[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 16233-16234]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  BE THANKFUL: IN HONOR OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE ARMED FORCES AND 
                    THEIR FAMILIES THIS THANKSGIVING

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PETE SESSIONS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 20, 2014

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give thanks to the men and 
women of the Armed Forces and their families on this upcoming 
Thanksgiving Day. Let us remember all of those who are now separated by 
death,

[[Page 16234]]

distance, and in hospital beds across our Nation. Say a prayer of 
thanks for them all. I submit this poetic tribute to them, written by 
Albert Carey Caswell.

                              Be Thankful

      Be
      Be thankful
      Be thankful on this Thanksgiving Day,
      when with your families you sit down to pray
      Please, please say a prayer for all those who gave
      All so with your families you may break this bread
      And what their selfless sacrifice has so said
      Who for all our freedom paid
      All throughout the generations the ones who gave
      And be thankful
      Be thankful for our freedom so very bright
      Be thankful for all of these heroes who fought the fight
      Who all so live and died in valor's light
      All out across the deep blue seas
      Who all gave so selflessly
      And now lie all in deep dark quiet graves
      Showing us all how to behave
      Whose families still cry still this day
      Who live all in the kind of pain only Heaven can allay
      Until they are all reunited one fine day
      So be thankful to all those who gave
      All of their strong arms and legs
      Who must now live without them each day
      And gave their eyesight away
      Who'll not see another beautiful sunrise today
      And be thankful for all those who carry the scars of war
      Who with PTS no longer sleep peacefully anymore
      And as you look upon your children's faces
      And see all of their warm smiles in place this
      Remember, remember, remember to say in your grace this
      A prayer for all those children with tears upon their faces
      Because their mommies or daddies aren't coming home no more
      As each new holiday this heartache they must endure
      And all those families separated by distance and war
      Who on this Thanksgiving Day each other so long for
      And all they ask
      Is for your thanks to stand by them all steadfast
      Be thankful this Thanksgiving Day,
      for all of their most precious gifts the Armed Forces and 
           families gave
      And on this Thanksgiving sitting around the table
      You, this Thanksgiving you for all our freedoms so bright
      thankful for our freedom so bright,
      be thankful for all of those heroes who fight the fight

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