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THE VICTORY PRAYER
by
Richard F. Seiverling
Headquarters (Rear Echelon) and Service Company, 3AD
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[Written in Sangerhausen, Germany,
on VE Day, May 7, 1945, and published in 1947 in "Spearhead
Journey", a booklet of memoirs and poems by the author.] |
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Dear Father, today is a memorable day in our
lives.
A day which we, and all Allied nations,
Fighting for the same worthy cause,
Have long looked forward to, with anxious anticipation.
A day which thousands of forced laborers
And weakened prisoners-of-war,
Once free, and peace-loving peoples,
Have been awaiting a victorious liberation
From Nazi domination and German occupation.
All over the world people have received this news
Of the total, unconditional surrender of German forces,
With tear-filled eyes and prayerful hearts.
But many of the terrestrial peoples, in the United States,
Do not realize what such a capitulation signifies,
The total destruction of forces of misdirected might and evil,
Against those who were directly affected by Nazi aggression,
The inhabitants of France, Belgium, Holland, Poland
And other liberated countries of Europe
Know well the brutality and atrocities instigated and promoted
By the self-named, so-called master race.
As soldiers, we have striven to play our parts well,
Having tried to be Soldiers of the Cross
As well as soldiers of the United States Army
And, perhaps we have suffered somewhat minor privations,
Both physically and spiritually.
But these, in themselves, cannot be compared in any sense
To the almost unbelievable discomforts and mistreatments
Of these peoples suffering under Nazi conquest.
One has only to see the horrible, uncivilized atrocities
Committed by these fiends who professed to be unconquerable,
To realize the devilish and bestial tactics employed
By a nation whom we once thought to be human.
But now these war criminals, these followers of such a crude,
Vile philosophy of life, these spreaders of hateful propaganda,
Who believed that their temporary powers and artificial might
Would conquer Godliness and goodliness
Have been drowned in their own sinful principles.
We have seen many, many sights, the results of German indecency,
In some of the concentration camps of this war-scorched land.
In some of these camps, with the half-living, half-dead inmates,
Political and captured prisoners-of-war,
The hordes were so extremely jubilant about their liberation,
Even German, political prisoners-of-war,
Imprisoned by their own nation because of political differences,
That they tried to stone their guards when set free,
But were so weak that they were unable to raise the stones
Above their heads to hurl at their tormentors who had once
Tortured them by all sorts of practices and cruel starvation.
It has been unduly hard for us to make ourselves believe
That a nation with their many scientific advancements
And abundant resources. Including those stolen from their neighbors,
Would employ them with such bestial intents and purposes,
But we have seen these things with our own eyes,
And have pitied the suffering with our hearts.
At long last, the day has come,
The day we've all been fighting and praying for,
Not only with sword and steel, nor tank and gun,
But with our efforts and our way of life,
Which has invariably proved itself the best.
There have been many ways of conduct on the acceptance
Of this day, proclaimed to the world as VE-Day.
I do not know how those in the States have rejoiced on this day,
But I, myself, with tears in my eyes, in silent meditation,
And with a most earnest prayer on my lips,
Have thanked Thee, Oh God, for delivering the enemy
Into the hands of Allied armies. |
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