[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 118 (Friday, August 3, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1436-E1437]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING TAYLOR MORRIS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BRUCE L. BRALEY

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 2, 2012

  Mr. BRALEY of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Petty Officer 
Second Class, Taylor Morris.
  Taylor grew up in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and after graduating from high 
school in 2007, Taylor joined the Navy. Looking for a challenge, Taylor 
trained as an Explosive Ordinance Disposal Technician. While all of our 
servicemembers face danger in the course of their service, EOD techs 
literally put their lives on the line to disarm bombs and keep all of 
our forces safe.
  Taylor deployed to Afghanistan for the first time in January of this 
year. On May 3, while working with Army Special Forces in the Kandahar 
province of Afghanistan, Taylor stepped on an IED while clearing a 
route. The blast of the IED blew off all four of Taylor's limbs. 
Remarkably, Taylor remained conscious after the blast and called out to 
the medics that were rushing to help him to stop, recognizing the 
possible danger of other IEDs. After the second EOD with Taylor had 
cleared the area, medics arrived to address his wounds.
  On May 6, Taylor arrived at Walter Reed Medical Center, not too far 
from here in Bethesda, MD, where I first had the chance to meet this 
remarkable young man, along with his girlfriend, Danielle, and his 
mother, Juli, who've stuck by him since he got home. Taylor is one of 
only five quadruple amputees from the last decade's wars, and despite 
his wounds he's remained upbeat and shown remarkable courage in working 
to recover. Even a few weeks after his injuries when I visited with him 
for the first time he was raring to move forward and get better.
  Just last week, on July 23, I was proud to welcome Taylor, Danielle, 
and his sister Claire

[[Page E1437]]

to the Capitol for a tour. Every time I've met Taylor, I've left 
inspired by his courage and dedication, and I know we all can learn 
something from his cheery demeanor in the face of such odds.
  Mr. Speaker, I'd also like to enter the full text of a poem by Albert 
Caswell that was written for Taylor, titled ``Greater Than Gold'' into 
the Congressional Record. Taylor is truly an American hero.

 Greater Than Gold--In Honor of an American Hero, E5 Taylor John Krull 
                     Morris, the United States Navy

                           Greater Than Gold

     Greater!
     Greater than gold!
     All in our lives to be told!
     All in ones heart we can mold!
     All in our moments now so to behold!
     All in what we so hope to all know!
     All in ones life,
     that which forever so glows!
     Forever so glows!
     As is ``MIGHTY MO!''
     Are such things to be found,
     as are all as so!
     That which are but far much more precious than gold!
     Precious than gold!
     To Have and To Hold . . .
     To Have and To Hold!
     As upon our world,
     as your gifts to us Taylor you now so bestow!
     So bestow!
     As have all of our American Heroes!
     Heroes!
     All in what our children must all now know!
     As is such so!
     As is such so!
     Something, that is far much more greater than gold!
     Something, that could so launch a thousand ships as is so!
     Something that so leads men into battle,
     yet not to know!
     While, living on the very edge of death . . .
     while there all so!
     As time and again,
     as Taylor you so chose to so stand!
     As something so very special,
     to have and to hold!
     To have and to hold!
     That which so brings such tears,
     to even the Angels eyes as is so!
     As is so!
     As from you Taylor,
     of what I now know!
     What is far greater than gold!
     As from that first moment on,
     when I so walked into your hospital room so!
     With that smile on your face!
     I knew in an instant,
     oh what a man of such splendor and grace!
     As stood before me so!
     So!
     As all in that moment,
     as I so looked into courage's face!
     As all of those tears,
     I could not so hold,
     and would not so erase!
     Yea, Greater Than Gold!
     As it was all in that moment Taylor I want you to know,
     when you so taught me the true greatness of the human race 
           so!
     And what is far much more Greater Than Gold!
     As I so looked so deep down into your very soul!
     As your fine heart so all out to me so glowed!
     So glowed!
     To have and to hold!
     To have and to hold!
     To carry with me now,
     as I grow old!
     As you so taught Taylor,
     so taught me there so!
     Like the corn fields of Iowa,
     your heart has so grown!
     All in what is far much more greater than gold!
     Greater Than Gold!
     And what we so hold in our hearts is but The Greatest of All 
           of Those!
     As it was you Taylor who so chose to so live,
     and would not let go! Let go!
     And yet that even without legs,
     as still you stood so!
     And that even without arms,
     all of our hearts still you can hold!
     Still hold!
     Far greater than gold!
     Greater than Gold!
     As now Taylor,
     to me you have so showed!
     That The Greatest of All Things,
     is but what so lies in one's soul!
     In one's soul!
     So deep down inside of our hearts,
     all in what we so hold!
     As now,
     it's all ahead full . . . The Navy's Crown Jewel!
     As you so recover even in that hospital bed!
     For you have mountains to climb,
     all in your time!
     As you even make The Navy Seals,
     say ``Taylor you are my hero!''
     And you've got places to go!
     And hearts to so heal,
     as they so watch you all so!
     And people to so inspire,
     for you will not ever so tire wherever you go!
     As you So Teach,
     and So Beseech Us . . . and all of those!
     All in that one fine thing that we all must now know!
     That what lies in one's heart and one's soul,
     is but Far Much More Greater Than Gold!
     Greater Than Gold!
     Yes arms and legs we all need,
     but we can get by!
     But, without a heart and a soul . . .
     we will so surely die!
     And in Heaven you need not arms nor legs!
     And Taylor,
     that's where you are going one day!
     To look into our Lord's eyes as so!
     Yes, Taylor . . .
     by God you were Taylor Made so!
     To have and to hold,
     to have and to hold!
     For you Taylor,
     and what's in your heart is Far Much More Greater Than Gold!
     Yea, ``Mighty Mo'' what's in your soul!
     Is Far Greater Than Gold!
     Albert Carey Caswell, 2012

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