FCHS Veterans Day Contest Winners

Fannin County High School conducted a poetry contest and an art contest in honor of Veterans Day. The monetary awards for poetry: $50 first prize, $30 second prize, $20 third prize. Art Winner: $30. Mason Tractor Company paid the prizes to the winners. The winners entries are posted below: Colton Carpenter, 11th grade, 1st place:

The Cost of Freedom
You left from here, at ages young.
Far from friends, home and family you were flung.
You were sent to fight far away wars,
And you made your appearance on great distant shores.

The offer that you made, you well understood.
You traded docility for the strongest brotherhood.
The bonds that you formed are the strongest, indeed.
You would never abandon a fellow brother in need.

From Fallujah to the attack of Hanoi
Each and every soldier was willing to deploy.
You bore your arms daily, ready to fight.
You knew you stood for what’s true and what’s right.

But not all returned wholly intact.
There are a great many things one can never get back.
Lost limb to lost friend you all bear some scar,
Physical or mental, reminders of war.

For you we are thankful, eternally so.
You have given us more than anyone could know.
And it has been said that liberty comes at a price
Paid by our veterans through sacrifice.

William Baldwin, 11th grade, 2nd place:

For the Many
This way of life that we maintain
Was earned with blood and with pain
Those who fought, and fight today
Those whose sacrifice we can’t repay

Soldiers who have fought, valorous and strong
Built for us a sense of right and wrong
They faced danger in the name of our cause
Answered the call without hesitation or pause

Though the task at hand was daunting
You were there with early light’s dawning
Many gave limb and life at home
Many gave their lives alone

Yet let us not forget the home front
Those who were ever there to confront
The sacrifice of loved ones that had to be made
The sacrifice that was ultimately paid

The soldiers who died, never to return
The families who continue to yearn
Are remembered reverently by all who feel
That our thanks can never equal their steel

To all soldiers we give our thanks
To those who fought for the safety of any
For the safety of their country and
For the many

By Edith Mares, 11th grade, 3rd place:

Unconditional Love
Sacrifice is just a concept without you.
The word is just mere letters,
But every day when you wake up
Without your family and friends
Risking everything you have
Displaying unconditional love for our country
The word comes to life.
Your actions shape our nation
With your sacrifice, our country flourishes.
You give hope for a better life.
You give so much, but we give you so little.
For you the liberty we have is enough reward,
And I want to thank you.
Thank you for your valiant sacrifice.