december 7th 1941 a date which will live in infamy freedom and fear are at war the advance of human freedom the great achievement of our time and the great hope of every time now depends on us our nation will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future we will not tire we will not falter and we will not fail it is made up of men and women who raise our food patrol our streets man our minds and factories teach our children keep our homes and heal us when we're sick professionals industrialists shopkeepers clerks cabbies and truck drivers they are in short we the people this great nation will endure as it has endured will revive and will prosper so first of all let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill that we shall pay any price bear any burden meet any hardship support any friend oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty it's one small step we will never compromise our principles and standards we will never give away our freedom we will never abandon our belief in god we've always needed god from the very beginning of this nation but today we need him especially we're facing a new kind of enemy we're involved in a new kind of warfare and we need the help of the spirit of god and so my fellow americans ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country we as americans have the capacity now as we've had in the past to do whatever needs to be done to preserve this last and greatest bastion of freedom as we've been assured neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth can separate us from god's love may he bless the souls of the departed may he comfort our own and may he always guide our country god bless america you