Milbank Students Take Top Honors in Americanism Essay Contest

Three Milbank Middle School Students captured top places in the Watertown Elks Lodge Americanism essay contest. Eighteen schools from northeast South Dakota competed. The contest is geared towards students in grades 5-8 in an effort to promote patriotism among young people.

Kaden Schweer took first place honors in the sixth grade division. Cassidy Schwagel was named the top winner in the seventh grade division, and Avery Whitesitt was second.

The three winning essays:

Why Our Veterans Are American Heroes by Kaden Schweer

Our Veterans are heroes because they served our country so we can live. They served the U.S. Army to die for our freedom. Some soldiers enlisted so they can carry their grandfather’s or father’s legacy. Others joined to have freedom for their country. They might have joined for pride, duty, and selfless service. It doesn’t matter, they all volunteered for the freedom of themselves and their country. It was their duty to give their honor and pay homage to their sacrifice and dedication. That is why they joined the U.S. Army.

Veterans are heroes because they have spent part of their lives, from a few months to many years, serving their country in the military. This is very important because without veterans, we wouldn’t have a lot of the freedoms we carelessly enjoy. They risked their lives so we could live in a better country. Through all our troubles in war we have depended on our soldiers to protect us and keep our country safe and free. They had to fight for us, while also fighting for their own lives.

We need to honor our Veterans because they have risked their lives to have freedom in the United States. We need to thank our Veterans for their service in the Army. If you ever see a Veteran you should tell them thank you for your service. That will make them feel good. They have done more than we realize. That is “Why Our Veterans Are American Heroes.”

America’s Heroes by Cassidy Schwagel

Veterans are America’s heroes for many different reasons. They have loyalty, valor, and boldness that most of us only dream to have. They risked their lives for our freedom and rights. They laid their lives down for our country knowing they might not come out of a war alive. A war is won not with weapons, but with soldiers.

Our veterans have amazing loyalty, valor, and boldness. They have the boldness to go and fight for our country. They believed that our country was worth dying for. They went out into the war knowing that they were going to uphold our country. Our veterans wanted us to be able to live in a safe and beautiful country. They wanted us to live our lives without agitation. Our veterans also fought for our freedom and rights.

Our veterans also fought for our freedom and rights. Our freedom and rights goes deeper than most of us think. Our veterans wanted us to be free and have many rights. The Revolutionary War lasted from 1775 until 1783. This war took many lives from our veterans. This war was fought for our independence against Britain. When we won the war, it was an amazing feeling knowing that we were free from Britain’s control. Our veterans loyalty also kept our country together.

All of the loyalty our veterans have is astonishing. They stood by their country and fellow soldiers in combat. They never quit believing in everyone’s freedom and rights. Veterans are America’s heroes. They put their lives down for us and for their country. They stand by their families, friends, and their fellow veterans and soldiers. We should all know that a war is won not with weapons, but with soldiers. They will always be America’s heroes. Thank you for your service.

Why Our Veterans Are America’s Heroes by Avery Whitesitt

A hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, and noble qualities. All of these traits are all part of veterans. Veterans are strong, brave, and outstanding. They’ve all done something astonishing for our country. To all twenty-one million veterans, we thank you for your service, and you’re all heroes.

One way our veterans are heroes is they leave their families at home to fight for everybody else’s. I wouldn’t be able to leave my family for a week, but when they leave, they leave for more than a year sometimes, and they know that they might not come back. Some of them don’t make it back, but some do. Either way, if they make it home or not, that would be extremely hard, and the fact that they’re willing to do that is amazing. Veterans are selfless. They care about their family and country so much that they risk their lives overseas. Another way our veterans are heroes is that they’ll willingly go fight for their country’s freedom.

One quote that symbolizes veterans fighting for their country’s freedom is this, “Heroes don’t wear capes or tights, they wear dog tags and combat boots.” I love this quote. It says that heroes aren’t always wearing capes, masks, or fancy outfits. It says that they can be military personnel, or just everyday people walking down the street. Everyone can be a hero. The way veterans become heroes is by fighting for their country’s freedom overseas and being the best that they can be.

Veterans are everyone’s heroes. They’re strong, brave, and outstanding, and these are just a few traits that describe them. I thank every single veteran for their service, and I hope that they know they’re everybody’s heroes.

Pictured: Cassidy Schwagel, Avery Whitesitt and Kaden Schweer