[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 13462-13463]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      IN HONOR OF RESCUE 5 AND THE 78 FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS OF 9/11

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL G. GRIMM

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 11, 2013

  Mr. GRIMM. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following.
  Staten Island Strong ``Go Together, Stay Together'' in honor of 
Rescue 5 and the 78 fallen firefighters of 9/11 and their families.

       F/F Faustino Apostle, Jr., Battallion 2, F/F Louis Arena, 
     Ladder 5, A/C Gerald Barbera, C.W.C, F/F Arthur Barry, Ladder 
     15, F/F John P. Bergan, Rescue 5, F/F Paul Beyer, Engine 6, 
     F/F Brian Bilcher, Squad 1, F/F Carl Bini, Rescue 5, F/F Greg 
     Buck, Engine 201, F/F Salvatore Calabro, Ladder 101, F/F 
     Michael Cammarata, Ladder 11, F/F Brian Cannizzaro, Ladder 
     101, F/F Peter Carroll, Squad 1, F/F John Chipura, Engine 
     219, F/F Michael Clarke, Ladder 2.
       F/F Reuben Correa, Engine 74, F/F Robert Curatolo, Ladder 
     16, Lt. Edward Darti, Squad 1, F/F Michael D'Auria, Engine 
     40, F/F Scott Davidson, Ladder 118, F/F Edward Day, Ladder 
     11, F/F George Dipasquale, Ladder 2, Capt. Martin Egan, Jr., 
     Division 1, F/F Francis Esposito, Engine 235, Lt. Michael 
     Esposito, Squad 1, Capt. Joseph Farley, Division 1, F/F 
     Michael Fiori, Rescue 5, F/F Andre Fletcher, Rescue 5, Lt. 
     Michael Fodor, Ladder 21, F/F Gary Geidel, Rescue 5.
       F/F James Giberson, Ladder 35, F/F Jeffrey Giordano, Ladder 
     3, F/F James Gray, Ladder 20, B/C Joseph Grzelak, Battalion 
     48, Lt. Joseph Gullickson, Ladder 101, F/F Sean Hanley, 
     Ladder 20, F/F Thomas Hannifin, Ladder 5, Lt. Harvey Harrell, 
     Rescue 5, F/F Jonathan Hohmann, HazMat, BC Charles Kasper, 
     Special OPS CD., F/F David LaForge, Ladder 20, F/F Robert 
     Lane, Engine 55, F/F Neal Leavy, Engine 217, F/F Daniel 
     Libretti, Rescue 2, F/F Joseph Maffeo, Ladder 101.
       Lt. Charles Margiotta, Rescue 5, Lt. Peter Martin, Rescue 
     2, F/F Joseph Mascalli, Rescue 5, F/F John McAvoy, Ladder 3, 
     F/F Timothy McSweeney, Ladder 3, F/F Douglas Miller, Rescue 
     5, F/F Henry Miller, Jr., Ladder 105, Capt. Louis Modiferri, 
     Rescue 5, F/F Christopher Mozzillo, Engine 55, F/F Joseph 
     Ogren, Ladder 3, F/F Patrick O'Keefe, Rescue 1, F/F Jeffrey 
     Olsen, Engine 10, F/F Eric Olsen, Ladder 15, F/F Jeffrey 
     Palazzo, Rescue 5, F/F Paul Pisani, Engine 10.
       Lt. Glenn Perry, Battalion 12, Lt. Philip Petti, Battalion 
     7, Lt. Michael Quilty, Ladder 11, F/F Louis Ragaglia, Engine 
     54, F/F Nicholas Rossomando, Rescue 5, F/F Thomas Sabella, 
     Ladder 13, F/F John Santore, Ladder 5, F/F John Schardt, 
     Engine 201, F/F Stephen Siller, Squad 1, F/F Jeffrey Stark, 
     Engine 230,

                          Staten Island Strong

                       (By Albert Carey Caswell)

     All in these,
     Our darkest of all hours!
     Will we so find the strength,
     to somehow overcome,
     the power?
     To go so courageously forth,
     to shine and not to cower!
     While, all there but in the face death!
     While, putting our own lives all at risk to others bless!
     To so show the world of faith's true power!
     And become Angels,
     all because of these our last and most finest of all hours!
     And how will our loved ones so find the strength?

[[Page 13463]]

