BELOW THE TOP 2011 WINNING HIGH SCHOOL & MIDDLE SCHOOL ESSAYS  IS THE COMPLETE LIST OF AWARD WINNERS


Congratulations to Michelle Tuggle, Tennessee (High School) and Ashly Webb, Georgia (Middle School).  Please enjoy their winning essays.

PFC RUSSELL PICKETT

WWII, CO. A, 16TH DIVISION

UNITED STATES ARMY

By Michelle Tuggle of Tennessee, High School Top winner of 2Lt. Norman J. Rogers, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Award

"D Day - Wounded on Omaha Beach"

Every veteran's story is unique and amazing. The protectors of our country are courageous and should be recognized. The veteran I interviewed was particularly awe-inspiring.

 His name is Russell Pickett and he was born in Daisy, Tennessee in 1925.He attended grade school at Falling Water and Red Bank High School. Because he grew up during the Great Depression, he was unable to finish his education and had to start working early to support his family. After he was discharged from the service he attended Kirkman Vocational School.

The branch of service Mr. Pickett served in was the Army. He was a private 1st class and his unit was company A, sixteenth division. He was drafted at age eighteen and took his basic training at Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama. Mr. Pickett was sworn in at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. He was part of the infantry, meaning he was a soldier that fought on foot. Mr. Pickett was in the Army for about three years.

While in the service, Mr. Pickett was in many battles such as St. Lo, Veer, and Brest. But none of these are as well-known or incredible as the D-Day invasion in which Mr. Pickett fought as well. Mr. Pickett arrived with his troop on small boats on Omaha beach at 6:30 A.M. on June 6th, 1944. There were five main landing areas on the beach: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. Of all the landing points, Omaha was by far the place where the hardest fighting occurred. It was an all day battle and there was a ninety six percent casualty within the first thirty minutes. Fifty percent of those casualties were deaths. After fighting all day, a secure position for which progress could be made with Germany was established. During the fight Mr. Pickett was knocked unconscious when an artillery shell exploded next to him. Mr. Pickett woke up sometime later away from battle with mild injuries.

Mr. Pickett was discharged due to combat exhaustion after sixty-two days nonstop on the frontline. Mr. Pickett received a number of awards including seven medals; Bronze Star Medal, Meditorist Medal, Purple Heart Medal (with one gold leaf), Good Conduct Medal, WWII Victory Medal (with three bronze arrow heads), American Campaign Medal, and a D-Day Medal. He also received numerous other awards including: Combat Infantry Badge, Expert Infantry Badge, two Presidential Unit Citations (second had a gold leaf), three Bronze Stars (battle stars), and the ETO (European Theater Operation) award. He attended the fifty year anniversary commemoration on Omaha Beach, France where he received the Croix de Guerre (Cross of War), which was pinned on him by the French president, plus a Marksmen Badge, a Ruptured Duck award, and a large bronze medal awarded to him by the town of St. Lo.

Following his discharge, Mr. Pickett attended technical college where he took a course in electrical service and eventually opened his own electronic repair business. Mr. Pickett is married and has four children, six grandchildren, and twelve great grandchildren. After retiring, he paid for his own training as a Veterans Administration Service Officer.

For Mr. Pickett, the best thing about being in the service was that it helped with his education, taught him how to take orders, discipline, and the pride of fighting for his country. The worst thing was the horrors of war that will not ever go away. When you come back from war, everything is normal, but a veteran must adjust back into society. This task is not always so easy. This is one reason he dedicates his time to volunteering at the Veterans Administration to help current returning veterans with similar difficulties. Mr. Pickett learned numerous things from being in the military. A few things he wants to pass on to today's youth is the ability to take and follow orders and self discipline. These are some of the qualities lacking in young people lately. Children need to wake up and see that without the right attitude and qualities, you could miss out on alot of opportunities offered. Mr. Pickett is a firm believer that these qualities are crucial to later life.

Interviewing Mr. Pickett has opened my eyes to many new things. I will admit that before this interview, I was quite clueless about what exactly goes on in battle. Upon first hearing it, I was startled at all that Mr. Pickett had been through. I cannot imagine the emotions he felt or how many friends he lost in battle. Almost as startling as this information, was Mr. Pickett's ability to have such a positive attitude while the interview was in progress. I always imagined veterans to be sad, lonely figures of war. I now know that they are proud to say they defended our country and our freedom. How could we possibly thank them for such a great service to us? From now on, I will look at veterans with a new found respect.

