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Almighty God,
We pray, reflect in different ways
But together mourn our dead
and tell their stories, to keep their memories alive.
Thirty-seven years ago today, I was in Beirut
when a terrorist truck-bomb attack took the lives of 241 US military personnel.
58 French troops died a heartbeat later: a second truck, another deadly blast.
They came in peace.
They risked their lives to buy some time for change.
Peace did not prevail,
But their risk, their sacrifice
Must be honored and remembered.
Their story must be told.
Today, as we recall and honor Beirut dead and Beirut vets
In a special way,
we mourn all those we’ve lost to war, to hatred — and disease, as well.
Lord, may we heed your call:
Together, to choose life[1] Cf.Deuteronomy 30:19. — to work for, fight for, life:
A better life for those who one day will remember us.
“Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff on 23 October 2020” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication 1.0 Universal license.
The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Printing Office and issued when Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks. At the end of a session of Congress, the daily editions are compiled in bound volumes constituting the permanent edition. Statutory authorization for the Congressional Record is found in Chapter 9 of Title 44 of the United States Code. (wikipedia)
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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