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Patriot's Pen
September 2019: The 2019 VFW Patriot's Pen writing competition ended October 31, 2019. It was for students in grades 6 - 8 writing a 300 – 400 word essay. Winners share $55,000 in prize money from the local and the national Veterans of Foreign Wars. The 2019 theme was "What Makes America Great." |
The next competition will start in September 2020. Stay tuned for details.
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The 2019 First Place winner at the Brainerd VFW is Jagger Klecatsky. He is a 7th grader at Forestview Middle School in Baxter. Jagger received a check for $300 and an award certificate. His essay has been entered into the Minnesota 6th District Patriot's Pen competition.
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America, Land of the Free! America is great for an endless amount of reasons. It is hard to describe how many great things there are about our country. I believe some of the best things about our country are that we have a tremendous education system, a stable government, a truly amazing, symbolic flag, a profoundly diverse population, and of course, the freedom! First, the education system. There are over 130,000 K-12 schools in the USA, giving students exceptional teachers who make it their duty to assist students in becoming great. Next, the stable, democratic government. The men who wrote the constitution spent four long months in 1787 arguing over how the country should be run, and I believe they did a superb job. We have used that constitution for well over 200 years and it has provided us with a smart government along with the strong, armed forces we have today. America is also great because of its highly symbolic flag. This piece of cloth represents all of America, through thick and thin. It helps us remember the unimaginably brave soldiers who gave their lives for this amazing country. Without the flag of the USA, we’d be nowhere near as united as we are today. Over 150 million people have classified themselves as extremely patriotic to the flag which is one of the reasons why it’s so important. The diversity of America is something else that is quite important. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like, you can still achieve whatever you set your mind too. There are so many different kinds of people in America and they all work together to make matters work in our country. Finally, and arguably, the most important thing about America is freedom. In the United States of America, we have much more freedom in comparison to other countries in the world. Most of this is due to the amazing veterans who have served us so well and won the wars we needed to win to become the marvelous country we are. With the freedom the US can give us, we have the ability to follow any path we desire! These ideas show why America is one of the greatest countries in the world and why I’m proud to be a citizen of it.
2nd place winner, Jameson Dale, 8th grade at St. Francis School in Brainerd. $200 plus a certificate.
3rd place winner Paul Sandberg, 8th grade at Forestview Middle School in Baxter. $100 plus a certificate.
Congratulations to all three.
3rd place winner Paul Sandberg, 8th grade at Forestview Middle School in Baxter. $100 plus a certificate.
Congratulations to all three.
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January 18, 2020: Thea Bothun of Rochester, MN, was selected as the 2019-2020 MN state winner of the Patriot's Pen competition. She was very well spoken at the MN VFW Mid-Winter Conference and should do well in the future.
2018-2019 VFW National Patriot's Pen Winner
2017-2018 VFW National Patriot's Pen Winner
2016-2017 VFW National Patriot's Pen Winner
2015-2016 VFW National Patriot's Pen Winner
2017-2018 VFW National Patriot's Pen Winner
2016-2017 VFW National Patriot's Pen Winner
2015-2016 VFW National Patriot's Pen Winner
Students in grades 9 - 12 are eligible to compete in the VFW's Voice of Democracy. They write and read an essay.
