Seventy-five years ago, terrified Allied soldiers crawled up the beaches of Normandy against a murderous hail of bullets and bombs. One can get a taste of what this was like from newsreels, photos, and movies like “Saving Private Ryan” or “The Big Red One.” I have spoken with veterans who were there, though few remain alive at this time. Their valor is legendary, and deserving of remembrance.

What may be less well remembered is the spiritual battle, one of prayer, waged on that same day by a large segment of the U.S. population. An essay by Metaxis and Morse recalls the occasion:

as word of the assault trickled out, Americans began to pray. Stores closed, and prayer services were swiftly organized in small towns and big cities.
Photographs taken on June 6 show just how widespread these prayers were. One picture shows a sign in the window of a novelty button shop reading, “Sorry, no covered buttons today. We are praying for the success of the invasion.” A sign in front of a church reads, “Come in and pray for Allied victory: Hourly intercessions on the hour.” Another photo shows Americans in a synagogue, bowing their heads in prayer. At a noon Mass, we see men and women on their knees, fervently praying.
New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia took to the airwaves, urging citizens to “send forth [their] prayers to Almighty God . . . to bring total victory . . . in [this] great and valiant struggle . . .”
In Washington, President Roosevelt, who had sons in uniform, urged Americans to join him in prayer for all the nation’s sons: “With Thy blessing,” he prayed, “We shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy.”

As we remember the legacy of our heroic grandparents and great-grandparents, whose blood liberated a captive Europe, we might also remember the faith that drove large swaths of our country to its knees before God. Fortunately for humanity, their prayers were answered.

Reference:
Metaxis and Morse (2018) “BreakPoint: The Spiritual Battle on D-Day: ‘This Great and Valiant Struggle’.” Breakpoint. Online at http://www.breakpoint.org/2018/06/breakpoint-the-spiritual-battle-on-d-day/.