[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 19, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E912-E913]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              MEMORIAL DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB GOODLATTE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 19, 2004

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, shortly, we will be celebrating Memorial 
Day, a sacred

[[Page E913]]

time of remembrance where we pay tribute to the brave men and women who 
have sacrificed their lives to protect the freedoms we hold so very 
dear.
  I believe that it is especially fitting at this time to share a poem 
written by my constituent, Mr. Cordell A. Dickey of Roanoke, Virginia. 
Mr. Dickey is a veteran of Word War II where his unit was part of the 
division that invaded Guadalcanal on August 8, 1942. The poem was 
written in the Southwest Pacific in 1943 to honor a fallen friend, 
Hiram DiAlfordi, who was killed in New Caledonia in 1942.
  The commemoration of Memorial Day will likely be a trying time filled 
with vivid memories of the son or daughter, husband or wife, mom or dad 
who will never come home. It is the hope of Mr. Dickey that his poem 
will bring comfort to the family of those who sacrificed for a cause 
greater than one's self.

                             Lost Vigilance

                         (By Cordell A. Dickey)

     Twas here I stepped, here I fell, and here
     On this far, unfriendly shore,
     A dream was lost and shattered forever:
     Leaving only fragments scattered on the sands.
     To you who loved my life:
     Whose heart knew pain when earth's cold bosom
     Embraced and held me fast;
     I would not have you grieve too much!
     Sing no more sad songs for me . . .
     Wipe away your last falling tear.
     For when I quietly slipped into the void,
     To keep with destiny my final rendezvous;
     I did not fear to face Infinity,
     Or plunge into a dark abyss.
     To you who still have life:
     Whose shattered spirit needs a healing balm
     To make you whole again;
     I would that you should know much joy;
     Find new faith and hope again!
     This above all:
     Learn to laugh and sing again . . .
     The world is filled with beauty.

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