 

                                                                                  

                                                                                  

By Ashlyn Webb of Georgia, Middle School Top winner of Civil Air Patrol Cadet Austin Alexander Scholarship Award
 

"Once A Marine, Always a Marine"

High School 2nd - Honorable Mention winners:

Second Place –Faith Yanez –Texas

Third Place Tied –Alyssa Liljequist –Oregon & Jennifer Smith - Tennessee

Honorable Mentions:

Teresa Hazelwood – Texas 

Tied: Erin Jones – Tennessee &  DJ Green – Georgia

Special Mention: Jonathon Korns and Alexa Dettleback – District of Columbia

Middle School 2nd - Honorable Mention winners:

Second Place- Rachel Hodes – Connecticut
 

Third Place- Justin Welch – Virginia

Honorable Mentions:

Kayla Nix – Georgia

Helena Burgueno - Connecticut

2010 winning essays

 SF1. RICHARD HOLLADAY

WWII, U.S.S. CONYNGHAM

UNITED STATES NAVY

By Kaitlin Robinson of Tennessee - High School Student

 

“Memories of War”

 

 

            Richard Holladay was born on April 26^th, 1920, the youngest of seven children. He was raised on a farm in Huntingdon, Tennessee. He spent the later part of his childhood fatherless, because his father died when he was ten years old. He quit school after the fifth grade to help his mother work the farm. He would help anyone with anything, and he learned at an early age to appreciate the value of life, therefore he was very laid back and didn’t worry about the small things. Seeking ways to help support his family, he joined the military at the age of 17. This provided the means for him to not only support his family, but also to leave the confines of his small town and travel the world. Richard Holladay died on April 29^th, 2002. Richard was my grandfather and I remember hearing this story when I was little, I verified the the points with my mother.

            As mentioned above, Richard enlisted in the Navy in 1937. He was stationed in Pearl Harbor on a destroyer commissioned the U.S.S. Conyngham. On December 7^th, 1941, he had just finished night watch at 7:55 that morning and was climbing the ladder to his bunk when he heard a huge crash and the alarms went off. The alarms went off signaling all hands on deck and everyone ran up to the main deck. When Richard arrived on deck he beheld a horrible sight! Bombs were falling everywhere. He watched in horror as one hit the U.S.S. Arizona, which immediately went up in flames. Young men leapt off the ship to avoid the fire and falling debris. The water was littered with the bodies of men either alive, dying or dead, surrounded by burning debris as bombs continued to fall around them. The ships were trapped where they were anchored. They managed to save some of the men in the water, but many of them drowned still trapped in the belly of the sinking ships. He used to say, “As the Arizona sank, no matter how much we wanted to help, all we could do was stand on the deck of our own ship and salute as the Arizona went down.”

 

            Although he was not highly decorated, he never talked about any of his medals or honors because he thought that it took away from those who gave the ultimate sacrifice; their lives. Richard witnessed many deaths during his childhood and early adult life. He felt lucky to survive and always thought he owed a debt of service and was quick to offer help to anyone.

 

            I chose Richard Holladay because he was my grandfather and I loved to hear him tell this story. I am proud to share his story with you now. He was a great man, who spent his life searching for ways to help others. Although he was only here for the first seven years of my life, his warmth and kindness helped develop who I’ve become.

Sources Cited: My grandfather

               My mother                    

                                                                                                        

2^nd LT. NORMAN J. ROGERS, JR.

By Austin Alexander of Georgia - Middle School Student

"Bravery Won the War"

On August 26th, 1944 six United States airmen, including 2nd Lt. Norman J. Rogers Jr., were brutally assassinated in Russelsheim, Germany. The following is the story of what happened to Rogers and his B-24 crew in that small German town which would become known as The Russelsheim Massacre. 

  

             Norman J. Rogers Jr. was born on December 22, 1919 in Rochester, New York. He was the second of six children. He had four brothers and one sister. One of his brothers enlisted in the Air Force, one was fighting in the Pacific, and one was lost to rheumatic fever, not the war. He attended and graduated from Aquinas High School in 1937. He was a member of the Marine Corps Reserve throughout high school. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps after being refused by the Marine Corps in 1939. He spent two years in St. Lucia, Trinidad, and the Panama Canal Zone. He investigated plane crashes, and later found a saboteur in his unit. Just before his enlistment was up, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor causing his civilian life to be put on hold.

