What Have Veterans Done For You

Leah Hope Kennedy is the winner of the Warren Sellens Essay Scholarship awarded by the Ottawa VFW, Post 5901. Kennedy received $500 for her winning essay. The essay theme was “What Have Veterans Done For You.”

Kennedy graduated from West Franklin High School May 16 and will attend Emporia State University. She is the daughter of the late Linda Williams and the granddaughter of Phillip and Judy Williams.

What Have Veterans Done For You

Veterans do a lot for people every day, and we do not even realize it. If you stop and think about it the truth is right there. How do you think our country has its freedom, it was not just handed to us, it had to be earned through dedication and devotion. They had to give up a lot for the accomplishment that everyone gets a chance to experience. There are numerous things that veterans have done, and continue to do. Veterans gave up a part of their lives to fight for our country, they had to struggle through the loss of loved ones, and most suffer from disabilities received in fighting wars. To the veterans, we owe great thanks.

Veterans gave up a part of their lives to fight for our country. It takes great courage to leave your family and friends to go fight in a war. While off at war some veterans missed out on a lot of family memories. Some did not get the chance to see the birth of a child or experience the joy of teaching their child to ride a bike. That is an awful lot to give up for your country, but they did this without an hesitation. To them we owe great thanks.

Veterans had to struggle through the loss of loved ones. This is a hard thing to go through and many had to struggle through these feelings alone. Losing a loved one is not something you can just forget about and move on, but it was what they had to do everyday, sometimes with more than one loss. They did this because they know those people died to protect our country, the did not die in vain. To them we owe great thanks.

Most veterans suffer from disabilities received in fighting wars. Even though most of the injuries they received happened a long time ago, the side effects are still visible. They have constant reminders of the wars they fought in, the pain proves it. Some of the pain they suffer from will be there their whole lives and will never go away. To them we owe great thanks.

Veterans have done a lot for me; they gave me the freedom that I have today. Without them I would not be able to feel the happiness and freedom that I have had my entire life. They did not get this luxury. Most veterans did not get to experience the opportunities that I have because when they were my age, they were off fighting in wars. I could not imagine a life where I did not get to see my family and friends everyday. I could not imagine giving up high school to serve my country, yet most veterans did. They gave up a lot to give our country its freedom. What they gave up for our country, they can never get back. They know that what they accomplished was for a greater cause. To them we owe great thanks, thank you.