[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 2861-2862]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HARROWISM! IN HONOR OF TEAM LEADER CAPTAIN BENJAMIN CONRAD HARROW 7TH 
              SPECIAL FORCES GROUP THE UNITED STATES ARMY

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER P. GIBSON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 6, 2013

  Mr. GIBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Team Leader Captain 
Benjamin Harrow of The United States Army, 7th Special Forces Group, 
Green Berets. On May 15, 2012 while out on patrol, an IED explosion 
almost left Benjamin mortally wounded. Losing both of his legs and 
sustaining numerous other life threatening injuries he has come back 
from the dead. Already in such a short time his recovery is at full 
speed ahead. With the help of his and her family and his lovely wife 
Gina and son Peyton, he has found the strength and inspiration to heal. 
Spend a little time with Ben, and you will understand why he became 
Team Leader of one of our Nation's elite members of The Special Forces 
Group 7. Ben is a graduate of The United States Military Academy at 
West Point. He was a star lacrosse player for Army. I submit this poem 
penned in his honor by Albert Caswell.

                               Harrowism!

     A hero!
     And from where do they all so come?
     Men of honor,
     who so walk upon battlefields of death . . .
     as Thy Kingdom Come!
     And all of those who from out of the ashes,
     rebuild their lives with not much left who have begun . . .

     As when they come back home all in this most magnificent 
           quests!
     Indeed, these are but America's most heroic of all sons who 
           so bless!
     Who so go off to war where angels so fear to tread . . .
     Who for all of us heroically have so died,
     and bled!

     And come back home so very close to death!
     To somehow lift up their fine heads!
     All in what their most magnificent hearts have so said!
     Armed, with but only their Harrowism which so beats within 
           their chests!
     As from out of all of this darkness,
     they must now so pass that test!

     To so summon up,
     all of the courage and the strength To But Be The Best!
     Oh what A Special Force this is no less!
     As they come back home so cheating death!
     As we so watch all in such awe as we lose our breath!
     As they rise up to so teach us all about Harrowism no less!
     As high above all others they now stand so yes!

     Heroes!
     Because, Heroes come in all shapes and sizes!
     But, it's what's within their great hearts that which so 
           comprises!
     But who they are!
     Moving all out into that darkness of death all at light 
           speeds,
     as their fine hearts so crest!

     As out across a nation,
     a mother now so weeps in her sorrow . . .
     All because for us,
     her most precious son gave up his tomorrow's yes!

     For they lead!
     And we will follow!
     And ah yes,
     for these are but such a special breed who in pity will not 
           so wallow!

     And then there is a special breed,
     The Special Forces!
     A SPECIAL FORCE of nature so complete!
     As all throughout their veins their most heroic blood beats!
     The ones who the enemy so fears,
     and so heed's!

     Who upon battlefields of honor bright,
     come all at them fast breaking all at such speeds!
     The ones who can not so be checked,
     by any enemy!
     Whose most selfless souls,
     now so make the angels weep!
     As we so pray to our Lord,
     to watch over them to keep!

     And for all of those ones,
     who must now come back home on this night . . .
     Who must now begin their new most gallant of all fights . . .
     All on that hard road to recovery,
     as we watch their brave hearts so ignite!
     Men without arms and legs,
     who so teach us all about faith!
     Whose families,
     so give to them the strength to meet each new coming day!
     Who now so stand with tears in eyes!

     As before them all in pieces their loved ones lie!
     As these Heroes so touch our hearts and souls,
     with but all of their most amazing grace as we behold!
     To so show to this our world how Angels are made!
     For these are men of such courage and conviction!
     And of such undying faith we are so witnessing!

     Rising up from the ashes,
     Who All In The Game of Life so lead the way . . .
     All in what their most precious lives have to say!
     And, from out of all our Nation's Academes . . .
     But, have come our Nation's very best!

     Magnificent men and women,
     who all so live and die to so make a difference no less!
     Fast breaking on battlefields of honor and in hospital beds,
     all at light speeds with their fine hearts and heads which 
           can not so be checked!
     Whose Harrorism, our hearts so bless!
     And whose fine families must bare the greatest of all burdens 
           so yes!

     Because, The Special Forces . . .
     are but everything that Superman so wishes he could be!
     Who come back home without arms and legs,
     to so teach us how men of honor behave!
     As we so watch them rebuild their lives,
     when they but lie just moments away from the grave!

     As ever onward they so stride,
     with but tears in their eyes!
     As their gaits have gotten stronger, as their days have 
           gotten longer!
     Reaching for the highest of all heights, as do they!

     Benjamin, an American Harrow!
     And as a Captain and a Team Leader of Special Forces,
     whose heart and soul runs so very deep as through him so 
           course's!
     A man who is Army Strong!
     Whose fine life is but like a song!
     A song of God and Family,
     and all about his beloved Country Tis of Thee . . .

     To a place where valor and faith all so meet!
     As West Point,
     would so anoint such a hero who lives on!
     The kind of man that General Mahollen,
     would so love to march along!
     Whether, on fields of green . . .
     or as a lacrosse player you were seen!

     Or on battlefields of honor bright,
     Big Ben would always lead!
     For he was built for honor,
     and he was built for speed!

     As a winner In the Game of Life,
     and in all of his deeds!
     The kind of man that even General MacArthur,
     as a hero would so concede!

     As Big Ben,
     America's son you live by such a fine heroes creed!
     A Real American Harrow,
     who upon all of us your light we so see . . .
     As it was on that fateful day,
     when IED Ben almost took your most heroic life away . . .

     As when you awoke,
     as what to your most heroic heart spoke!
     As upon your face,
     your most heroic tears were invoked to fight on that day . . 
           .

     All for the love of your life . . .
     your lovely devoted wife Gina,
     and that future lacrosse player son Peyton you chose to stay!
     Rising up from the ashes as would you so Green Beret!

     As once again,
     your strong heart is leading out in front the way!
     All out on that rocky road to recovery!
     All in what your Harrowism has so to say!
     To So Teach Us!
     To So Beseech Us!
     To So Reach Us,
     and Grab Our Hearts in every way!

     Because, Real Heroes Hearts Never Fade!
     Oh, what a Special Force Ben you are in so every way!
     And if ever I had a son,
     I wish he could be as half as courageous as this one . . .
     Who so stands more than a man in today!

     Because Big Ben you've got the ball,
     and you are fast breaking to recovery . . .
     So we better clear out,
     and get out of your way!

     As we so watch this Special Force called Harrowism,
     and so see of what you are made!
     Showing us all,
     that arms and legs we all need!
     But, we can get by!
     But,
     without a most heroic heart we will so surely die!


[[Page 2862]]


     Better To Die For Something,
     or lose your strong arms and legs . . .
     Then, live for nothing in regret in your last days!
     Better To Be An American Harrow In Life,
     and Lead The Way!
     Because in Heaven,
     you need not arms or legs . . .
     And that's where Big Ben you are going one day!

     In these, the moments of our lives . . .
     what have we've so done and so strived?
     Will we be the ones to courage find?
     Will we have the right stuff to go so very deep down inside?

     To walk through the valley of death,
     or come back home with but not much left . . .
     And somehow new mountains so climb!

     Could we be a Hero's Hero?
     And be the ones to such Harrowism find?
     As Big Ben,
     an American Hero who so shines!

                          ____________________