BEDFORD – American Legion Gillen Post 33 awarded four, $1,000 scholarships Wednesday night to four Bedford North Lawrence students.
The awarded students have great plans for their future and scholarship funds:
- Kaedyn Bennett will attend Indiana Wesleyan University and study engineering. He will also play on the college golf team.
- Jett Jones will attend the University of Southern Indiana and study engineering.
- Isabella Stigall will attend Johnson University and major in business management. She will also participate on the college tennis team.
- Karter West is attending Ball State majoring in computer science.
To receive the awards each student completed an application and wrote a short essay on What the American Flag Means to Them. Legion officials say the essay promotes patriotism and a lifelong respect for our country and its flag.
You can read the winning essays below:
Kaedyn Bennett – To me the American flag represents the freedom we as Americans get to celebrate every day. To me, it is more than just a flag. To me, the stars and stripes represent every single soldier that has fought for this country. The flag is a reminder to me that I get to wake up every morning and know that I have the freedom to read my Bible whenever I want. To me, Old Glory, represents more than just our country, it represents our history, from the muskets of the colonial army in the Revolutionary War to the M4 Carbins of our troops in Iraq. However, to me the flag is not limited to the history and present day of the United States, it also represents the freedom that future generations will hopefully experience. The Star-Spangled banner is a symbol of strength, a symbol of hope, and most importantly a symbol of freedom. This is, in short, what the flag means to me.
Jett Jones – What the American flag means to me? It is a simple yet complicated question that every citizen of the United States should be able to give a thoughtful response too. To me, the flag represents the countless freedoms that I can enjoy as an American. It means I can feel safe when I walk outside my home to play basketball with friends or even just get to go to school every week. Now these might not seem like very important things; however, many people outside our country could consider this a luxury. I have been outside this country once and it amazed me the conditions that some of the people must live in. If it were not for the many fallen soldiers that kept that flag flying high we would not be as well off as we are today. This brings me to another meaning of the flag. Our American flag unifies millions of people that all have the same common goals which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I may sound clique, but I am proud to be an American. Every time I see an American flag, I am reminded that it is a blessing to be living in the United States.
Isabella Stigall – To me, the American flag means so many different things. When I look at it, I think of freedom. It reminds me to be grateful for the freedoms that we have in this country and to never take those freedoms for granted. Our freedom is something worth fighting for and protecting which leads me to also think of sacrifice. We have so many men and women who have sacrificed their time, comforts, family, and even their very lives. It makes me think of my own four great-grandfathers who each fought in WWII. The sacrifices that have been made to secure our freedom is symbolized with our great flag. To so many, the flag represents opportunity. We all have the opportunity to have successful lives in this country. Our flag means one nation under God, who should be united and not divided. All who live under this flag have liberty and justice and we should be so proud to fly our flag high for all to see.
Karter West – The American Flag, the stars and stripes that represent our country. But what does this flag that we hold high mean? To me, the American flag means freedom, freedom from oppression, freedom to live how you want, and freedom to be who you want. We hold this Flag high to show our pride in the country that stands behind the Flag, we hold it high to show our support for those who fought and continue to fight for the freedoms that this Flag represents. A descendant of several veterans them being Tom Woodward and Frank West who both fought in the Vietnam War, when I look at the Flag it reminds me of their bravery of taking arms and the bravery that each soldier who takes up arms to fight for our country has. The American Flag to me means Freedom, Bravery, and Pride, all reasons being why we hold the flag high and show our love for the United States of America, Home of the Free and The Brave.
A golf tournament is held once a year in July, weather permitting, to raise funds for the scholarships. This year’s tournament will be held on Sunday, July 30th at Stone Crest Golf Course.
Second Vice Commander David Smith said Wednesday night the legion has been hosting the golf tournament for 30 years.
“The first tournament was held in 1993 and the winner of that tournament Shea Hooten took home $1,000,” added Smith. “The event could not happen without the generous support from our Legion members and their families and this community and their support.”
The golf tournament has raised more than $40,000 over the years for scholarships.
