Saturday, December 14, 2024
Every year, students in Granbury Independent School District honor our service members by crafting heartfelt essays as they highlight their bravery and sacrifice — and this year’s Veterans Day Essay Contest winners did not disappoint.
On Nov. 18, five students from GISD were honored during the board of trustees meeting for eloquently describing what Veterans Day means to them.
The contest — held every year for both Memorial Day and Veterans Day — was initiated by the late J.C. Campbell, who was a veteran and community leader. Campbell created the essay contests because he felt it was important for students to commemorate armed services personnel who lost their lives while they were in the service.
With more than 400 essays submitted across the district this year, students at every GISD campus poured their heart and soul into their essays, as they tried to express their gratitude for our heroes through the written word.
Before the GISD meeting, a short ceremony was held in the corridor of the administration building, where all five winners were recognized.
The winners include:
Ellis, a sixth grader at AMS, was awarded the Overall District Winner and Campus Winner, while Schmidt, a junior at GHS, was crowned the MCJROTC winner.
During the ceremony, Julia Pannell, community representative for the contest, invited both winners to share their essays with the public.
Ellis’ essay reads:
“To all the brave veterans,
“Veterans Day is a special day when we honor and celebrate the men and women who serve or have served our country. When I think of this day, several words come to mind. Selfless, bravery, sacrifice, freedom, and loyalty. All of these words describe who a veteran is, what they value, and their character. However, when I reflect on what this day means to me personally, it is a day of gratitude, so I would like to start by saying thank you from the bottom of my heart, to each and every one of you for your service.
“Gratitude is a feeling of appreciation or thankfulness, and when I think about all of the veterans and what they have done for our country, that is what my heart feels, a great feeling of appreciation. I am so thankful for your bravery and willingness to fight for our country and our freedom. Each of you made a choice to put the needs of our country above your own safety and that is so courageous. In so many ways, we are selfish people but veterans are just the opposite. To sign up for the military knowing your life could be put in danger and you do it anyway! I can honestly say that I don’t think I could ever be that brave, but I’m so thankful that there are those of who you are.
“I feel really lucky because my grandfather is a veteran. He went into the Army in 1972 and served until 1975 during the Vietnam War. He makes my family so proud and I can only hope that I am as brave and selfless as he is one day. I also have three great-grandfathers that were veterans but have passed away. I am honored to be part of a family that values patriotism and has such a great love for our country.
“Veterans Day is special for many reasons but to me it is the selfless sacrifice of each of you that fills my heart with so much appreciation. I’m thankful for each one of the brave men and women who risked their lives for the rest of us. How can we ever repay you? I don’t think we can, but one thing we can all do is celebrate you on Veteran’s Day and honor you by being unselfish and showing kindness every day in between.”
Schmidt’s essay reads:
“Dear Veterans,
“This is dedicated to you. There is a reason we have a special day for you guys. We honor your sacrifices and dedication to people you may not even know. Our country can rest easy knowing that you were out there risking your life for ours while at the same time passing down your knowledge to the future leaders of our country — the ones who will someday be in your shoes and be here, knowing they are being honored as our respectable veterans.
“We come together every year on November 11th to recognize our veterans. While we might write these letters and memorials together for one day, it does not mean we should not remember them any other day. We should acknowledge your honor, courage, and commitment to our country. We respect the fallen, the injured and anyone who has fought for us. While I have never stood in the desert of Iraq or on the rolling hills of Afghanistan, you, our veterans, might have. You were the one to stand in for our country while others were not. To protect me and everyone else from the challenges you faced. The others of our country and I sat in our homes watching the news channel showing your heroic and strong acts of bravery. You, the brave men and women, are fighting for us so we never have to see the day of destruction on our doorsteps. Because of you, I can come home every day knowing that my family is safe and that my brother is living a life of service before himself, for me, and the rest of you.
“You, our veterans, might have come from different service branches, but you are one big family from the United States Marines (Oorah), Army, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. Despite your differences, you all can agree on one thing: that the reason you fight is to uphold peace and defend our country for the sake of our people.
“I thank you, veterans, once again for letting me sit around my dining table every night, knowing that I am safe. As I pray at the table, I pray that you continue to teach and pass on the knowledge you have learned, showing why this day is dedicated to veterans like you.
“I end this with a quote from our former president, John F. Kennedy, that shows, in words, that I cannot express what veterans mean to me and our country. He states, ‘As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.’”
During the school board meeting, Pannell recognized sponsors like the Military Officers Association of America, Hood County Judge Ron Massingill, Carrie Bellamy and Pannell’s husband, Bob, for their overwhelming support.
“I have to tell you, you have a jewel in Rene Jackson,” Pannell added, as she recognized the GISD staff member for being “exceptional to work with.”
She also thanked the trustees for allowing the Friends of Memorial Lane to recognize the winners for this year’s contest.
“It’s always best when it’s about the students,” she remarked. “I’m also giving the reins over, so with tears in my eyes, this will be the last (contest) that I’ll be doing.”
While Pannell may be closing this chapter, she can rest assured knowing that if future generations are anything like these outstanding students, the spirit of gratitude and respect for our veterans will continue to thrive for years to come.
