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Ladies & Gentlemen, The Navy Hymn
[edit] Lyrics
The original words are: Eternal Father, strong to save, Whose arm hath bound the restless wave, Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep Its own appointed limits keep; Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee, For those in peril on the sea! O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard And hushed their raging at Thy word, Who walkedst on the foaming deep, And calm amidst its rage didst sleep; Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee, For those in peril on the sea! Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood Upon the chaos dark and rude, And bid its angry tumult cease, And give, for wild confusion, peace; Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee, For those in peril on the sea! O Trinity of love and power! Our brethren shield in danger's hour; From rock and tempest, fire and foe, Protect them wheresoe'er they go; Thus evermore shall rise to Thee Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.
\Episcopal Church version
In 1940, the U.S. Episcopal Church altered three verses of the hymn to include travel on the land in the second verse (referencing Psalm 50) and in the air in the third verse (again referencing Genesis). This was published as Hymn #513 while the original lyrics were also published as Hymn #512 in The Hymnal 1940. The Hymnal 1982, which is in current use by most Episcopal congregations in the USA , has further revised this version (as Hymn #579) with opening line "Almighty Father, strong to save..." by adding the word "space" to the final verse, so it ends "Glad praise from space, air, land, and sea" (because by 1982 space travel was a reality); the Hymnal also has a more traditional water-only version (as Hymn #608) with opening line "Eternal Father, strong to save..."
The 1940 version — incorporating sea, land, and air (but not space) — is: Almighty Father, strong to save, Whose arm hath bound the restless wave, Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep Its own appointed limits keep: O hear us when we cry to thee For those in peril on the sea. O Christ, the Lord of hill and plain O'er which our traffic runs amain By mountain pass or valley low; Wherever, Lord, thy brethren go, Protect them by thy guarding hand From every peril on the land. O Spirit, whom the Father sent To spread abroad the firmament; O Wind of heaven, by thy might Save all who dare the eagle's flight, And keep them by thy watchful care From every peril in the air. O Trinity of love and power, Our brethren shield in danger's hour; From rock and tempest, fire and foe, Protect them whereso'er they go, Thus evermore shall rise to thee Glad praise from air and land and sea.
Stanzas 2-3 of the version in the 1940 Hymnal were written by the American Bishop Robert Nelson Spencer (1877–1961) and published in 1937.
[edit] U.S. military variants
Several additional or variant verses are in use in the U.S. military services, including the Marines, Seabees, submariners and coastguards.[1]
[edit] SEALs
Eternal Father, faithful friend, Be swift to answer those we send In brotherhood and urgent trust On hidden missions dangerous O hear us when we cry to Thee For SEALs in air, on land, and sea
[edit] Aviation (1943)
Lord, guard and guide the men who fly, Through the great spaces of the sky; Be with them traversing the air, In darkening storms or sunshine fair. O God, protect the men who fly, Through lonely ways beneath the sky.
[edit] Aviation (variation)
Lord, guard and guide the men who fly Through the great spaces in the sky, Be with them always in the air, In dark'ning storms or sunlight fair. O, Hear us when we lift our prayer, For those in peril in the air.
