Pride, patriotism flourish at SMS Veterans’ Day

(The Sartell Newsleader would like to thank Amy Trombley of the Sartell-St. Stephen School District for gathering information and photos for the following story. Trombley, a communications specialist, has time and again proven to be indispensable as an excellent news source for the Newsleader.)

Family pride and patriotism flourished at Sartell Middle School Nov. 11 when the school hosted its annual Veterans’ Day Appreciation Dinner and Assembly for military veterans.

Siblings, mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, grandparents – veterans all – enjoyed lunch with immediate family members and relatives during two lunch sessions in the school cafeteria.

There were also two early-afternoon patriotic assemblies that day in the auditorium, with featured speaker Kat Stewart, a Sartell Middle School teacher who served in the U.S. Army National Guard for six years, including a deployment to Iraq in 2003.

The SMS band and choir performed patriotic songs, students shared poems and an essay, and the American Legion of Sartell presented the colors in a procession.

The following poem and essay were read by their authors at the assembly. The essay won first place in the Patriot’s Pen Contest:

My Dad

by Allie Engle

Have you ever

assembled a puzzle,

and one piece is missing?

Where is that piece?

Where is that piece?

That puzzle

is my family.

My piece was half way

around the world.

I was a year old,

I didn’t understand much.

All I knew was

my dad

would be gone

for two years.

My miniature heart

sank to my stomach.

I had no idea what the future held.

When my dad is around

you get this feeling

like you are being protected.

Anywhere you go with him

you had that sense of protection.

With him gone,

my mom and my older brother

had to protect me.

They had courage,

and they were brave.

Luckily,

the two years passed.

I was delighted

my father is home.

I am protected, I’m enlightened

and grateful

And BAM

It happened again.

I was 6,

almost 7.

Every day more mourning

for that puzzle piece.

I kept thinking

stay strong, stay strong,

be brave, be brave.

The news was delivered,

the most breathtaking news.

My dad would be returning

my dad would be returning

in two weeks.

My dad is home and safe,

he is retired

U.S. Army Veteran.

His shoes tried to be filled.

I soon learned

those shoes are unimaginable to fill.

My dad is one piece of the puzzle

that cannot,

and will not, ever

be replaced.

What Freedom Means to Me
            by Sadie Baumann

Freedom is the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint. Freedom can be used lightly now, but freedom is a topic that was under scrutiny for many years. Some may say, well America is different, we don’t have that problem, but yes we do. Every country, state, and city may be different, but in the core we have the same vision in mind. The perfect American dream.
Freedom to some people can be defined as just the basic rights, like the freedom of speech. To others they think of it as when the slaves earned their freedom. I think that there is no true singular definition, that there are many ways you can describe freedom. When I think of freedom in the United States I have to remember that the freedom that we gained a long time ago was earned through countless lives spent on the battlefield.
What freedom means to me is that when I go to bed at night I don’t have to worry about whether my parents will still have a job or when my next meal will be. I can make my own choices and choose my own job to someday provide for my family the same way my parents provide for me. The soldiers out there fighting are fighting for my education and my future as an American citizen. I know that no matter what, someone is going to have my back, and if I ever need help they will always be willing to help me in a time of need.
True to our pledge of allegiance, we believe that as we pledge to America our freedom and lives, we show that with every last breath of our body we will fight for America and what it stands for. Sure we may not be perfect and we make plenty of mistakes, but because of that we are human and humans deserve to make their own choices in life. To do this I believe that the biggest key to making your own choices is the freedom to live the way you want. With that I believe that we can pledge our allegiance to the liberty and justice for all.