Essay Winner-Johnson

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The sound of feet on gravel echoes throughout the area. Then silence. Soldiers hide in a small canyon outside an Iraq base, waiting with anticipation. In any moment, a battle will begin. Suddenly, the footsteps turn into a run, sparking revolution. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance. Few Americans realize this. Memorial Day to me is a spark of realization, a day to honor our fallen, and something that Americans need to take into consideration.

Initially, Memorial Day to me is a spark of realization. By that I mean that Memorial Day makes us realize how grateful we should be to the people who died for us. It’s sad just thinking about it, but Americans don’t realize how lucky they are (McManus). Imagine thousands of people screaming in panic. Bombs can be heard going off in the distance. A fire blazing out of control comes your way! You attempt to get away but get lost among the crowd. Without people to protect us in wars, we would be hopeless.

Furthermore, Memorial Day to me is a day to remember our fallen. Although it has various beginnings, Memorial Day is celebrated the same, with people coming together to remember those who have died for our country (Merchant). Now many of us fail to comprehend that. Envision a large room. Benches lie in various rows, and few people sit at the end. A little girl with roses in her hand weeps over a casket and wails, “I knew Daddy was brave, but why did he leave us?” As her mother looks over the limp body of her husband, she replies, “Because he loved his country.”

Consequently, Memorial Day to me is something that Americans need to take into consideration. Memorial Day is one of the most under – appreciated holidays. Today Americans celebrate it with little tradition or respect (Merchant). What we all need to do is think about what Memorial Day really means, because it is one of our most important holidays. Picture a large flowing banner. It is decorated with red and white stripes, and stars over a background of blue. Underneath, soldiers sing America’s national anthem while a white casket is carried by generals. People watch as it is lowered down into a crevice, and bid farewell by relatives. The person inside the casket is a hero, one who decided to give his life for something he loved. This is the true meaning of Memorial Day.

In summary, Memorial Day to me is a sudden thought of realization, a day to give respect to those who have died for our country, and something that we all need to think about. Americans really need to understand the importance of these reasons, because when it comes to Memorial Day, it is one of the few true American made holidays. It’s just sad because even though we all say America is our homeland, few of us even care about it. Memorial Day shouldn’t be cast out by the very people who made the day come true. Instead we should all embrace it, with love as if it were our child.

-Cheyenne Johnson

Second Place Runner-Up in the Middle School Division winning a $500 US Savings Bond was….

Cheyenne Johnson!

CONGRATULATIONS Cheyenne!

Read Cheyenne’s prize winning essay below…

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