[edit] Marines
Eternal Father, grant, we pray To all Marines, both night and day The courage, honor, strength, and skill Their land to serve, thy law fulfill Be thou the shield forevermore From every peril to the Corps. -J.E. Seim, 1966
[edit] Seabees
Lord, stand beside the men who build And give them courage, strength, and skill O grant them peace of heart and mind And comfort loved ones left behind. Lord, hear our prayer for all Seabees Where'er they be on land or sea -R.J. Dietrich, 1960
[edit] Submariners
Lord God, our power evermore Whose arm doth reach the ocean floor Dive with our men beneath the sea Traverse the depths protectively O hear us when we pray, and keep them safe from peril in the deep -David B. Miller, 1965
[edit] Navy Nurses
O God, protect the women who, in service, faith in thee renew; O guide devoted hands of skill And bless their work within thy will; Inspire their lives that they may be Examples fair on land and sea. Lines 1-4, Merle E. Strickland, 1972, and adapted by James D. Shannon, 1973. Lines 5-6, Beatrice M. Truitt, 1948
[edit] Arctic Exploration
Creator, Father, who dost show Thy splendor in the ice and snow, Bless those who toil in summer light And through the cold Antarctic night, As they thy frozen wonders learn; Bless those who wait for their return. -L.E. Vogel, 1965
[edit] Coast Guard
Eternal Father, Lord of hosts, Watch o'er the men who guard our coasts. Protect them from the raging seas And give them light and life and peace. Grant them from thy great throne above The shield and shelter of thy love. -George H. Jenks, Jr., 1955[2]
[edit] Astronauts
Eternal Father, King of birth, Who didst create the heaven and earth, And bid the planets and the sun Their own appointed orbits run; O hear us when we seek thy grace For those who soar through outer space. -J.E. Volonte, 1961
[edit] Doctors
Creator, Father, who first breathed In us the life that we received, By power of Thy breath restore The ill, and men with wounds of war. Bless those who give their healing care, That life and laughter all may share. -Galen H. Meyer, 1969 Adapted by James D. Shannon, 1970
[edit] Military Families
God, who dost still the restless foam, Protect the ones we love at home. Provide that they should always be By thine own grace both safe and free. O Father, hear us when we pray For those we love so far away. -Hugh Taylor, date unknown
[edit] Naval (General)
Lord, guard and guide the men who fly And those who on the ocean ply; Be with our troops upon the land, And all who for their country stand: Be with these guardians day and night And may their trust be in they might. -author unknown, about 1955
[edit] The Airborne Hymn (General)
Eternal Father, strong to save, Whose arm hath bound the restless wave Who bid'st the mighty ocean deep Its own appointed limits keep, O hear us when we cry to Thee For those in peril on the sea. O Spirit Whom the Father sent To spread abroad the firmament, O Wind of Heaven, by Thy might Save all who dare in Airborne flight And keep them by Thy watchful care They drop to battle from the air!
Lord, guard and guide all them who fly And those who on the ocean ply; Be with our troops upon the land And all for who their country stand: Be with these guardians day and night Do keep them ever in Thy sight. O Gracious God of love and power! Our brethren shield in danger's hour; From rock and tempest, fire and foe, Protect them whereso'er they go. Thus fore'ermore shall rise to Thee, Glad praise from air, and land and sea. Veterans going back to World War II remember singing the "Armed Forces Hymn" at church services in the United States and overseas. The hymn was an adapted version of the original Navy hymn "Eternal Father Strong to Save". With its beautiful, meaningful verses and powerful plea for protection, it evoked a strong emotional response from those singing the hymn. While preparing a funeral service for his friend, Colonel Delbert Townsend, a highly decorated paratrooper, Colonel John Kormann became aware that there were further adaptations to the basic hymn. In addition to the Navy, there were now verses for the Army, the Air Force, the Marines, the Coast Guard, the astronauts, Seabees, nurses, SEALS, etc. Dismayed that he found no words of "Eternal Father" for the "Airborne", Kormann, a past president of the 17th Airborne Division Association, proceeded to change a verse and add some words. At a reunion of Airborne veterans in Lancaster, PA, on March 7, 2010, Colonel Kormann formally proposed that the second verse of the hymn, as altered (below), be adopted and included in "Eternal Father", to be sung, as appropriate, at services for Airborne veterans. Thus, the "Airborne Hymn" was born.
