A Prayer
General Eisenhower arrived at the command post near Sidi bou Zid in central Tunisia well after midnight. In the cramped confines of a personnel carrier General McQuillan briefed him on the dispositions of Combat Command A units and German activity in the sector. Other than a discussion about minefields, the commanding general had little to say. Finally, Eisenhower stepped out of the personnel carrier into a still, moonlit night. Nearby a group of men were gathered. As he approached he heard an infantry captain leading his men in prayer:
We do not pray for victory, not even for our individual safety. But we pray for help that none of us may let a comrade down—that each of us may do his duty to himself, his comrades, and his country, and so be worthy of our American heritage.138
The general silently wept on hearing these words. It is hard not to be moved by such simple eloquence. This young officer’s prayer was genuine and heartfelt, and it reflected a great truth about combat. Men don’t fight as much for a higher cause as they do for each other. It’s hard to imagine a more meaningful prayer for a soldier than, “God, help me to not let a buddy down.”
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
—John 15:13