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American Legion Auxiliary Contest Asks An Important Question

photo by Photo Provided Marinna Wojciechowski.

photo by Photo Provided Alyse Beauchemin.

photo by Photo Provided Nathan Devos.

Tuesday May 12, 2015

By Cookie Steponaitis

When the American Legion Auxiliary was formed in 1919 its mission was to support the American Legion and enhance the lives of veterans, military and their family at home and abroad. The group advocates for veterans, educates our citizens and mentors youth while promoting patriotism, good citizenship, peace and security. It is quite a tall order but one that the Auxiliary has taken very seriously since its creation.
    One of its dozen programs includes the Girls State Community Service and Patriotism essay contest for children around the nation from grades three-twelve who are asked to share their views based on a specific prompt. The question for this year is How Does Your Family Value Freedom? and across Addison County responses were diversified and powerful.
    The essays selected from the myriad of entries were recently announced and three Addison County teens have state champion essays and the realization their work has been sent on to compete first with other states of the eastern half of the nation and eventually at the national level. Seventh grader Nathan DeVos shared in his essay, “Freedom to my family means a great deal. Freedom means choices. We are lucky enough to live in a country that allows choices. We are grateful to live in a place where people come seeking freedom and where our service members fight and protect us to keep those freedoms alive.” A student at VUMS school, DeVos was surprised with his selection as a state winner but very clear in his understanding of how freedom, democracy and the Armed Services are linked.
    Sophomore Alyse Beauchemin is the current American Legion Oratorical Champion, but was quite shocked to find her written essay had won recognition. She shared in it that, “My parents had the freedom to raise me and my sister anyway they choose, but they chose to teach us about free choice, free will and the responsibilities with both.” Beauchemin is an active community member and finds the power of freedom most in her interactions with community members and civic organizations. “I have had the privilege of working with many civic organizations in my area and I can tell you that all of them give back to the community extraordinarily well. Whether we notice them or not, there are several civic organizations in the area that are always there and always ready to help.”
    The third winner and VUHS senior Marinna Wojciechowski looks at the American flag and service through the lens of a family who has a loved one who served.
    “ When you see your loved one go off to war and see what a toll war takes on their lives it is not possible to take freedoms for granted ever again,” shared Wojciechowski. “As the child of a veteran with two tours of duty overseas to Afghanistan and Iraq, I have watched my father deal with the cost of war. It rips and tears at him inside and while he was lucky to come home with all of his limbs, part of him stayed on those plains in a foreign country. For my family, freedom requires responsibility and commits people to helping others. The Wounded Warrior Project statistics show that since 9/11 6,824 U.S military have died, 52,072 have been wounded, at least 1,500 have lost a limb, 320,000 have traumatic brain injury and 400,000 suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. While the wars have been front and center on newspaper, radio and television, the reality of how many wounded soldiers escapes our attentions.”
    All three of the selected essay winners will be joining other members of the VUHS History Club to help the local American Legion change out the flags on over 800 graves in the cemeteries in North Ferrisburgh, Ferrisburgh, Addison, Panton, Waltham and Vergennes as part of a four year joint effort in preparation for Memorial Day. The VUHS students will be joined by local Boy Scouts and American Legion personnel and volunteers. Joining hands, generations and remembering and honoring those who served and those who are no longer with us the teens will complete a task began locally at the conclusion of World War Two and now is in the hands of the next generation, guided by the traditions of those who have called the county home for decades.

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