    

His daughter, Madeline Teremy, remembered something her mother told her many years earlier. “One very romantic night, with a full moon on the water, Dad turned to Mother and said, ‘What a great night to be… flying.” He was such a good pilot; he was offered a teaching job for new pilots. Later in the war he was assigned to fly the B-24, his bomber was nicknamed the Wham! Bam! Thank You, Mam.

    

            On August 24th, 1944, the 8^th Air Force launched one of the largest formations of aircraft that ever left England. It contained over 2000 airplanes including: 485 B-24's, 834 B-17's, and 739 fighters. As the formation approached their target, they encountered heavy anti-aircraft fire from the towns below. Just after releasing their bombs (all hit their targets), the Wham! Bam! took a direct hit in its bomb bay area, knocked out the hydraulic system, one engine, and damaged two other engines. When the crew bailed, they landed on a small farm area. One crew member was wounded when the plane was hit, and suffered a stomach injury. Farm owners found him then cleaned his wound and later took him to a hospital. 

 

            Lt. Rogers and another crew member had suffered ankle injuries from the bail out. He and the rest of the crew were taken captive by Luftwaffe soldiers. According to Lt. Roger’s mother who was visited by the fellow injured airman in 1945, he was also taken to a hospital but only at the insistence of Lt. Rogers. He stated that his life had been saved because the Germans were not going to treat him and that Lt. Rogers refused to move or have his men move for the Germans until they gave him medical treatment. The remaining crew members were put on a train to be taken to a POW camp. During the bombing raid Russelsheim suffered many losses including the destruction of railroad tracks and the Opel factory. The airmen were transported through the middle of the town, which was still burning with the stench of death which infuriated the townspeople. Because the tracks were destroyed, the crew was taken off the train and were going to be marched to the nearest available train station. When the townspeople saw the airmen, they became angry and started to beat them with whatever they could find, which included sticks, rocks, and shovels.

 

            The mob was joined by German air raid official, Joseph Hartgen, who was armed with a pistol. The airmen had collapsed after the beatings and were then dragged off and lined up on the curb by Hartgen. He then shot four in the head at point blank range, but ran out of ammunition leaving two of the airmen alive. He and others then put the airmen on a cart and took them to a cemetery. The Luftwaffe guards made no attempt to stop the brutal beating by the mob. While at the cemetery, those who moaned were further beaten with a 2x4. During that attack, an air raid siren came on and the mob ran for cover. It was at this point, that two of the crew members who were alive escaped from the cart and ran. Unfortunately, Lt. Rogers was not one of those to make it out alive and was buried along with his fellow airmen.

 

            After the end of the war the massacre came to light, and the U.S. Army would investigate the beating of the eight airmen. Joseph Hartgen and his co-conspirators were later tried and found guilty. Hartgen and four others were hanged, and the remaining criminals were given prison terms.  After the trial the fate of the two crew members that escaped was told to their General.  They were recaptured after running from the cemetery and were sent to a POW camp for airmen.  When liberation came they were returned to the USA and told authorities what they remembered about the massacre.

 

            In 2001, tail gunner, Sidney Brown, one of the surviving crew members that escaped the cart was invited back to Russelsheim by its citizens for a formal apology and the dedication of a permanent memorial to the crew of the B-24. Lt. Rogers’ only child, Madeline and her family accompanied him and were part of the memorial.

           

Lt. Rogers and his crew paid the highest price so that we can have our freedom. I consider him a hero, and I would like to become a pilot one day. Recently I went to the Great Georgia Air Show. There were all kinds of planes, military vehicles, and paratroopers there. When I got home that night, I remembered the WWII bomber that flew in the air show; it reminded me of Lt. Rogers and his crew. Outside my window I could see a bright clear sky, at that moment I had to agree with Lt. Rogers, “What a great night to be… Flying.” 

 

The following list contains all the names of the valiant crew members on the B-24:

Pilot-2^nd Lt. Norman J. Rogers Jr.

