35 Comments
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Gary Boivin's avatar

I have stood on Utah Beach and visited the small villages close by. It was the 70th anniversary of the landing, and I got to write the name and rank of an infirm fellow Legionnaire in the sand. I e-mailed the photo to our Commander, who brought it to the old warrior, at his home. I also brought a vial of beach sand to him, upon my return. That is one of the most satisfying things I've ever done.

Lora Farlow's avatar

Sacred sacrifice fills the air at Normandy. The loving leadership of the time also comes through in this post . Crying fresh tears for those who fought for freedom of all.

God Bless All.

Michael Gease's avatar

Let them all forever be remembered.

careyana harben's avatar

TY Marianne

( my father at 18 years old snd his sister my aunt Lois was there

And papa ✨Charles J Siegel 👏👏👏👏!)

Frances's avatar

Thank you so much for recounting this remarkable moment in world history.

The Prayer - my God do we need leadership in our country.

I pray for a miracle.

Heather Foran's avatar

I think we have plenty of time to light up enough voters this time if Marianne runs in 2028. 🥳 I want to be her cabinet choice for The Department of Humor and Hilarity. Jon Stewart would likely be a better choice. But it gets me through the dark times.

ann schneider's avatar

My real day of birth… and I often think how fortunate I am that my dad, unlike so many other men, came home from that war and finally met me when I was 18 months old.

Rebecca Suzanne's avatar

Do I remember in my lifetime a president of the US leading our nation in prayer? I'm trying hard to remember a time, but I cannot.

I am so struck by Roosevelt's prayer and his words. My mother, like your father, Marianne, was such a Roosevelt devotee.

This prayer really tells me something about his character that is much bigger than my knowledge of him from his social programs.

For the brave men who participated in D-day, I have asked myself so many times what that must have been like for them, knowing the peril of their task.

And one last thing about Roosevelt's prayer, he talks about the role of the citizenry at home.

I have asked myself often if our nation could make the sacrifice at home as did the WWIII generation.

I thought of that question often after the Reagan years.

I want to bring back citizenship like that. I want leaders like Roosevelt.

My prayer? " God, use me. Help me to do my part to bring back the USAmerican character of goodness and integrity.

Thank you for publishing this prayer. I had never seen it before.

Andrew Gair's avatar

Lest we forget. Unfortunately it seems that we have. As Ken Carey wrote about the Iroquois Confederacy in The Return of the Bird Tribes … “a new world where the peaceful ones will rule. And it that world, the barbarous custom of warfare shall have so far receded, even the storytellers will have forgotten it. Our children will mingle with their children and the ways of peace and cooperation will flower among the people of the world and spread to every land, and all of the Great Spirit’s children will live together in harmony.” Time for a new paradigm.

Marianne Williamson's avatar

I'm sure everyone who fought that day would be the first to agree. Ken Carey was wonderful by the way.

Andrew Gair's avatar

The best of the best Marianne … Ben Franklin, Hancock and the Founding Fathers all acknowledged the Iroquois Confederacy’s role in 1776 … everyone should read The Return of the Bird Tribes. www.thefortunesticks.com

Janice Enzone's avatar

That is beautiful. Thank you for sharing it. Oh how I want this time to happen.

ROBERT YAROSH's avatar

It infuriates and saddens me to the core to envision these young men, average age 22, just getting shot as the amphibious vessels lowered their landing ramps. They sacrificed to get rid of a fascist dictator. Now we have allowed one in to run our country. We need to smarten up fast!!! I pray for people to wake up. Or no child born today will make it to 22.

Harmony's avatar

Amen, Marianne. God bless their souls and the souls of everyone. I’m praying for peace around the world.

Penny Prentice-Best's avatar

I am 77. Your article brings up memories of stories my father told us and photos he showed us from his 2 years in Africa and Italy. I remember being struck by the hollow, empty look in some of those soldiers eyes. Dad told us of hardships but never of the horrors. Even so, the horrors were reflected in many of the faces in black and grey prints. We dress conflict and war up in patriotism, courage, and service to country, but we tend to downplay the real cost in broken bodies, fractured spirits, family members who left whole and returned missing physical, mental, or emotional pieces of themselves. Thank you for helping us to remember. May we all find a sense of unity in our desire to find Peace through Wisdom, Communication, and the power of our Greater Selves, not through conflict and war.

Janice Enzone's avatar

Thank you for writing this & helping us all remember. Yes, to visit Normandy & see all the white crosses on the hill stops one cold. It is hard to take in. Also, looking down the steep hill to the beach where the U-boats arrived, I thought to myself, “Those men didn’t stand a chance.” Yet our soldiers carried on. God bless them all.

You can actually see & visit a U-boat in New Orleans where they were manufactured. Quite an ingenious invention.

Paula Taylor's avatar

Sears the soul to read about the raw courage of these young soldiers, and realize their struggle against Fascism has now polluted the very country they were saving it from!

Linda Seeley's avatar

Marianne, I've never heard that Roosevelt recited a prayer in his radio broadcast to the nation. What a moving prayer it is. Thank you so much for finding it and for sharing it. I feel such a longing for ethical leadership - will it ever return?

Marianne Williamson's avatar

I think there are ethical leaders now...just not in the majority

Mario A Leblanc's avatar

Saving Private Ryan (1998) - Omaha Beach Scene 5:43

https://vimeo.com/384313068

Marianne Williamson's avatar

Thank you! I just added this to the copy.

Ariane Eroy, Ph. D.'s avatar

What can we, ourselves, offer in great sacrifice during these momentous times?

Marianne Williamson's avatar

Hopefully we will not have to sacrifice, but we definitely need to show up with every ounce of our being.