[edit] Ship's Dedication
O Father, King of earth and sea, We dedicate this ship to thee. In faith we send her on her way; In faith to thee we humbly pray: O hear from heaven our sailor's cry And watch and guard her from on high! Author and date unknown
[edit] Ship's Decommissioning
And when at length her course is run, Her work for home and country done, Of all the souls that in her sailed Let not one life in thee have failed; But hear from heaven our sailor's cry, And grant eternal life on high! -Author and date unknown
[3]
[edit] Notable uses
This hymn was among those sung at a Church Service aboard the Royal Navy battleship HMS Prince of Wales attended by Winston Churchill (who requested that the hymn be sung) and Franklin D. Roosevelt at the conference creating the Atlantic Charter.[4] It was also the last song sung during the Sunday, 14th of April Church Service aboard the RMS Titanic just hours before it sank.[5]. On Saturday, the 19th of May 2012, it was the last hymn to be sung during the Church Service held upon a symbolic field of battle at Windsor Castle as part of the Armed Forces Tribute to the Commander in Chief of the combined services, HM Queen Elizabeth II. The Tribute marked the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee, or 60th anniversary, of her accession to the thrones of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, and Dominions and Realms of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as her accession to the position of Sovereign and Head of State of the Commonwealth of Nations.
[edit] Use in funerals
This hymn has been played or sung at a number of funerals for those who have served in the U.S. Navy. It was sung at the funeral of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, played by the Navy Band at the funeral of John F. Kennedy, sung at the funeral of Richard Nixon, and played by the Navy Band and the Coast Guard Band during the funeral of Ronald Reagan. Roosevelt had served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and Kennedy was commanding officer of PT-109 in World War II.The hymn was also played to close the funeral of R. Buckminster Fuller, as well as at the Memorial Ceremony in Norfolk, VA for the USS Cole (DDG-67) after the bombing of the ship in October 2000. This is fitting as the hymn was also played at the funeral services of those killed among the crew of the USS Maine at the beginning of the Spanish-American War. It was performed by the U.S. Navy Sea Chanters at the State Funeral of President Gerald R. Ford, who had served in the Navy during World War II in the Pacific Theater. The hymn was sung by the congregation attending the funeral of news broadcaster Walter Cronkite at St. Bartholomew's Church in New York City. This was the last hymn sung at the funeral of Claude Choules, the last living fighter from WWI, at his funeral in Fremantle, Western Australia on May 20, 2011.
[edit] Lyrics
The original words are: Eternal Father, strong to save, Whose arm hath bound the restless wave, Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep Its own appointed limits keep; Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee, For those in peril on the sea! O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard And hushed their raging at Thy word, Who walkedst on the foaming deep, And calm amidst its rage didst sleep; Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee, For those in peril on the sea! Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood Upon the chaos dark and rude, And bid its angry tumult cease, And give, for wild confusion, peace; Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee, For those in peril on the sea! O Trinity of love and power! Our brethren shield in danger's hour; From rock and tempest, fire and foe, Protect them wheresoe'er they go; Thus evermore shall rise to Thee Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.
\Episcopal Church version
In 1940, the U.S. Episcopal Church altered three verses of the hymn to include travel on the land in the second verse (referencing Psalm 50) and in the air in the third verse (again referencing Genesis). This was published as Hymn #513 while the original lyrics were also published as Hymn #512 in The Hymnal 1940. The Hymnal 1982, which is in current use by most Episcopal congregations in the USA , has further revised this version (as Hymn #579) with opening line "Almighty Father, strong to save..." by adding the word "space" to the final verse, so it ends "Glad praise from space, air, land, and sea" (because by 1982 space travel was a reality); the Hymnal also has a more traditional water-only version (as Hymn #608) with opening line "Eternal Father, strong to save..."
The 1940 version — incorporating sea, land, and air (but not space) — is: Almighty Father, strong to save, Whose arm hath bound the restless wave, Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep Its own appointed limits keep: O hear us when we cry to thee For those in peril on the sea. O Christ, the Lord of hill and plain O'er which our traffic runs amain By mountain pass or valley low; Wherever, Lord, thy brethren go, Protect them by thy guarding hand From every peril on the land. O Spirit, whom the Father sent To spread abroad the firmament; O Wind of heaven, by thy might Save all who dare the eagle's flight, And keep them by thy watchful care From every peril in the air. O Trinity of love and power, Our brethren shield in danger's hour; From rock and tempest, fire and foe, Protect them whereso'er they go, Thus evermore shall rise to thee Glad praise from air and land and sea.
