[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 18, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E360-E361]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING LT. COLONEL GREG GADSON

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. BILL FLORES

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 18, 2015

  Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of America's 
finest, Lt. Colonel Greg Gadson who is in command of Ft. Belvoir in 
Virginia, a graduate of West Point in 1989. Greg was also a star 
linebacker on the United States Army football team. Greg, a twenty-year 
veteran, has received three bronze stars and a purple heart. While 
serving in Operation Iraq Freedom, he was almost killed as the 
commander of a surge unit by an IED explosion, losing both of his legs. 
He has since done nothing but climbed mountain after mountain. He is 
also well-known as an inspirational public speaker, and many give him 
credit for helping inspire the New York Giants to their Super Bowl XLVI 
season. He has also appeared in the movie ``Battleship'' and truly is 
an American hero and a man for all seasons. I submit this poem, penned 
in his honor by Albert Carey Caswell.


                             Hold That Line

     Hold
     That
     Line
     All in our lifetimes
     Past what new goal lines will we so drive?
     When, it all so seems our backs are up against the wall to 
           find
     All in these the moments of our lives
     Coming off that line
     All in hearts now carried deep
     What promises to ourselves will we so keep?
     To find the faith and courage to compete
     To strive
     Will we get up and fight?
     When it all so lies on the line
     And hold
     That
     Line
     Or will we give in,
     In these our darkest of all nights as they begin?
     Or will we go deep?
     All in our hearts of honor so to seek
     Whether, on football fields of green
     Or out upon most heroic battlefields of honor seen
     You Lt. Colonel Gadson,
     Have always gleamed
     Will our hearts choose to stand and fight,
     To compete?
     All in the seeds we've sown so deep
     All in our hearts to reap
     Emanating from somewhere inside,
     So down so very deep
     Is the place Lt. Colonel,
     Where all of your promises you would so keep
     All in your strength in honor which speaks
     To be the best as you would seek
     All in your actions,
     And deeds
     Firing out across that line to death to beat
     Tackling all of those obstacles in your way to compete
     As so gallantly you sow heroism seeds
     As why in the game of life you shine so brilliantly
     As it's your faith Greg you were so to keep
     Running from end to end,
     As up ahead you would lead
     To take control and command
     To hold
     That
     Line
     As there you'd stand
     When this battle before you so lie
     As across that goal line of life for victory you'd strive
     All because of men like you Colonel who so courageously 
           compete
     We all may live in peace
     Because, in the game of life
     It's all about digging in,
     And digging in deep
     Through thick and thin,
     How far we are all willing to go for victory to reach
     To
     Hold
     That
     Line
     To walk through that valley of death,
     With clenched fists to one day Heaven reach
     For these are the things in life which speak
     And who have we saved?
     And who have we blessed?
     And what have we taught to pass that test?
     By all our actions, whom have we reached
     By our examples to beseech
     Will we stand up and go deep?
     As have you Colonel,
     As to such new heights you'd so reach
     In this new battle you began,
     And you so chose to fight and stand
     While, all in the midst of hell
     As your most courageous heart began to swell
     And you had to start all over again
     Without your once strong legs upon which you so ran
     As you looked down as the red blood ran
     As in that moment your new battle so began
     Being from The Point,
     Your heart gave you a command
     To hold
     That
     Line
     As once again it was first and goal
     With your back to the wall
     As you had to plug up all those holes,
     And somehow find the strength to stand
     To tackle all that misery at hand
     And somehow hold
     That
     Line
     As you had done before,
     Time and time again
     As somehow you got up and stood,
     And started your whole life over as you would
     Listening to your heart,
     As you brought tears to all our eyes
     Thanking your Father and your brothers for being alive
     As a winner in that game of life you crossed that recovery 
           goal line
     As Greg you crushed it
     As death you sacked it
     Firing out to victory to find
     And Colonel,
     If I ever have a son
     I pray to God,
     He could lead a life like yours as won
     Who when it was all on the line,
     Did not thing think twice
     To win that day, that fight
     As a winner before us now stands here this night
     Because it's on our legs we stand
     But it's with our hearts we run to daylight
     And we
     Hold
     That
     Line
     For Greg you are Army strong
     And why such men as you and MacArthur to The Point so belong
     Whose hearts of honor in history will live on
     Hoo ah
  Mr. Speaker, before I close, I ask everyone to continue to pray for 
our country and for our military men and women that protect it.
  God bless the United States of America.

[[Page E361]]



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