[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 379]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     A TRIBUTE TO AN AMERICAN HERO

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GEOFF DAVIS

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 20, 2010

  Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky. Madam Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to 
Army SPC Bryan C. Florence of Louisville, Kentucky, who nearly lost his 
life on September 2, 2007 during an IED explosion in Baghdad. 
Specialist Florence is a true American hero and an exceptional 
Kentuckian who inspires us all with his strength and sacrifice. I ask 
that a poem penned by Albert Caswell in honor of Specialist Florence 
and his family be placed in the Congressional Record as follows:

                              Bryan's Song

     Bryan's Song . . .
     Bryan's heart, beating loud! Beating long! Beating strong!
     A hero's heart, which to him now so belongs!
     Army Tough! Army Strong!
     To him, that heart of a hero which so beats on . . .
     Belongs, to such a fine young man . . .
     Kentucky Strong . . . Bryan's Life . . . Bryan's Song . . .
     A Thoroughbred . . .
     Finishing first, across that finish line of life . . . let it 
           now be said!
     An Army man, who so proudly wears the uniform . . . who so 
           can!
     All for God and Country, and Family, he went off to war . . .
     Into that the darkest face of death, but were his great 
           burdens bore . . .
     Leaving all that he so loved . . .
     Ready to die if necessary, is that but not true love . . . 
           and Heaven is for?
     All for us, while into the face of death he left!
     When, on battlefields of honor seen . . .
     Dashing there so in uniform, such a heroic figure convened . 
           . .
     As the hand of death would so intervene . . .
     Reaching down, beckoning him . . .
     With one leg gone, somehow he held on . . .
     All for his fine wife, and future child to be born . . .
     As he now must move on, as we so see his courage full . . . 
           courage strong . . .
     Within his heart beating so loud, beating strong . . .
     Listen and learn, from this sonnet . . . his Bryan's Song . . 
           .
     A song of full hope and courage . . . who would not be 
           discouraged . . .
     The words, of a hero . . . all of our souls words has 
           nourished . . .
     As day by day, while all of that pain and heartache comes his 
           way . . .
     As we so glean, what it so takes . . . to be a fine human 
           being . . .
     As against all odds, in life and death's . . . in all his 
           heartbreak left . . .
     In death and war . . . he writes his score . . .
     To rebuild . . . to so instill . . . trusting In God's Will!
     As his fine heart will not dismay . . .
     As he so shows us all the way still . . .
     A Florence of Arabia . . .
     Who went off to the Mideast . . .
     All on his most valiant crusade, to fight for peace . . .
     What, words in our lives have we so written?
     Heard all here in our living!
     And, if I ever have a son . . . I but hope and pray!
     What songs have we so sung as to this our world so given?
     He could but be like this one, this day . . .
     As Bryan's sung!

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