Stanzas 2-3 of the version in the 1940 Hymnal were written by the American Bishop Robert Nelson Spencer (1877–1961) and published in 1937.
[edit] U.S. military variants
Several additional or variant verses are in use in the U.S. military services, including the Marines, Seabees, submariners and coastguards.[1]
[edit] SEALs
Eternal Father, faithful friend, Be swift to answer those we send In brotherhood and urgent trust On hidden missions dangerous O hear us when we cry to Thee For SEALs in air, on land, and sea
[edit] Aviation (1943)
Lord, guard and guide the men who fly, Through the great spaces of the sky; Be with them traversing the air, In darkening storms or sunshine fair. O God, protect the men who fly, Through lonely ways beneath the sky.
[edit] Aviation (variation)
Lord, guard and guide the men who fly Through the great spaces in the sky, Be with them always in the air, In dark'ning storms or sunlight fair. O, Hear us when we lift our prayer, For those in peril in the air.
[edit] Marines
Eternal Father, grant, we pray To all Marines, both night and day The courage, honor, strength, and skill Their land to serve, thy law fulfill Be thou the shield forevermore From every peril to the Corps. -J.E. Seim, 1966
[edit] Seabees
Lord, stand beside the men who build And give them courage, strength, and skill O grant them peace of heart and mind And comfort loved ones left behind. Lord, hear our prayer for all Seabees Where'er they be on land or sea -R.J. Dietrich, 1960
[edit] Submariners
Lord God, our power evermore Whose arm doth reach the ocean floor Dive with our men beneath the sea Traverse the depths protectively O hear us when we pray, and keep them safe from peril in the deep -David B. Miller, 1965
[edit] Navy Nurses
O God, protect the women who, in service, faith in thee renew; O guide devoted hands of skill And bless their work within thy will; Inspire their lives that they may be Examples fair on land and sea. Lines 1-4, Merle E. Strickland, 1972, and adapted by James D. Shannon, 1973. Lines 5-6, Beatrice M. Truitt, 1948
[edit] Arctic Exploration
Creator, Father, who dost show Thy splendor in the ice and snow, Bless those who toil in summer light And through the cold Antarctic night, As they thy frozen wonders learn; Bless those who wait for their return. -L.E. Vogel, 1965
[edit] Coast Guard
Eternal Father, Lord of hosts, Watch o'er the men who guard our coasts. Protect them from the raging seas And give them light and life and peace. Grant them from thy great throne above The shield and shelter of thy love. -George H. Jenks, Jr., 1955[2]
[edit] Astronauts
Eternal Father, King of birth, Who didst create the heaven and earth, And bid the planets and the sun Their own appointed orbits run; O hear us when we seek thy grace For those who soar through outer space. -J.E. Volonte, 1961
[edit] Doctors
Creator, Father, who first breathed In us the life that we received, By power of Thy breath restore The ill, and men with wounds of war. Bless those who give their healing care, That life and laughter all may share. -Galen H. Meyer, 1969 Adapted by James D. Shannon, 1970
[edit] Military Families
God, who dost still the restless foam, Protect the ones we love at home. Provide that they should always be By thine own grace both safe and free. O Father, hear us when we pray For those we love so far away. -Hugh Taylor, date unknown
[edit] Naval (General)
Lord, guard and guide the men who fly And those who on the ocean ply; Be with our troops upon the land, And all who for their country stand: Be with these guardians day and night And may their trust be in they might. -author unknown, about 1955
[edit] The Airborne Hymn (General)
Eternal Father, strong to save, Whose arm hath bound the restless wave Who bid'st the mighty ocean deep Its own appointed limits keep, O hear us when we cry to Thee For those in peril on the sea. O Spirit Whom the Father sent To spread abroad the firmament, O Wind of Heaven, by Thy might Save all who dare in Airborne flight And keep them by Thy watchful care They drop to battle from the air!
