The Veterans Of Foreign Wars Post 1657 held a ceremony honoring the winners of the Patriot Pen and Voice of Democracy essays. Regarding the Patriot Pen essay, the first place state winner receives a minimum of $500 scholarship at a national level. The national first place winner receives a $5,000 scholarship. The 2022 - 2023 theme of the Patriot Pen essay was “My Pledge to Our Veterans”. The winners are as follows:
• 1st: Olivia Chavarria
• 2nd: Pierson Smillie
• 3rd: Flannery May
Olivia Chavarria’s 1st place Patriot Pen Essay is as follows:
“My Pledge to our Veterans”
One of the greatest things we can do is show gratitude to the veterans that served our country. Many have fought and lost their lives for all the freedoms we enjoy today. For this reason, this is my pledge to our veterans. I will exercise my right to vote, I will obey the laws, I will honor our veterans on Veterans Day, and I will proudly display the flag.
Voting is a very important right that veterans have allowed us to have. They fought and some died for us to be able to vote. This has allowed us to vote for people that will pass laws that will make our country a better place. By voting when I can my vote will go to what I believe will make the country a better place.
I will obey the laws, and by obeying the laws it sets a good example for others to do the right thing. By following the laws of the land we do our part as citizens to keep our country safe. If we didn’t have laws to follow nothing would be in order or be safe. By following the laws of the land we all honor our veterans.
I will honor all veterans on Veterans Day and every day. Patriotism is an important part of being an American citizen it shows we are proud of our country and what we stand for. For that reason, I pledge to be a good and respectful citizen and show my patriotism for my country. Doing these things honor our veterans and everything fought and risked their lives for.
Nothing is more sacred than the American flag and it being honored not only on Veterans Day but on every day. For that reason, I pledge to respect the flag as an American citizen. Also, I will do my part to protect the flag. For example, I won’t let the flag be folded flat but let the flag flow freely. The flag should also never be torn or damaged.
In conclusion, all the veterans have done so much for us. I will show my appreciation and thankfulness to them. So my pledge to our veterans is I will exercise my right to vote, I will obey the laws, I will honor our veterans on Veterans Day, and proudly display the flag. These are just some of my pledges to our veterans.
Regarding the Voice of Democracy essay, the national first place winner receives a $35,000 scholarship. The 2022 - 2023 theme of the Voice of Democracy essay was “Why is the Veteran Important?” The winners are as follows:
• 1st: Sofia Chavarria
• 2nd: Arieon Keller
• 3rd: Sydney Larkin
• 4th: Rylan Qualls
• 5th: Michael Sims
• 6th: Megan Hanson
• 7th: Thomas Ham
• 8th: Jordan Taylor
• 9th: Tyce Whitely
The 4th through 9th place winners won a $700 scholarship, the 3rd place winner won a $1000 scholarship, the 2nd place winner won a $1500 scholarship, and the 1st place winner won a $2500 scholarship.
Sofia Chavarria’s 1st place Voice of Democracy Essay is as follows:
“Why Is the Veteran Important?”
Today I woke up, got out of bed, brushed my teeth, made some breakfast, went to school and I learned. The reality is our veterans are the very reason I was able to do those things. So let’s talk in more detail about why the veteran is important. Veterans are so important because they set an example of what it means to self sacrifice, they embody what it means to be brave and courageous, and they are the cornerstone of freedom.
Veterans set an example of what it means to self sacrifice. Veterans give up so much for us. They leave their spouses. They leave their families and most of the time miss holidays. Some even put their careers on hold. They also physically and mentally sacrifice their bodies. Some Veterans come home wounded and in some cases have to deal with ailments. But most importantly some lose their lives for our country. I can’t imagine losing my life for people I don’t even know and I can’t think of any greater self sacrifice than that.
Veterans embody what it means to be brave and courageous. They serve as amazing examples to our youth of what bravery is and being courageous is. They also show this by going to foreign lands to fight for our freedoms. One of the greatest examples of this is the Medal of Honor. This award recognizes American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians, and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of courage. The medal has been awarded to 3,493 recipients. It’s awarded by the President of the United States in the name of Congress. This is one of the many reasons veterans are important.
One of the biggest reasons veterans are important is because they are the cornerstone of freedom. We have the freedom of speech. For example we have the freedom to peacefully protest. I have the freedom to write this essay. We have freedom of religion, the right to attend a house of worship of our choosing. We also have the freedom of capitalism. For example we have the right to start businesses and participate in a free market economy. Without our veterans all of these freedoms we have wouldn’t be possible.
All those things I mentioned at the very beginning like being able to get up and go to school are all made possible by our veterans. For example, my grandfather fought in Vietnam for our freedoms and I couldn’t be more grateful for that. I think sometimes we forget how important our veterans really are and we do need to appreciate them more. Veterans set an example of self sacrifice, they embody what it means to be brave and courageous, and they are the reason we have all the freedoms we have today. These are just some of the reasons why veterans are so important. So just remember the next time you’re going to school, driving to work, going to church, or you are out with your friends, take a moment to thank your veterans because without them non of those freedoms would be possible.
