VFW 2012-2013 NATIONAL PATRIOT’S PEN
COMPETITION WINNERS ANNOUNCED

1st Place -Mariessa McKennais the winner of the $5,000 North End Post 144, Paul A. Spera Past Commander-in-Chief Award for writing the First Place winning essay in the organization’s National Patriot’s Pen Competition. Mariessa is an8th grade student. Mariessa was sponsored by VFW Post 8065 and Ladies Auxiliary in Bowie, Maryland. (First place winner will receive her awardduring the Parade of Winners in Washington, D.C. onMarch 3,2013)

Other top winners are:

2nd Place – Kirstee Dunlap, an 8th grade student, sponsored by VFW Post 9170 and Ladies Auxiliary, Beeville, Texas, will receive the $4,000 VFW Award. (Glass Etched Plaque and Wood Plaque for sponsoring Post will be sent to Department Headquarters for presentation during Department Convention or other appropriate event.)

3rd Place – Celia Dekeyser, a 7th grade student, sponsored by VFW Post 2245, Grayslake, Illinois,will receive the $3,500 VFW Award. (Glass Etched Plaque and Wood Plaque for sponsoring Post will be sent to Department Headquarters for presentation during Department Convention or other appropriate event.)

4th Place – Kyle Holman, an 8thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post 717and Ladies Auxiliary,St. John,Indiana, will receive the $2,750Alaine Ralphs Benson Memorial Scholarship Award. (Glass Etched Plaque and Wood Plaque for sponsoring Post will be sent to Department Headquarters for presentation during Department Convention or other appropriate event.)

5th Place – Emilia Gnida, an 8thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post 6950and Ladies Auxiliary, Kawkawlin, Michigan,will receive the $2,500 Rehoboth Beach Post 7447 and Auxiliary (Dept. of Delaware) Award. (Glass Etched Plaque and Wood Plaque for sponsoring Post will be sent to Department Headquarters for presentation during Department Convention or other appropriate event.)

6th Place –Jacobi Miller, an 8thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post 4822, Edina,Missouri will receive the $2,000 Clyde A. Lewis Dept. of New York and Ladies Auxiliary Award. (Glass Etched Plaque and Wood Plaque for sponsoring Post will be sent to Department Headquarters for presentation during Department Convention or other appropriate event.)

7th Place – Conor Joyce, an8thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post2571, White River Junction, Vermontwill receive the $1,750 Dept. of New Hampshire George J. Maxfield Post 1772 and Ladies Auxiliary John A. Knapper Memorial Award. (Glass Etched Plaque and Wood Plaque for sponsoring Post will be sent to Department Headquarters for presentation during Department Convention or other appropriate event.)

8th Place – Jane Wang, a7thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post 7401and Ladies Auxiliary, Chandler, Arizonawill receive the$1,500 John F. Gwizdak Award. (Glass Etched Plaque and Wood Plaque for sponsoring Post will be sent to Department Headquarters for presentation during Department Convention or other appropriate event.)

9th Place – Katie Drewlow, an8thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post 1901, Montrose, Minnesotawill receive the $1,500 VFW Award. (Glass Etched Plaque and Wood Plaque for sponsoring Post will be sent to Department Headquarters for presentation during Department Convention or other appropriate event.)

10th Place -Tacie Sinegal, an 8thgrade student, sponsoredby VFW Post 1719 and Ladies Auxiliary, Chandler, Oklahoma,will receive the$1,250 VFW Award. (Glass Etched Plaque, and Wood Plaque for sponsoring Post will be sent to Department Headquarters for presentation during Department Convention or other appropriate event.)

11th Place -Riya Lakkaraju, a7thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post 3345 and Ladies Auxiliary,Strongsville, Ohio, will receive the $1,250 Grace Minnix Memorial Award.

12th Place Victoria Franco, an 8thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post 10630 and Ladies Auxiliary,Hope Mills, North Carolina,will receive the $1,000 Golden Valley VFW Post 7051 (Golden Valley, Minnesota) Award.

13th PlaceElisha Smith, an 8thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post2673, Cody, Wyoming will receive the $1,000 VFW Award.

14th PlaceMadison Sullivan, an8th grade student, sponsored by VFW Post 26,Lima, New York will receive the $750 Department of Georgia and its Ladies Auxiliary Award.

15th PlaceAmariah Kotte, an 8thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post 7019, Kuna,Idaho will receive the $750 VFW Department of Washington and Ladies Auxiliary Eric G. Sandstrom Memorial Patriots Pen Award.

16th Place Victoria Tsai, a6thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post 192, Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey,will receive the $500 John V. Daniel’s Jr. Post 2813 and Auxiliary (Dept. of New York) Award.

17th PlaceCallie Mueller, a 7thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post750 and Ladies Auxiliary, Watertown, South Dakota,will receive the $500 John E. (Jack) Bales Post 10581, (Dept. of Colorado) Award.

18th PlaceKatie Simpson, an8thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post 3159 and Ladies Auxiliary, Spencer, Iowa,will receive the $500 Silver Spring Memorial Post 2562 (Dept. of Maryland) Award.

19th PlaceMary Catherine Wilson,an8thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post 4075,Frankfort, Kentucky, will receive the $500 Department of Utah Award.