Co-Pilot-2^nd Lt. John N. Sekul

Radio Operator- S/Sgt. Thomas D. Williams

Belly/Gun- Sgt. William A. Dumont

Left/Waist Gun- Sgt. Elmore L. Austin

Nose/Gun- Sgt. William M. Adams

Tail/Gun- Sgt. Sidney E. Brown

Flt. Eng.- S/Sgt. Forest W. Brininstool

Nav. Bombardier- Flight Officer Haigus Tufenkjia

Sources: http://www.b-29s-over-korea.com/Russelsheim/Russelsheim01.html     

               National Achieves http://search.nara.gov/

                Madeline Teremy, daughter of 2^nd Lt. Norman Rogers, Jr.

                                         

         

                         

1^ST LT., KEN MAATMAN

WWII, CHINA, BURMA, INDIA

U. S. ARMY, 191^ST SIGNAL COMPANY

By David Huizenga of Michigan - High School Student

 

“The most courageous man I know”

 

Veterans; we owe our freedom and our liberty to them.  They forfeited much so we could live as we do today.  The World War II veterans are no exception.  They have fought in one of the most difficult wars of our country’s history, and sadly those who served our country in the China-Burma-India Theater have the unfortunate honor of having served in what has become known as the “forgotten war”.  This is one of their stories.

            My mother’s father is a hero to me.  Ken Maatman is a surviving veteran of WWII, and the most courageous man I know.  He was born April 24, 1920 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  He grew up a hard working boy filling his days with school, and after school jobs.  He attended Grand Rapids Junior College.  In December 1941, when he was 22 years old, he heard a report on the radio that would change his life forever.  “Pearl Harbor has been bombed.”  When he heard these words his heart sank, his anger rose and he immediately made the decision to join the forces against the enemy.  In January of 1942, he went to the nearest Army recruitment center and enlisted in the United States Army, leaving his studies, his two younger brothers and his parents. 

            Ken Maatman was stationed in the China-Burma-India Theatre.  He was 1^st Lieutenant in the 191^st Signal Company.  My grandpa commanded a signal company that provided communications for the 1044 miles of Burma Road construction, the Army Air Force, Army transport and the battle front in northern Burma.  It was especially important to warn of aircraft attacks.  They used radio, telephone, telegraph, and cryptography equipment to provide these communications. 

            The U.S. Army engineers were extending the original Burma Road to bisect the entire country of India, making the many repairs and, at times, reconstructing large sections of the original road.  The Burma Road was to stretch from Ledo, India to Kunming, China.  The construction on the road was constantly hindered by guerilla warfare and during the monsoon season, the road would sometimes washout completely.  Monsoon season was from May through October.  It usually lasted 145 days and an average of 16 feet of rain fell during this time.  All in all, over 1000 men gave their lives to ensure the Burma Road was completed.  It was said that Japanese snipers and artillery shells would kill more than one American soldier for each of the road’s 1044 miles.  

            The original Burma Road had been a Japanese target and bombed for the very reason the U.S. Army was fervently reconstructing it:  to allow America and their allies to supply China with equipment and food to keep China in the war.  Many different nations were involved in construction of the Burma Road:  China, India, Nepal, East Africa, West Africa, Burma and Britain.  There were 162 languages spoken by the forces working on the road which created problems with communication between the workers. 

             Before the Burma Road was even finished, cargo planes began making the flight from Ledo, Assam in India to Kunming, China and this was known as “Flying the Hump” because it was a dangerous 530 mile long passage over the Himalayan Mountains. The weather conditions and extremely high mountains made this very difficult to fly.  As a result more than 600 cargo planes crashed.  Some of the pilots joked that they could pick their way from India to China by following “the aluminum trail” of crashed aircrafts along the ground.  The planes included a pilot, a navigator, and army troops along with the munitions and food.  In one of these crashes, a member of my grandpa’s company was “flying the hump” as a passenger.  Some of the members of the company watched the plane in the distance attempt to reach flying altitude, and then to their horror, they watched it crash in the jungle.  A search and rescue party with a group of the natives to help cut their way through the jungle was dispatched to reach the occupants.  They hacked through the thick underbrush, bamboo and knife-edged elephant grass and got to a point where it was so thick, it was like an impenetrable wall in front of them.  The native guides turned back, but grandpa’s men would not face defeat so readily and continued on.  They were unable to complete their mission because the jungle grew so thick and dense.

