be cool if hundreds of thousands of Americans donated to this, even if it’s five dollars, 10 dollars, whatever you can do.

Then, think of this: when you’re in Washington D.C., taking your kids by the World War Two Memorial, you can go over to where that prayer is and say, “€œHey kids, our family helped get this on this national monument right here in Washington D.C.”€

WWII Memorial Will Now Include The FDR Prayer

How cool would that be? You can make that happen with your family as well. That’s what I’m going to do.

I”€™m online right now, making my contribution from the Green family for this to be added to the monument. Hopefully, you’ll do the exact same thing. What a great way to be a part of preserving a very important piece of our history that keeps that God consciousness and reminds us why we do what we do.

What a great reminder that will be right there in that monument, and you can be part of making it happen. We’re gonna a link today at WallBuilders Live! to make it easy for you to do that. Also, I want to encourage to go to the website there, look at the donate button to WallBuilders.

So, make two contributions today: one to the monument and one to WallBuilders Live! so that we can continue to bring you these great programs. It’s an honor to have you listening to us today. Also, what an honor to have Chris Long with us and all the other guests we have throughout the week.

We really appreciate the opportunity to equip, inspire, and educate Americans all across the nation. And, you get to be a part of that when you share the program through Facebook, Twitter, and your other tools. Also, when you contribute to the program, it allows us to grow and expand this good news.

Thanks so much for listening. You’ve been listening to WallBuilders Live!