20th PlaceRiana Boonstra, a 7thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post 10046and Ladies Auxiliary, Soldotna, Alaska,will receive the $500 Department of Michigan Award.

21st PlaceHailey Richards,an8thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post 4273and Ladies Auxiliary,Sandy, Oregonwill receive the $500 Warren A. Tressler Memorial Award (Dept. of Minnesota).

22nd PlaceDaniel Winston,a 7thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post7478, Greenwood, Delawarewill receive the $500 Department of Nevada Award.

23rd PlaceVanessa Urbina, a7thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post 6435 and Ladies Auxiliary, Antioch, California,will receive the $500 Chaplain Lyman Rollins Post 2005, Marblehead, Massachusetts Award.

24th PlaceCatherine Jones,an8thgrade student, sponsored by VFW Post8206, Turbotville,Pennsylvania will receive the $500 Charlie H. Adamson, Jr. Memorial Award.

25th PlaceLogan Foley, a 7th grade student, sponsored by VFW Post 4484 and Ladies Auxiliary, Rainelle, West Virginia,will receive the $500 Joseph A. Scerra Memorial Award (Dept. of Massachussetts.)

26th PlaceJenna Windjue, an 8thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 756, Devils Lake, North Dakota, will receive the $500 James L. Keeley Youth Essay Award.

27th PlaceJi-Hwan Lee,an8thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 4629,LaGrange, Georgia,will receive the $500 Department of Ohio Award.

28th PlaceTiffany Polzin, a7thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 6705 and Ladies Auxiliary,Denmark, Wisconsinwill receive the $500 Department of South Dakota VFW and Ladies Auxiliary Award.

29th PlaceSamuel Rich, an8thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 4606 and Ladies Auxiliary, Savannah, Tennessee,will receive the $500 Dept. of Idaho and its Ladies Auxiliary Award.

30th PlaceKyle Candelaria, a7thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 2182 and Ladies Auxiliary, Farmington, New Mexico will receive the $500 Glenn D. Raney Memorial Award (LA.)

31st PlaceSimone Withers,an8thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post4633 and Ladies Auxiliary, Hampden, Maine,will receive the $500 Mary Margaret Romano Memorial Award (Dept. of CT.)

32nd PlaceJillian Battye, a7thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 1088 and Ladies Auxiliary,Kingston, New Hampshire, will receive the $500 VFW Southern Conference Award.

33rd PlaceEleanor Keys, an 8thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 10476 and Ladies Auxiliary, Rotonda West, Florida, will receive the $500 Edward S. Banas, Sr. Award.

34th PlaceJacob Seaya7thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 9539 and Ladies Auxiliary, Roebuck, South Carolina,will receive the $500 Deering Memorial Post 6859, Portland Maine Scholarship Award.

35th PlaceAndrea Cournoyer a 7thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 3619 and Ladies Auxiliary, DeRidder, Louisiana, will receive the $500 Department of Tennessee John Furgess Award.

36th PlaceTaylor McRaean8thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 3586 and Ladies Auxiliary, Salt Lake City, Utah,will receive the $500 Department of Missouri VFW and its Ladies Auxiliary Award.

37th PlaceCarolina McCabea7thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 3822 and Ladies Auxiliary, Medley, Florida, (Department of Latin America/Carib)will receive the $500 James R. and Pat Mueller Award.

38th PlaceJarred Phillipsan8thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 7726 and Ladies Auxiliary, Independence, Virginia,will receive the $500 Robin V. Fell Memorial Award.

39th PlaceAnne Rogersa6thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 2339 and Ladies Auxiliary, Pawtucket, Rhode Islandwill receive the $500 Deering Memorial Post 6859, Ladies Auxiliary Portland Maine Award.

40th PlaceKatarina Hornunga7thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 6612 and Ladies Auxiliary, Hugo, Coloradowill receive the $500 Department of South Carolina and Ladies Auxiliary Award.

41st PlaceMatthias Schmidta7thgrade student sponsored by VFWPost 727, Taichung, Taiwan (Department of Pacific Areas)will receive the $500 Sanford-Springvale Memorial VFW Post 9935Award.

42nd PlaceShayla Hopkinsan8thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 408, Baxter Springs, Kansas,will receive the $500 Department of California Award.

43rd PlaceAvery Kildowa 7thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 9915, Bayard,Nebraska will receive the $500 Department of Arkansas, “Dewayne Fletcher Memorial” Award.

44th PlaceSidney Ericksonan8thgrade student sponsored by VFW Post 2278 and Ladies Auxiliary, Hot Springs, Arkansas will receive the $500 Frederick H. Smalley Department of New Mexico Patriot’s Pen Scholarship.

45th PlaceMiles Thomasa 7thgrade student sponsored by VFW5660 and Ladies Auxiliary, Fairhope, Alabama will receive the $500 VFW Department of Pacific Areas Award.

46th Place Oakley Reid an 8th grade student sponsored by VFW Post 2826, Vashon, Washington,will receive the $500 VFW Department of New Jersey Award.

In this, the eighteenth year of the program, there were fifty-four finalists, one from 51 participating Departments, and one each from three of the VFW Departments overseas (Europe, Latin America/Caribbean, and Pacific Areas.)

All participants will later receive a citation signed by the Commander-in-Chief and Ladies Auxiliary President for participating.

-End-