Lord, guard and guide all them who fly And those who on the ocean ply; Be with our troops upon the land And all for who their country stand: Be with these guardians day and night Do keep them ever in Thy sight. O Gracious God of love and power! Our brethren shield in danger's hour; From rock and tempest, fire and foe, Protect them whereso'er they go. Thus fore'ermore shall rise to Thee, Glad praise from air, and land and sea. Veterans going back to World War II remember singing the "Armed Forces Hymn" at church services in the United States and overseas. The hymn was an adapted version of the original Navy hymn "Eternal Father Strong to Save". With its beautiful, meaningful verses and powerful plea for protection, it evoked a strong emotional response from those singing the hymn. While preparing a funeral service for his friend, Colonel Delbert Townsend, a highly decorated paratrooper, Colonel John Kormann became aware that there were further adaptations to the basic hymn. In addition to the Navy, there were now verses for the Army, the Air Force, the Marines, the Coast Guard, the astronauts, Seabees, nurses, SEALS, etc. Dismayed that he found no words of "Eternal Father" for the "Airborne", Kormann, a past president of the 17th Airborne Division Association, proceeded to change a verse and add some words. At a reunion of Airborne veterans in Lancaster, PA, on March 7, 2010, Colonel Kormann formally proposed that the second verse of the hymn, as altered (below), be adopted and included in "Eternal Father", to be sung, as appropriate, at services for Airborne veterans. Thus, the "Airborne Hymn" was born.
[edit] Ship's Dedication
O Father, King of earth and sea, We dedicate this ship to thee. In faith we send her on her way; In faith to thee we humbly pray: O hear from heaven our sailor's cry And watch and guard her from on high! Author and date unknown
[edit] Ship's Decommissioning
And when at length her course is run, Her work for home and country done, Of all the souls that in her sailed Let not one life in thee have failed; But hear from heaven our sailor's cry, And grant eternal life on high! -Author and date unknown
[3]
[edit] Notable uses
This hymn was among those sung at a Church Service aboard the Royal Navy battleship HMS Prince of Wales attended by Winston Churchill (who requested that the hymn be sung) and Franklin D. Roosevelt at the conference creating the Atlantic Charter.[4] It was also the last song sung during the Sunday, 14th of April Church Service aboard the RMS Titanic just hours before it sank.[5]. On Saturday, the 19th of May 2012, it was the last hymn to be sung during the Church Service held upon a symbolic field of battle at Windsor Castle as part of the Armed Forces Tribute to the Commander in Chief of the combined services, HM Queen Elizabeth II. The Tribute marked the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee, or 60th anniversary, of her accession to the thrones of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, and Dominions and Realms of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as her accession to the position of Sovereign and Head of State of the Commonwealth of Nations.
[edit] Use in funerals
This hymn has been played or sung at a number of funerals for those who have served in the U.S. Navy. It was sung at the funeral of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, played by the Navy Band at the funeral of John F. Kennedy, sung at the funeral of Richard Nixon, and played by the Navy Band and the Coast Guard Band during the funeral of Ronald Reagan. Roosevelt had served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and Kennedy was commanding officer of PT-109 in World War II.The hymn was also played to close the funeral of R. Buckminster Fuller, as well as at the Memorial Ceremony in Norfolk, VA for the USS Cole (DDG-67) after the bombing of the ship in October 2000. This is fitting as the hymn was also played at the funeral services of those killed among the crew of the USS Maine at the beginning of the Spanish-American War. It was performed by the U.S. Navy Sea Chanters at the State Funeral of President Gerald R. Ford, who had served in the Navy during World War II in the Pacific Theater. The hymn was sung by the congregation attending the funeral of news broadcaster Walter Cronkite at St. Bartholomew's Church in New York City. This was the last hymn sung at the funeral of Claude Choules, the last living fighter from WWI, at his funeral in Fremantle, Western Australia on May 20, 2011.
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