[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6905]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               TRUE BLUE

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                         HON. DAVID G. REICHERT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 29, 2010

  Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the men and 
women of law enforcement, who put their lives on the line every day for 
us. In this past year, seven of our heroes from the State of Washington 
have been lost in the line of duty. Officer Deputy Sheriff Stephen M. 
Gallagher Jr., Officer Timothy Q. Brenton, Officer Tina G. Griswold, 
Officer Ronald W. Owens II, Sgt. Mark J. Renninger, Officer Gregory J. 
Richards, Deputy Sheriff Walter K. Mundell Jr.
  Madam Speaker, most of us get up everyday and expect to come home to 
our families. Unfortunately, these men and women of law enforcement do 
not have such blessings. I ask that this poem in honor of these 
splendid men and women, and their magnificent families who in quiet 
courage, penned by Capitol Guide Albert Caswell be placed in the 
Record. And in memory of all the fallen this year.


                               True Blue

     True!
     True Blue
     All in their most Heroic Hues!
     All out there, On That Thin Blue Line . . . so True . . .
     All out there, on their own! All, so all alone . . . on 
           death's edge, so very all alone!
     Living and dying, with only micro seconds to react . . . to 
           find . . . to somehow so decide!
     All in that moment of truth, when who lives or dies . . . as 
           so brilliantly in time, so lies the proof!
     With, but only their most courageous of all hearts to use! As 
           so selflessly, they so do what they must do!
     Leaving home, as this might be that one last kiss. . . . All 
           in their hearts of love, as so as this . . .
     With families, who live from day to day . . . knowing that 
           death, but before them lays!
     As they pray, as she or he walks out that door!
     As it may be but that one last time, together, as so for 
           sure!
     All because they so stood, so stood!
     So stood for something! For something so much more . . .
     For What is True . . . for What Is TRUE BLUE!
     To SERVE and PROTECT, for all of us. . . . This, and nothing 
           less!
     As all of their fine lives, have ours so blessed!
     Ready to die for you and me! All in their most Heroic of 
           Hues, we see!
     Is that but not what Heaven is for? One and all, The Kind of 
           Quiet Heroes the Angels adore!
     As up in Heaven, their new beat for sure! All out there, On 
           That Thin Blue Line . . .
     Could such courage, we all so find? Approaching death, as 
           it's out there they so feel its cold dark breath!
     To save precious life, all in time! Oh so very fine, are but 
           all of these Heroes . . . who now so come to mind!
     It's for them, we now so pray! As they start each new night 
           or day . . . all out there, On That Thin Blue Line!
     Families hugging and crying, still intact . . . all because 
           heroes lay dying . . .
     As this day, death came so very close!
     As it's for us they all so died
     As their precious gifts, their lives so mean the most!
     All For What Is True!
     True Blue!

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