             My grandpa has been attending the 191^st Signal Company Army Reunions since 1947.  As time marches on and the number of men from the 191st Signal Company decreases, family members were invited to attend.  I have had the privilege to attend four of these reunions, and have been documenting some of the stories and hardships of the 191^st Signal Company veterans who have attended.  Interviewing these WWII heroes is like capturing a piece of living history for me.  My grandpa is 89 years old and I am 15 years old.  He fought for our country, my country, and the freedom and welfare from which we all continue to benefit.  We owe our gratitude to our veterans.  We should salute their courage and patriotism to our country.  To them, and we should never take that for granted.

Sources:

Allen, Louis. Burma: The Longest War 1941-1945. New York : St.   Martin's Press, 1984. Print

Hagen, Jerome T. War in the Pacific: America at War. 1. Honolulu: Hawaii Pacific University, 2002. 55-66. Print.

Maatman, Kenneth B. Personal Interview by David Huizenga. 09/13/09.

Slim, William. Defeat into Victory. New York, NY: Van Rees Press, 1961. Print.

Webster, Donovan. The Burma Road: The Epic of the China-Burma-India Theater in the World War II. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2003. Print.

"World War II: The Pacific." The West Point Atlas of War. Ed. Brigadier Vincent J. Exposito. New York : Tess Press of Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers, Inc., 1959. Print.

  We want to take this opportunity to thank each and every young writer who participated in this project for their outstanding literary contribution and their individual insight into what makes our soldiers and veterans stand out as America's true role models.  In honoring their heroes for a debt  that can never be repaid, these teens have earned a place as future leaders.  It was our original intent to highlight our military member's attributes through the eyes of our nation's youth and these young people have not let us down.  In fact, all of those involved in the project are inspired in one way or another having been influenced not only by the stories written by these young people, but by the example they too have lead for the rest of us to follow in remembering those who have given so much. 

 We also want to thank our judges; Colonel Frank Milling, U.S.M.C.R. and Sgt. Patti Hover Hood, U.S.A.F. for their hard work and their time in reviewing all of the essays.  There were several ties which are noted and account for more than the number of awards but will be accommodated; and extra honorable mentions will be given out. The winners list includes the top 10 essays.  Each and every participant will be contacted, some through their teachers that submitted for them, and given an award of merit for their hard work and contribution to the essay collection.   Again, thank you for your incredible stories and be proud that all of you that submitted an essay are now among a select few from your generation who like our brave soldiers and veterans, stepped forward and did the right thing when called upon.

1ST - 3RD PLACE AWARD WINNERS: 

First Place Tied -  Kaitin Robinson of TN. & Austin Alexander of GA.

Second Place - David Huizenga of MI.

Third Place Tied - Camille Balboa of GA & Cameron Lee of FL.

HONORABLE MENTION AWARDS in alphabetical order by last name - (unless showing a tie):

Sierra Creen of CO.

Megan DeCrescente of CT.

Lori Mendoza of TX

Nick Moore of TX.

Lamar Porter, III of GA.

Max Brazelton of AL. tied with Charlie Hammerberg of CT. 

Ashley Vega of TX. tied with Angela Weishaar of CO.


America's Soldiers Back Cover
    Here is an inspiring and poignant collection of teen essays, depicting
individual stories of the courage and humanitarianism demonstrated
by soldiers who served from World War II through the conflicts in the
Middle East. These engaging stories illustrate how American soldiers,
driven by perseverance and a spirit of patriotism, have provided our
country with over 200 years of freedom and prosperity.

Experience the tragedy of WWII pilot Lt. Norman J. Rogers, whose
B-24 and crew went down over Germany, and the massacre that
unfolded. Observe how the victorious Tuskegee Airmen and one of
their fighter pilots, Lt. William M. Wheeler, proved their superior
aerial abilities while faced with discrimination and segregation in the
military. Find out about flying the Hump in the ‘Forgotten Theater’
of WWII. Learn what it was like for Marine Sergeant Leroy Caughey
to survive a rocket attack on his barracks in Vietnam. Read the
stirring memorial to Captain Benjamin Sklaver, U.S. Army reserve
officer killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. These are some of
the remarkable stories featured and the history about those who lived
it. Interwoven in the essays, are the younger generation’s (the young
writers’) introspective reasons why they chose to honor these heroes.

“These compelling stories remember
those who were willing to pledge their
lives for the liberty of generations to
come; we realize through our children
that the heroic legacy of our soldiers and
veterans should not only be remembered
but their stories retold.”
William Potter, Historian/Curator,
               The Circa History Guild