[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 74 (Tuesday, May 22, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E881-E882]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             IN HONOR OF THE FAMILIES OF THE ARMED SERVICES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PETE SESSIONS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 22, 2012

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Albert ``Bert'' 
Caswell and the men, women, and families of our Nation's Armed 
Services.
  Bert has worked as a United States Capitol tour guide for over 
twenty-five years. He is known throughout the Capitol for his 
extraordinary work and selfless attitude. After hours, Bert volunteers 
his time offering Capitol tours to wounded veterans and participants of 
the Make-A-Wish foundation. He also visits and writes poems for wounded 
soldiers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to lift their 
spirits and celebrate their heroic nature.
  Mr. Speaker, I submit to you a poem, on behalf of Albert, who penned 
this tribute in recognition of the extraordinary sacrifices and courage 
of the men, women, and families of our Nation's Armed Services.

                        They Make Us Who We Are

                          (By Albert Caswell)

     They . . . .
     They make us who we are!
     For they are the greatest of all shining stars!
     As they so make us who we are!
     Our loved ones and families . . . .
     The ones for whom we all so die and bleed!
     Yes, they make us who we are!
     As we go off to war, we carry them with us ever far!
     The ones who so live with such heartache and pain . . . .
     And such worry, wondering if they shall ever so see us all 
           again . . . .
     Oh yes, they make us who we are!
     Quiet Heroes, out across our heartland one and all!
     The ones now on bended knee, so pray to Lord to watch over us 
           all so godspeed!
     They make us who we are!
     The ones who at our grave sides, with tears in eyes whose 
           hearts now so bleed!
     Who have lost their greatest loves of all!
     The ones who never had the chance to so say goodbye!
     The ones for whom our Lord's love shall never die!
     As they so make us who we are!
     The ones who now at our bedsides who have so traveled so very 
           far . . . .
     As we come home from war, half dead and so full of scars . . 
           . .
     Carried, now upon us all!
     Missing arms and legs in all places, as somehow they must 
           face this!
     For all of them it is so very hard!
     As they so help us to beat down death, and so face so all of 
           this!
     As they bless, because they are all in it for the long haul!
     Oh how they so make us who we are!
     Providing us with the hope and courage, and not letting us so 
           get discouraged!
     Where, would we and our nation all so be?
     If it were but not for such all of these, who so make us who 
           we are?
     Yes, all of our loved ones and families . . . . who all in us 
           do so believe!
     And so make us who we are!
     Shining ever so brightly, our nation's most courageous of all 
           stars!
     All with such dignity and faith, as they shine from sea to 
           sea!
     As one day up in heaven, they will all so be!
     For these are the ones, who have so sent!
     So sent, all of their most beloved daughters and sons off to 
           war!
     Husbands and Wives, who live with such deep pain so deep down 
           inside!
     And all our children who so lie awake at night, and so begin 
           to cry!

[[Page E882]]

     Who must live with such fear, day in and night after night!
     And all of that death and destruction, that which war does so 
           make!
     Unrelenting . . . . our loved ones helping us to rebuild what 
           war has so taken away!
     To once again, To So Make Us What We Are!
     Just look at those heroes standing there, with such honor and 
           such faith and tears who so care!
     Wearing that uniform, with those most courageous hearts that 
           which beat so warm!
     Who were so raised by those loved ones, who their souls have 
           so formed!
     To make them who they are!
     Just, look at all of those husbands and wives, and children 
           who now must now so cry . . . .
     Who so sent their loved ones off to die . . . .
     For they all so make this Nation, and our Country Tis of Thee 
           who we are!
     America's Shining Stars!
     They . . . . Make . . . . Us . . . . Who . . . . We . . . . 
           Are!

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