February is Patriotism Month

A month dedicated to celebrate and observe Patriotism! This seems like the appropriate time to share some of the recent projects in the workings within our schools. Each year the VFW sponsors a creative essay writing event, “The Patriot’s Pen” and this year four students were selected from the nearly 70 entries to represent The Buster Deo VFW Post 4067 in District and State competition. The local winners were selected in November after a three hour gathering of judges to provide scores on students original works on the theme, “What Is Patriotism To Me?”

Local judges scored each essay with 30 points for knowledge of theme, 35 points on theme development and 35 points were for clarity of idea. The top four were selected as each Post can submit one entry for every fifteen essays entered.

The students, young authors, have some impressive thoughts and have shared them in writing, and we hope you will enjoy these writings. These students are in grades 6-8, and if you happen to know these students, we hope you will take a minute to thank them should you see them.

The first essay shared is penned by Denvyr Tuss, a seventh grader in Mrs. Shyla Clausen’s class. She received Honorable Mention for her essay.

What Patriotism Means to Me. By Denvyr Tuss

What do you see when you hear the word patriotism? Well, I see ordinary people performing complicated assignments when the country is in the most need of help. Patriotism can be shown by a lot of different actions. I also think of all my relatives who have served their country. My great-grandfather and my uncle have served in the Army. These men, ordinary men, served to protect us during the Korean War and Iraq War. They never asked what was in it for them. They just knew they were needed.

Patriotism is in the hope. I pray for our soldiers and their families. We celebrate them in good times and pay respect in the hard times. I have made Happy Veterans and Christmas cards at school for the soldiers serving at different troops in Iraq. Showing kindness by visiting veterans, or thanking a soldier for their service, is a small moment for their sacrifice to our country.

A flag waving in the wind. A Pledge of Allegiance to be recited. A song to be sung at a ball game. I believe patriotism is showing respect for your country. I choose to stand for the national anthem and our flag. I choose to support our soldiers in acts of kindness and thanks. I participate in Memorial Day parades as a way to show respect to them. I volunteer to visit our Gold Star Mother as she has carried the heartache of losing a child while serving in a war. She didn’t ask for that role, and the least I can do is show respect to her for her son.

Loving our country is a sign of patriotism. I smile when people have flags out for holidays as a reminder. I have made floats representing the veterans of the past for the Christmas parade. We always keep moving forward to do our best for the country. Patriotism is not backing down and never giving up.

Patriotism is the men and women behind the red, white, and blue. Ordinary people performing complicated assignments when the country is in need of help. This is our soldiers and our citizens who love our soldiers. We all can demonstrate patriotism by showing kindness to our flag, country, and soldiers.