Veterans Day Prayer at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, by Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff, Chaplain, USN (Ret.)

Contributor(s):

Arnold E. Resnicoff

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11 November 2020 under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

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Veterans Day

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United States, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., English vernacular prayer, prayers of military chaplains

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Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	Almighty God, We pray, reflect, meditate in different ways, But today, together, honor our brave, our heroes, The veterans of what must remain a grateful nation.
	On this date, in 1918, 11th day, 11th month, 11th hour of the day, We signed the Armistice to end the First World War “The war to end all wars,”^[1] A term originating from a series of articles by H.G. Wells published in 1914, referring to what eventually came to be known as the First World War of 1914–1918. Find “The War to End War” (Wikipedia). we prayed.
	But other wars would follow, many more would serve, So Armistice Day, renamed, reborn — now Veterans Day,^[2] Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 at the behest of a number of US Veterans organizations. Salutes all those who served, who answered duty’s call.
	We pledged to honor those who honored us Through sacrifice and service, But too many times we failed, Too many times we broke faith with those who served, We broke faith with those who died.
	40 years ago we built this wall This wall of memory, this wall of healing, To remember lives we lost in Vietnam, But more than that: To remember vows we made, and debts we owe To all veterans, their families, to those who serve today.
	We ask forgiveness from those we’ve failed in the past, And renew our solemn vow to welcome home — truly welcome home — all those who served, With grateful words and caring hearts, And every action we can take, every dollar we can spend. Knowing far too well our debts can never be repaid in full, And some wounds of war will never truly heal.
	May we remember, as has been said, We’re the land of the free only so long as we are the home of the brave, And we must forever thank the brave who keep us free.
	Grant us faith to keep our dreams alive That thanks to those we honor here today At this wall of healing and of hope — This safe space that became for us a sacred space — One day we’ll beat our swords to ploughshares And war will be no more.^[3] Cf. Isaiah 2:4. And let us say Amen.

This Veterans Day Prayer was first published by Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff, Chaplain, USN (Retired), on his twitter page. He writes, “Because of COVID this is the first Veterans Day in a long time I am not part of a ceremony — and I know that’s the situation for many fellow vets. So I wrote it yesterday to share today as a virtual prayer for Veterans Day 2020.” On 11 November 2022, Rabbi Resnicoff offered the expanded revision of this prayer as offered above at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC.

Recordings

Source(s)

Veterans Day prayer (Arnold Resnicoff 2020)

Veterans Day prayer (Arnold Resnicoff 2022)

Notes[+]

Notes
1	A term originating from a series of articles by H.G. Wells published in 1914, referring to what eventually came to be known as the First World War of 1914–1918. Find “The War to End War” (Wikipedia).
2	Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 at the behest of a number of US Veterans organizations.
3	Cf. Isaiah 2:4.

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“Veterans Day Prayer at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, by Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff, Chaplain, USN (Ret.)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.

Arnold E. Resnicoff

Arnold E. Resnicoff (born 1946) is a Conservative rabbi who began his career serving as a military officer and then as a military chaplain. He served in Vietnam and Europe before attending rabbinical school after which he was a U.S. Navy Chaplain for almost 25 years. After the Vietnam War, he promoted the creation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and delivered the closing prayer at its 1982 dedication. Rabbi Resnicoff was present at the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing and the following year, President Ronald Reagan shared Rabbi Resnicoff's eyewitness account. After retiring from the military he became the National Director of Interreligious Affairs for the American Jewish Committee and served as Special Assistant (for Values and Vision) to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, serving at the equivalent military rank of Brigadier General. Resnicoff holds several degrees, including an honorary doctorate. His awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Department of the Air Force Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service, and the Chapel of Four Chaplains Hall of Heroes Gold Medallion.

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Works of related interest:

"Rabbi Arnold E. Resnicoff, retired Navy chaplain, stands next to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. " (NCR photo, Rick Reinhard, 2017)

Memorial Day Prayer at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, by Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff on 28 May 2018

A virtual rendering of Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff before the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for a Memorial Day commemoration during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic

Memorial Day Prayer at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, by Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff on 25 May 2020

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Memorial Day Prayer at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, by Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff on 31 May 2021

Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff, interfaith values and interreligious affairs consultant, gives the keynote speech at the 2014 F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., National Prayer Luncheon Feb. 25, 2014, in the Trail’s End Club. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jason Wiese)

Prayers that Hurt: Public Prayer in Interfaith Settings, by Rabbi Chaplain (Captain) Arnold E. Resnicoff, USN, Ret. (1987, 2009)

Jewish War Veterans prayer on Veterans Day Memorial Service at Arlington National Cemetery (Simeon Kobrinetz 1996)

Veterans Day Prayer for Jewish War Veterans, by Rabbi Simeon Kobrinetz, Chaplain, USAF (Ret.)

"US flag reflexion on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, National Mall, Washington, D.C. (credit: Mariordo (Mario Roverto Durán Ortiz), license CC BY-SA, 2011)

Prayer at the Dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial by Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff on 13 November 1982

Cropped image of a Veterans Day poster from 1987 by the US Department of Veterans Affairs

A Prayer for America’s Veterans and Servicemembers on Veterans Day, by David Abernethy

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17