2017-2018 Veteran's Day Winners: Essay

First Place: Krista Callaway, Senior.

Second Place: Courtney Gore, Senior.

In the Eyes of a Soldier

I always think back to “the old days”, as everybody calls them—those days that I served in the military. Everybody always focuses on the fighting part of it and the stories I bring back to reenact to the folks back here at home. But what most people never question me about is what values I learned along the way: values about life and character. What I was taught, through my eyes as a soldier, about duty, respect, and loyalty will always be carried with me.

Duty. This concept comes firsthand when accepting the responsibility of serving the United States. Every day, as I prepared for the tasks ahead, the same thoughts would continue to course through my mind: “I have a job to do. My country is depending on me.” Not only was the weight of the duty to my country resting upon my shoulders, but a responsibility for my fellow soldiers was as well. They relied on me to do my part, whether it be accounting for all other soldiers after a raid, leading formation, or anything in between, so that assignments functioned smoothly. All of our missions, tasks, and responsibilities were to be carried out with maximum integrity and to the peak of our ability. That’s how I learned to put forth the greatest amount of effort possible under all circumstances.

Respect. During our time of service, we held the Golden Rule close to our hearts, the one that everybody learns in their childhood: treat others the way you want to be treated. The Soldier’s Code that we abided by was very similar to this: “treat others with dignity and respect while expecting others to do the same”. Respect taught me how to appreciate myself and the others around me, and to trust that we all completed our jobs to the best of our ability. Respect gets you a long way with people.

Loyalty. This was one of the most significant values I took away from being a soldier. You had to be loyal to your team, country, Constitution, military, and more. Possessing true faith and allegiance to these things shows devotion to others and believing things will go right. Without loyalty, pieces of a perfectly knit puzzle start to fall apart. Maintaining loyalty to others for the greater good transformed into a life lesson for me.

If the military existed in the form of a teacher, then it educated me on how to live life in a more honorable way. I realize that if an individual expresses true possession of a sense of duty, respect, and loyalty, those principles will propel them farther in life than any form of basic military training could. I hope you can now see what the eyes and heart of a soldier sees.

Third Place: Jordyn LeBlanc, Senior.

A Veteran’s Impact

“I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and while our soldiers can stand and fight, I can stand and feed and nurse them.”-Clara Barton

Being in the Army takes courage. Courage to leave behind family and friends to help fight for our freedom and our nation. As a child, growing up with family members in the military was never easy. Granted I was younger and never really understood the effects it had on my grandmother or the impact she had on the people she encountered. Now that I am older, I have realized how much of an impact the Army had on her as well as the impact she had on me.As a little girl, I remember lying on my grandmother’s living room floor listening to her speak about her glory days as an Army nurse and looking through old photographs of her in uniform. She looked so happy and peaceful talking about something she loved dearly, other than her grandchildren of course. I can not remember every story she has ever told me, but I can remember one thing she said.”The Nation’s heroes are the soldiers, but a soldier’s hero is his nurse.” To me it means that a soldier can fight until his lungs give out, but a nurse will always be there to revive him in order for him to continue the battle. Today, being an Army nurse and assisting the soldiers in need has shaped my grandmother into this headstrong, fearless, and loving woman that I admire greatly. She saved countless people and lost many more, but she will always keep a clear mind wherever she goes. She is stubborn and she is courageous; she is compassionate and she is fearless. She is my hero.Hearing my grandmother’s stories as a child has made me realize the impact that the Army can have on someone. You are trained to respect, to honor, and to uphold your loyalty to the highest standard. Today, that makes my grandmother who she is and I am grateful. I am grateful for the Army shaping my grandmother into this wonderful woman and I am grateful for my grandmother always being fearless.

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