[Servant of the Cross]

At the same time he was devoted to the men. The evening before D-Day, Eisenhower left SHAEF headquarters at 6 PM and traveled to Newbury where the 101st Airborne was boarding for its first combat mission. Ike arrived at 8 PM and did not leave until the last C-47 was airborne over three hours later.

"... God was an ally in this great cause."

In his memorable speech 30 years ago today, commemorating the 40th Anniversary of 'the Boys of Pointe du Hoc', President Reagan also mentioned how Ike's officers followed his lead and prayed with their paratroopers before they boarded the planes ...(begins at the 7:10 mark)

"So the night before the invasion, when Colonel Wolverton asked his parachute troops to kneel with him in prayer, he told them, 'do not bow your heads but look up, so you can see God and ask his blessing in what we are about to do'."

[Retain Mike]

That is great. I think I have Reagan’s speech as one of my links. I would love to work that into my narrative.

[Retain Mike]

While looking someing else I again came across what Richard Winters said the evening of D-Day.

“Evening allowed a few minutes of quiet reflection. With our outposts in place, I stretched out to catch a few hours of sleep, even though the rattle of German small-arms fire continued throughout the night. The Germans were evidently not as tired as we were because they fired their machine-guns all night and hollered like a bunch of drunken kids having a party. Before I dosed off, I did not forget to get on my knees and thank God for helping me to live through this day and to ask His help on D+1. I would live this war through one day at a time, and I promised myself that if I survived, I would find a small farm somewhere in the Pennsylvania countryside and spend the remainder of my life in quiet and peace.”