And, BTW, when you listen, notice how the quote on the monument was cut at a 
very natural place, at the biggest applause line of the entire speech.  

The engraved quote has some ellipses that cover probably 6 minutes of the 
almost-8-minute speech.  The engraving tries to preserve the most famous line 
in the speech, and the biggest applause line in the speech.  Those are the 
historical high points. 

I think it's rather craven, and foolish, to claim that the engravers left out a 
mention of God.  It would have been unnatural to add it considering what was 
preserved.  What possible purpose would be served by adding that line in, other 
than knocking otu something already there?

Ed Darrell
Dallas

Alan Leigh Armstrong <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I have heard (hearsay) someone 
say that FDR gave two speeches that  
day one with "so help us God." and one without. The one with "So help  
us God."' being the one broadcast and the one we hear every December  
7. Was there other one to Congress?

Alan Armstrong

On Dec 17, 2007, at 9:49 AM, Gibbens, Daniel G. wrote:

>
>
> SHALL WE HIRE A MONUMENT ENGRAVER TO GO TO ARLINGTON NATIONAL  
> CEMETERY AND ADD THE MISSING WORDS ?
>
> A MESSAGE FROM AN APPALLED OBSERVER:
>
> Today I went to visit the new World War
> II Memorial in Washington , DC I got an unexpected history lesson  
> Because I'm a baby boomer, I was one of the youngest in the crowd.  
> Most were the age of my parents, Veterans of "the greatest war,"  
> with their families. It was a beautiful day, and people were  
> smiling and happy to be there. Hundreds of us milled around the  
> memorial, reading the inspiring words of Eisenhower and Truman that  
> are engraved there.
>
> On the Pacific side of the memorial, a group of us gathered to read  
> the words President Roosevelt used to announce the attack on Pearl  
> Harbor :
>
> Yesterday, December 7,
> 1941-- a date which will live in infamy--the United States of  
> America was suddenly and deliberately attacked.
>
> One elderly woman read the words aloud:
>
> "With confidence in our armed forces, with the abounding  
> determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph."
>
> But as she read, she was suddenly turned angry. "Wait a minute,"  
> she said, "they left out the end of the quote.. They left out the  
> most important part. Roosevelt ended the message with "so help us  
> God."
> Her husband said, "You are probably right. We're not supposed to  
> say things like that now."
>
> "I know I'm right," she insisted. "I remember the speech." The two  
> looked dismayed, shook their heads sadly and walked away.
>
> Listening to their conversation, I thought to myself,Well, it has  
> been over 50 years she's probably forgotten."
>
> But she had not forgotten. She was right.
>
> I went home and pulled out the book my book club is reading ---  
> "Flags of Our Fathers" by James Bradley. It's all about the battle  
> at Iwo Jima .
> I haven't gotten too far in the book. It's tough to read because  
> it's a graphic description of the WWII battles in the Pacific.
>
> But right there it was on page 58. Roosevelt 's speech to the  
> nation ends in "so help us God."
>
> The people who edited out that part of the speech when they  
> engraved it on the memorial could have fooled me. I was born after  
> the war.! But they couldn't fool the people who were there.  
> Roosevelt's words are engraved on
> their hearts.
>
> Now I ask: "WHO GAVE THEM THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE WORDS OF  
> HISTORY?????????"
>
> Send this around to your friends People need to know before  
> everyone forgets. People today are trying to change the history of  
> America by leaving God out of it, but the truth is, God has been a  
> part of this nation, since the beginning. He still wants to  
> be...and He always will be!
>
> If you agree, pass this on. If not,
> May God Bless YOU!
>
>
>
>
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>
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.11/1161 - Release Date:  
> 11/30/2007 12:12 PM
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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