The Veterans of Foreign Wars held an essay contest for all sixth-seventh-and eighth-graders. Students wrote an essay on the subject, “When is the right time to honor our military heroes?” Students from Zion Lutheran School in Brighton took home many awards including first, second and third place at the local level, as well as first place at the district level.

Every moment of every day

First-place essay at the district level

Hannah Portlock, eighth grade

Zion Lutheran School, Brighton

I think that we should honor war heroes every moment of every day. They should always be in our hearts. They have made great sacrifices for us and that is something we should never forget. Our military heroes are brave, strong and courageous. They are willing to give up everything and leave their loved ones just to protect us.

When I think of military heroes, I think of my grandfathers who selflessly served their country in World War II and Vietnam. I think about the soldiers that risked or lost their lives at Pearl Harbor in World War II. I think about a sunny December morning in 1941 as the soldiers attempted to save the lives of their comrades as their ships were engulfed in flames. I think of the day I was watching the news and saw a coffin covered with an American flag being removed from an airplane, on its way to a funeral to celebrate the life of a fallen American soldier. I think of the tears that a widow and family sheds as the coffin is being lowered into the ground. I think how proud that family must be that that soldier gave his life for our freedom.

Every time I seen an American flag, say the Pledge of Allegiance, or sing the National Anthem I think of those soldiers. I feel very lucky to live in the United States of America, where we have the freedom to make choices every day. I know that without the sacrifice that these solders make every day that I would not have the freedoms that I enjoy. They give up their freedom to protect my freedom of choice every moment of every day. That is why I think that we should honor these heroes every moment of every day and keep them in our hearts. They truly are heroes and should be remembered as such.

Honoring our heroes each day

First-place essay at the local level

Kaycie Wood, eighth grade

Zion Lutheran School, Brighton

What is a hero? A hero has the will to fight and give up their life for another person, whether they know them or not. A hero also saves others who are in need. Some heroes that come to mind are the people who fight for us in wars. The people who have fought in any war, defended their country, and protected the people that they love, or the people they don’t even know. An individual does not have to be injured or killed to be considered a hero. They are heroes because they actually have the will to do something for others, no matter what the cost was to them.

I think that military heroes should not just have one or two days of the year when we remember and honor them. I think that we should honor our heroes every single day. We should honor them every day because they are fighting for us, protecting our country and the people in it, and giving up their lives for us each and every day. We should honor those who have died, those who have been injured, those who have fought, those who have saved other’s lives, those who are fighting right now, and all the people who have been associated with saving others, even if it might hurt them.

There are many ways that we could celebrate those heroes. We need to celebrate the lives of those who have died, we need to be thankful for all that they do for us, and we should remember them and their families each and every day. We should take time out of our day to remember and celebrate that these individuals are fighting and dying for us, even though they do not even know us personally, and that they are willing to protect us and this precious place that we live in. It should make us feel good that someone is willing to fight and give up their life for us.