     To so accept God's Will,
     knowing what their loss has meant?
     As all around them such heartache towers!
     As their tears roll down their chins,
     all throughout the coming years and hours!
     And how will they so find the grace,
     to wipe all those tears from their face?
     And start again with hearts of courage full so breaking then!
     With the kind of pain that only heaven heals, so ends!
     As upon bended knee,
     as all across this Nation we now so pray for them!
     As we so ask our Lord to help them find the strength!
     Because strength cannot so be measured in girth and power!
     Or muscle mass acquired,
     while working out in a gym for hours!
     But from rather what so comes from heart within!
     For the greatest of all strength so comes. . .
     With the kind strength,
     that lets one run up those steps into the face of hell!
     And let's their love ones hearts so mend,
     as each new day in such heartache they so dwell!
     All in the shadow of America's Liberty. . .
     All in this Empire State for all to see. . .
     But lies such a magnificent community. . .
     An island to its self which greaves,
     as to all hearts now so speaks!
     So speaks of faith and courage and dignity!
     Of an Island made of Staten Steel which breathes!
     Of blue collar workers,
     just trying to live That Great American Dream!
     Of such strength and courage,
     a monument to all the world to be!
     Of such heroic hearts which beat!
     Who against all odds would succeed!
     And would not wave,
     as why up to heaven they so rose Godspeed!
     All because of the greatest of all gifts they gave!
     Who with such Strength In Honor so behaved!
     Who on 9/11 so taught you and me!
     Just how truly great a heart can be!
     Because, all in the moments of our lives. . .
     When, who lives and who so dies. . .
     When, it all so depends upon you, relies!
     Will we so with our hearts of courage full,
     rush in to shine bright like a jewel?
     To over evil to so rule!
     To make a difference with it all!
     To save life,
     while Standing Strong!
     While, Standing Tall!
     Leaving the Angels in such awe!
     Would we be so willing to pay such a price?
     With these,
     our own most precious of all lives?
     All with such selfless sacrifice!
     Bringing tears to our Lord's eyes!
     People, who in one another so believed!
     You go! I go!
     As all into that face of death together, WE!
     ``GO TOGETHER, STAY TOGETHER'',
     was but their most heroic creed!
     And all of those most heroic families!
     Who so lived with all of that worry. . .
     As each new morning off to work they'd leave!
     Who so faced death, To So Rescue Me!
     Such fine Men and Women of humanity!
     Who Stood Staten Island Strong,
     to be all that they could be!
     Who all in that moment of truth,
     so showed us how Angels are so conceived!
     When, their fine hearts. . .
     just like a song would speak!
     Living by such a most selfless creed!
     All but To Rescue Me!
     Armed with such brave hearts which no longer beat!
     Who all out upon war wagons came rushing these,
     jumping up upon them to death to cheat!
     As it was one for all,
     and all for one!
     You go. . . I go!
     A band of brothers so willing to die and bleed!
     Who upon each other so relied,
     the need!
     For they were some of America's greatest ones!
     Whose families are our Nation's quiet heroes and heroines!
     As no new day is so promised to anyone!
     And on 9/11 as their day begun,
     just like all those others, had each one. . .
     For on this day of days they all stood Staten Island Strong!
     As each and everyone could so be counted on!
     Armed but with such Gotham Hearts,
     to which belonged!
     As why now up in Heaven they are Angels all among!
     To watch over us from dust to dawn!
     Rescue 5 and these Fire Fighters,
     up on a pedestal so belong!
     ``GO TOGETHER, STAY TOGETHER''
     Just like a Psalm!
     As you rushed up while others rushed down!
     As you rushed in while others rushed out!
     While, the face of death you stared down!
     With each new most heroic step,
     closer to Heaven your soul was swept!
     As you gave all,
     That Last Full Measure,
     would accept!
     So many heroes from that Island died that day!
     Standing Staten Island Strong in every way,
     as all of their fine lives they gave!
     Heroes come all in such shapes and sizes!
     But it's what's within their hearts which so comprises!
     Who they are!
     That which so lives on bright like a star!
     And for all of those families,
     Husbands and Wives who now so weep!
     And for all of those children without Mom's and Dad's,
     whose pain now mounts so ever deep!
     And all of those Brothers and Sisters,
     who in your arms your best friends can't keep!
     Could we just as your loved ones such courage speak?
     To a place where only hearts of courage beat!
     And be Stand Staten Island Strong,
     as once had all of these!
     And as you lay your heads down to rest, to sleep!
     In Staten Island there comes a gentle rain,
     so very deep. . .
     As it's your loved ones tears,
     from up in Heaven to so ease. . .
     To so ease your pain as you weep. . .
     Until one fine day up Heaven you'll all so meet. . .
     And you won't have to cry no more!
     So hush little baby don't you cry,
     one day up in Heaven you will look into your parent's eyes!
     And you will hear them on the wind,
     and when you wake feel them again and again. . .
     And remember my child,
     on the day you were born,
     their greatest wish so formed. . .
     Was for you to have a happy life,
     to live on. . .
     So make your parents dreams come true,
     and somehow carry on. . .
     Goodness!
     Evil!
     Darkness!
     Light!
     Those brave hearts who evil must fight!
     Who bring their light!
     Were but all of those who fought that fight!
     Who Stood Staten Island Strong with all their might!
     And in the shadow of America's Liberty. . .
     All in this The Empire State for all to see. . .
     But lies such a magnificent community. . .
     An island who out to all hearts now so speaks!
     That which stands even stronger this day indeed!
     All because of them, these!
     Who so showed us all how to so live and die,
     and how to grieve!
     As they Stood Staten Island Strong,
     for their families and what they believed!
     For We Will Never Forget,
     Never. . . all of these!
     And The Greatest Strength,
     all within a heart so beats!
     All in this most heroic community,
     which sits in the shadow of Liberty!
     Amen!

                          ____________________