[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14898]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING 1ST LT. NATHAN RIMPF

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. DAVID E. PRICE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 21, 2012

  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
constituent from Raleigh, North Carolina, who was injured on patrol in 
Andar Province, Afghanistan, on July 8th of this year. Ranger 1st 
Lieutenant Nathan Rimpf, United States Army, was team leader of Demon 
Company 2-16 Rangers when he stepped on an improvised explosive device 
and was seriously injured. I had the honor of visiting Lieutenant Rimpf 
and his family last month at Walter Reed National Military Medical 
Center, where he is receiving treatment for his wounds. I was deeply 
moved by Lieutenant Rimpf's strength, optimism, and dedication to 
country and fellow servicemembers, and I know he, like his brother in 
the United States Capitol Police, will continue to serve his country 
honorably for years to come. I wish Lieutenant Rimpf and his family the 
very best, and respectfully submit this poem by Albert Caswell in his 
honor:

                                The Few

     The . . .
     The Few!
     Only, The Few!
     Only, The Brave!
     Can but so wear that most heroic title and beret,
     of a United States Ranger as who!
     And so bathe, all in that most heroic hue!
     Ranger's like Jimmy Regan, Pat Tillman,
     and Kyle Comfort who our world have so graced!
     Who have all so worn courage's most courageous face!

     For Rangers Fight!
     And Rangers Lead!
     And Rangers do it all at such deadly speeds!
     And for us one all,
     Rangers will so die and bleed!
     As The United States Rangers so give to our nation what she 
           needs!
     And Rangers hunt!
     And Rangers evil do so confront!

     To stand strong,
     to so right all of those wrongs!
     To so intercede,
     to so bring us peace!
     Bought and paid for,
     with but all of their fines lives indeed!
     As all in Strength In Honor they so believe!

     Beware, ``THE DEMONS'' are after you . . . time to run!
     Sorry but it's time for you to so confront your ``DEMON'S'' 
           my son!
     As their strong arms and legs for all of us they so willingly 
           concede!
     For all out there but in the darkest of all nights!
     As that's where you shall so find them Leading
     The Way . . . The Charge, The Fight!

     The United States Rangers,
     who but bring their most magnificent of all lights!
     Because, Rangers Lead!
     Men like Nathan Rimpf,
     whose hearts so shine upon us all on this very night!
     As it was on a July patrol,
     When this fine man's life almost went away . . .

     With his two strong legs gone,
     as for him his men so knelt and prayed!
     And that's when this platoon leader got up and ran,
     ran with his heart that very day!
     Just one more hill to climb!
     Just one more mountain to so scale all in his time!
     As against all odds once again we would find!
     That this Ranger led the way!
     Like Superman, the only thing that can stop
     him is Kryptonite this day!

     For such men are put upon this earth,
     to so show us what comes first!
     To So Teach Us!
     To So Beseech Us!
     To So Reach Us!
     Who out of such darkness but defeat the worst!
     And come shining through like a star burst!

     As have you Nate,
     The Carolina Kid who at light speed has so
     traversed the most!
     For there are but blue skies up ahead of you
     Nate to host!
     ``Can't you just feel the sunshine?''
     And if ever I had a son, I wish he could shine as bright as 
           this one!
     Who so teaches us how the game of life is won!
     Moment's are all that we so have!
     To fight the bad!
     To make a difference with it all!

     For something noble, it's better to lose your two fine legs . 
           . .
     Then at the end of your life to so moan and beg,
     as so wished you a better world you had so made!
     But, Only The Few to our world such gifts can claim!
     As you Nathan, The Few . . . are but one and the same!
     And that's why the word Ranger is in front of your name!
     The Few can claim!

                          ____________________