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WILKES-BARRE — Area students from grades 4 through 12 competed in an essay contest sponsored by the Wyoming Valley Veterans Day Parade Committee, offering their thoughts on why Veterans Day is important.
LCDR U.S. Navy retired Susan Allen chaired the committee and said the winners were announced at a brunch Sunday morning prior to the Veterans Day Parade.
“We had a fourth grader tell us that she had no idea what a veteran was until she got involved in this program,” Allen said. “It’s been wonderful to read them all — they are filled with such heartfelt comments. And the students write so well.”
Allen said the participating students were invited to a pre-parade brunch and some read their essays. She said all the students were given flags that they handed out to the crowd at the parade. Their parents carried a banner for the students and they all walked in the first division of the parade with all the VIPs.
Allen, a retired U.S. Navy officer, said she came up with the idea of the essay contest to get the students to become more engaged in what Veterans Day is about.
“I’ve never been to an area that is more patriotic that this area,” Allen said.
Here are some excerpts from the students’ essays:
• “Our soldiers fought through some extreme conditions in World War I. Mustard gas was new and unheard of and took many lives. Water gathered in trenches caused gangrene and multiple infections. The end of the war put a stop to the violence. It is important to honor the soldiers who served and fought through these terrible conditions.”
• “Americans must never forget the privileges and opportunities presented to us to live our lives. On behalf of our nation, we say thank you to all soldiers and veterans who demonstrated honor, valor and loyalty for the better future of our country.”
• “The ending of the first World War signified a new era for our nation and our world. Armistice Day, later known as Veterans Day, gave value to the 20 million soldiers who sacrificed their lives for a better future. Armistice Day meant the end of the despair of thousands, and the hope of a new life for millions. Our world is grateful for the courage and heroism of those involved because the sacrifices they made honor the fallen who proved the impenetrable unity that is our nation.”
• “The soldiers that went to war for our country, went knowing that they might never return home to their everyday life. This was a very courageous thing for them to do for the U.S. and they did it so that peace would prosper, and so we could finally experience ataraxia. We must commemorate them and honor them so their memories do not die along with them.”
• “Veterans Day is a holiday very different from the rest. It is a time when we remember, honor and give thanks to and for the people who fought to give us the freedom we enjoy today. Without them fighting for what we believe in as a country, and keeping us safe while they are in danger, we could not live the way we do each day and enjoy all the things freedom allows us to have. This is why Veterans Day is so important to our country.”
• “I would like to thank any and all veterans for their bravery and dedication for keeping me safe and free in this great country they protected.”
Here are the winners (in alphabetical order — prizes follow names and grades) in this year’s essay contest:
• Kate Hynick, 4th grade, Lehman-Jackson Elementary- first place
• Jason Dyrli, 4th grade, Dallas Elementary – second place
• Taeya Montigney, 4th grade, Wycalis Elementary – third place
• Trent Gaus, 5th grade, Lake-Noxen Elementary – honorable mention
• Lauren Aritz, 6th grade, Lake-Lehman – first place (tie)
• Jenessa Ferro, 8th grade, Hanover Area -first place (tie)
• Francesca Basalyga, 7th grade, St. Jude’s – second place
• Ashley Buckley, 8th grade, Tunkhannock Area – third place
• Cassandra Gobish, 6th grade, Lehman-Jackson Elementary – honorable mention
• Mosiah Bennett, 10th grade, Hazleton Area Academy of Science – first place
• Alexandra Richards, 9th grade, Hanover Area – second place
• Lauren Martin, 9th grade, Mackin School (Wilkes-Barre Area) – third place
• Ada Soriano, 10th grade, STEM Academy (Meyers) honorable mention
Allen said the local Labor Council sponsored the essay contest — “Why is Veterans Day important?”
• Students in grades 6-12 used the theme, “Why it is important to commemorate the end of WWI.”
• Any student enrolled in a school or home-schooled in the Wyoming Valley in grades 4-12 was eligible to participate.
• There will be three award categories for this contest: Grades 4-5, Grades 6-8 and Grades 9-12.
• Third place winners for each category will be awarded $50.
• Second place winners for each category will be awarded $100.
• First place winner for each category will be awarded $250.
• Honorable Mention winners will receive $25.