VFW Auxiliary Salutes Patriot’s Pen Essay Winners

The Curtis A. Smith Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1033 Auxiliary has announced the winners of its annual Patriot’s Pen essay contest.
The theme for this year’s essay was “What is Patriotism to Me?”
The contest was open to sixth and seventh graders at Jeter-Watson Intermediate School, eighth graders at Covington High School, and students in grades 6-8 at the Boys Home School. There were 23 total entries.
Winners includes Emma Wolfe, JWIS, first place; Merridith Schmeidler, CHS, second place; and Reagan Paitsel, JWIS, third place. Emma’s essay advanced to the district competition.
Monetary awards were awarded for each of the top three places, including $100 for first, $75 for second, and $50 for third.
The top three essays are as follows:
Emma Wolfe – First Place
Patriotism is very important to me because the people that fought for the country need our thankfulness. 
Stand, do not kneel, and place your hand over your heart for The Pledge of  Allegiance. Respect for our flag and our President of the United States, Donald Trump, is also showing you are patriotic.
If you see veterans in public, tell them “thank you for serving our country.” They need that kind of kindness in the world these days. 
When I place my hand over my heart, I am reminded of what our flag means to me. Our flag of the United States, often referred to as the American flag, has three colors standing for; red represents hardiness and valor, white symbolizes purity and innocence, and blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice.
I proudly stand for the flag for those reasons plus to honor those who served/ serve for our country, who lost their lives for us , and who fought for our rights. I am proud to be an American! 
The Star-Spangled Banner is the National Anthem of the United States, and it serves as a thank you to those that gave us freedom. Francis Scott Key was inspired by the large U.S flag during the War of 1812, with the stripes representing the original 13 Colonies.
The National Anthem is typically played at the start of sporting events to celebrate our freedom and to honor the sacrifices of those who have protected it. I stand for the Star-Spangled Banner with my hand over my heart because I am proud to be an American! 
True patriotism can sometimes not be clear these days, but patriotism to me is very clear  in its attempt to fulfill the promise of liberty and justice for all.
President Trump strives to instill liberty and justice for all in his actions to make our country great, and I stand and honor him as  President of the United States. I am proud to be an American!
Merridith Schmeidler – Second Place
Last fall, I was able to play “The Star Spangled Banner” with the high school band at the opening football game. I felt very proud of my school and band when I saw the fans stand at attention while we played.
I felt proud that we were able to play our country’s song and see people show our respect for the flag. To me, patriotism means being proud of who we are because of what we support because of the country we live in.
I think being patriotic in the United States also means showing respect for the American flag. I do not think that anyone should burn the flag because a lot of work went into shaping the U.S. into the country it is today.
If a person burns the flag, it’s like throwing away all of the hard work the military, the Founding Fathers, the presidents, Congress, and even the Supreme Court judges put into making the country a land of freedom. 
The flag is a symbol of our freedom and we should protect it as a symbol for all it means. 
Being patriotic to me also means supporting our military because without our military we wouldn’t even be the United States at all. 
People in the military now and in the past have been willing to die to protect our freedom. Many soldiers have sacrificed everything to defend the U.S. against other countries who have done terrible things to the United States.
A soldier whom we don’t even know that is fighting for the freedoms that other people want deserves a lot of respect. I think to be patriotic means we support our military because they symbolize the Founding Fathers’ beliefs. 
An important part of patriotism to me is freedom. One reason that I am patriotic is that I have free speech and other freedoms that other people in other countries unfortunately can’t have. I can express an opinion on politics and I can say whether or not I agree with my country’s decisions without fear of being punished.
I think being patriotic has a lot to do with freedom because I believe that if we appreciate our freedoms, then we owe our country our loyalty and support. That is what patriotism means to me.
Reagan Paitsel – Third Place
Patriotism is showing support for the country you live in. 
To me patriotism can be shown by wearing our flag’s colors, celebrating our holidays, and fighting for our country. 
The colors of our flag are red, white, and blue. We wear these colors on certain national holidays such as the 4th of July, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day. There are also many traditions on these holidays such as parades, fireworks, and other events to celebrate our nation. Americans showing respect for our country can be done in many ways. 
The 4th of July is a day we celebrate our freedom. On Veterans Day we honor people who have served our country in the armed forces. On Memorial Day we honor the people who died while serving our country.
To show patriotism on these holidays my family displays a flag in our front yard. I also participate in parades and wear the colors of our country. We usually have a family gathering and end the day with fireworks. 
Patriotism is showing respect to our country. To show patriotism we need to learn the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem. It is important to understand the meaning and history of these words. 
Another way to be patriotic is to vote when allowed. Even though I cannot vote, I try to learn about the candidates who are running. This is very important, if your  candidate doesn’t win, you should still show respect for the winner. 
Patriotism is supporting your country by understanding the meaning and history of holidays, pledges, and anthems. Patriotism is being proud of your country and showing this in support for the officials elected and being respectful of the flag. 
To me, patriotism is being a good citizen and appreciating the freedom we have.