The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1760 and its Auxiliary proudly announce their winners of its annual Voice of Democracy youth scholarship competition. Much appreciation goes out for all those students who put in the time, work and effort in submitting their entries.
1st Place – Jascha J. Ely
Phoenix, AZ
2nd Place – Cole R. Westerlund
Mesquite High School – Gilbert, AZ
3rd Place – Peter Surin
Tempe Preparatory Academy – Tempe, AZ
Last Sunday, December 10th was the annual District 4 Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen competitions banquet hosted at VFW Post 9400 in Sunnyslope. Our sponsored Post 1760 winner Jascha Ely took first place and will now progress to the state level. The Awards Banquet for the state will be on Saturday, January 20th 2018 at the Holiday Inn in Casa Grande. For more information on that event we have the flyer here: VOD Flyer 2017-18.
Much appreciation to all those students that participated. We had 65 combined entries for both the Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen competitions this year.
We have Jascha’s winning audio file to share, as well the transcribed verbiage for everyone to enjoy here.
American History: Our Hope for the Future.
By Jascha J. Ely-Halliwill
Many redemptive and inspirational stories can be found in many places. Such as ones from your grandparents, stories from friends, or even from your mentors. A good story can even be found from a good author or producer, in a book or a movie. However, when we listen to these stories we receive a message, whether the message is good or not, we sustain one. A message of tranquility, a note that changes our thoughts on the context. An impression. If I watch a superhero movie, I usually would be entertained and you will catch me rooting for my beloved superhero.
What if I was to say that there are stories that revolutionized our very ability to hear other accounts of times past? A series of incidents that forever changed and reconstructed the way that you and I as Americans live. A procedure that existed for 300+ years and has changed and gained purpose through its survival. Of course, I am addressing our favored and cherished American history. Our history for our nation is one that is indispensable, invaluable, unique and a capricious story of a mere group of pilgrims from the east, that eventually turned into a revolution that endured for independence and liberation from the atrocities of the king of Great Britain. And from this independence, they stood their ground and fought the revolutionary war. And declared their freedom from Great Britain and founded what is known today as the vastest article to exist in American history. The American Constitution. This started the path to American freedom. And this would end up being the very document that formed our rules, rights, freedoms, government, economy, and militia. And from that moment on, we would experience as a nation hardships. Struggles that went through a climatic change that developed our people. Such as the civil war, a war that split our nation in two, but proved that we will always remain as one nation. The world wars, wars that showed that America isn’t the only powerful country and that defense is imperative. The great depression, an economic collapse that ruined but formed our currency circle. With these burdens came accomplishments as well. Such as the creation of our national anthem, the erection of our bright colored flag, the never-ending endeavor to send a man to the moon to touch the ground for the first time. America has been and always will be the greatest nation to ever exist on this God-given earth. But, there are things intrinsically, that will be our ruin if we ignore them. Our history, Our legacy, our experiences, can never be forgotten. The respect that each citizen in this nation has is created because of the freedoms and rights that our nation provides. However, those are unobtainable in a person’s heart. The way and the desire are that we have to sustain the respect that you and I have for our nation. And that will be, and only will be conducted through our nation’s history.
This is a two part article. We’ll have soon our Patriot’s Pen winner information for Post 1760.
