This year’s nationwide VFW sponsored youth essay competition brought in 47 entries from students across Warren County who expressed their views on veterans and democracy.

For the middle school students’ competition, Patriot’s Pen, the theme was “Why I appreciate America’s Veterans.” The winners of the Local and District 5 contests were Ella McHan, first place; Andre Ranis, second place; and Adam Eckstein, third place.

For the high school students’ competition, Voice of Democracy, the theme was “Why Veterans are Important to our Nations History and Future.” The winners of the Local and District 5 contests were Luke Eckstein, first place and Zaria Gibson, second place.

VFW Ladies Auxiliary president Beverly Cotton said her organization is in charge of raising awareness for the competition.

“We take the applications to the schools and pass them out to each school the high schools and the junior high schools, and they forward them on to whoever wants to do it,” she said.

Cotton said the organization gets the applications from the state organization.

“We look at the essays, and we decide which one we think is the best,” she said. “We send them in to the state competition.”

Cotton said the winners are awarded scholarships from the men’s group of the VFW.

“We just think when the children write these up its good to give them some money to go to school,” she said.

Third place winner of the Patriot Pen Adam Eckstein said he wrote about what a patriot was.

“I gave examples of a couple of veterans, and what I believe it was,” he said.

Eckstein said this was his second year to participate in the contest.

“I believe that a patriot is a person who has served their country and is willing to sacrifice themselves for it including Jim Westbrook and my parents,”

Both Westbrook and Eckstein’s parents served in the U.S. Army.

Adam Eckstein’s brother, Luke Eckstein won first place in the Voice of Democracy contest.

“The topic was on why our veterans should be remembered and why they’re important,” he said.

Luke said he wrote about important veterans from the past and veterans he knows personally.
“I talked about Jim Westbrook,” he said. “He sits in front of us in church and he served in World War II.”

Luke said the reasons veterans are so important is because they are America’s living history.

“I talked about our patriotic obligations to serve and doing what our nation asks of us,” he said. “Every day veterans from the past and present inspire and motivate Americans to make sacrifices and risk their lives to defend the rights and privileges that American citizens enjoy.”

Luke said he won $100 for winning the competition sponsored by the local chapter and $100 for winning at the district level. Last year he received $1,000 for placing third in the state contest.

“People should realize it’s a great opportunity to win money and remember our veterans,” he said. “It’s not a ton of work, it makes you think, and it’s for a great cause.”