The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

, 2009

Editor's Note: Haylee Budd of Puget Island, an 8th grader at John C. Thomas Middle School, was the local and regional winner in the Veterans of Foreign Wars 2009 Patriotism essay contest.

Here is her essay:

by Haylee Budd, Puget Island

Every year we celebrate Veterans Day, right? Have you ever wondered why we honor our veterans? Whenever I hear a kid ask, I always think of the same two reasons. The reasons are that they fought for their country and that we wouldn't be the same country without them.

The initial reason veterans should be honored is that they fought for our country. Did you know that 4,189 troops have died and that over 100,000 soldiers have been injured since the start of the war in Iraq? That's a lot of troops! They risked their lives for their loved ones and the rest of the country. In some of the past wars, men didn't have a choice of whether to fight or stay home, they were drafted. But just because they didn't have a choice doesn't mean that they would be cowards and run away from the war. No. They stayed and fought for what they believed in and that is truly amazing.

In addition, we wouldn't be the same country we are without our soldiers. Think back to the Revolutionary War. If those men and women hadn't been there, we might still be under control of Great Britain. Think about World War I. If our troops hadn't come in and helped Great Britain, Italy and France win, we might not be a democracy, but instead an autocracy. And what about World War II? If those troops hadn't been there, just imagine what would have happened. They have saved us from what might have been mass destruction of our country.

Our soldiers have an enormous impact on our lives. Whether we are grieving about a lost loved one or celebrating a defeat, ask yourself, have you ever really thought about our soldiers and what they go through? Now you know why our veterans should truly be honored.