The winner of this year's letter writing contest, Christina Schaeffer, was invited to the Idaho State Veteran's Cemetery to read her letter at the 3rd Annual Memorial Day Ceremony. Among those present were General LaFrenz, Commanding General Idaho National Guard, and Governor "Butch" Otter.
Christina, a fifth-grader at Trail Wind Elementary School in Boise, was selected from nearly 100 participants as this year's winner. Her entry was titled, What the American Flag means to me:
What I like about the American flag is the colors and what they represent. Red is for the blood that was shed by our brave soldiers, those who fought for our country, years ago and today. Red also represents valor and bravery. Blue stands for vigilance, perseverance, and justice. White stands for purity and innocence. The stars on the flag have a meaning too, they represent our 50 states. Finally, the 13 stripes represent the 13 Colonies.
The flag represents our soldiers who fight for freedom, who died for our freedoms, who risk their lives for our country. The American soldiers are brave and courageous. When I see flags flying, I think of our soldiers. I think of my friends who have moms or dads in the military. I appreciate the men and women who are American soldiers and flying the flag honors them.
What I also love about our flag is it represents my home. It shows I live in America. When my family flies our flag, it shows that we respect the people who live in America and the soldiers that work for our freedom and security. When our county was attacked by terrorists, people hung their flags from their houses, had stickers of the American flag on their cars, and even wore American flag pins to show we were strong. Looking up my street where I live and seeing all the houses with the American flag flying, made me feel proud. High in the air, our American flag waved freedom upon us.
The American flag is my favorite flag. It is a beautiful flag. It shows that America is strong, and that the American people are united.
Congatulations Christina! Thank you for your time, efforts, and sincerety.
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