Walfrido's Memorial Day Essay Contest!
This Memorial Day essay contest has now ended. Thank you for all your heart felt submissions. Walfrido has chosen the following winners:
1st Place Prize - Julie H. - A Limited Edition Giclee on Canvas of "Pearl Harbor Memorial"
"Memorial Day to me is more than a day off of work or school. Every Memorial Day, I remember and honor all those who served and passed on while serving in every battle our country has faced. The battle that is closest to my heart began in the early morning hours of June 6, 1944. That is when my Great Uncle Paul Demciak jumped out of a C-47 Skytrain and landed on the beaches of Normandy. He served with the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army, then later with the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, being a part of the Pathfinder Team. His military service included the participation in the Invasion of Normandy where he was shot in the shoulder, captured and was a POW, forced to walk for months, lost almost 100 pounds, saw many of his friends and comrades lose their lives, and finally escaped while in the hospital. While he did not die in combat and lived to be 93 and was the recipient of two Purple Hearts, I cannot help but remember those who he was with that did not survive the capture, or recover from their gruesome injuries. What he told me he saw the days and months after he landed in Normandy is what no man or woman and their families should have to face. Without them though, willing to risk it all for the betterment of many generations after them, I am sure we would live in a much different nation right now. As General Dwight D. Eisenhower said “the free men of the world are marching together for Victory!” and that is what they did – some, making the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the freedom for many generations to come. God Bless America!"
2nd Place Prize - April P. - A Limited Edition Watercolor Paper Print of "Pearl Harbor Memorial"
"Growing up, the reality of what Memorial Day really stands for did not sink in. It was a holiday to be off from school and have a BBQ with my family. When 9/11 happened in my college years, it began to have a greater impact on how I viewed the holiday for what it was...a day to remember those who had made that ultimate sacrifice for our country. It was not until my husband re-enlisted as an officer with the United States Marine Corps, that I felt the depth of that sacrifice even more. With every deployment, I would fervently pray for his return to not only me but to our daughter as well. I could not watch the news for fear that I would hear about something and not know if my husband was returning home to us. I would learn of others losing their spouse, family member, or close friend, and my heart would be so heavy. People that I know and care for were losing their loved ones. So for Memorial Day, I take time to remember them. I also remember the families, friends, and fellow service members they left behind. Each person that lost their life has a story, and we are forever tied to them through both their story and their sacrifice. So now as years have gone by, I take time to remember those who have fallen and those lives that are affected by that loss. Then I still enjoy my weekend and eat my BBQ. I live my life to the fullest to honor those who have died, because I know that they died so that I may live and enjoy the freedoms that they fought so hard to protect. I not only remember them on Memorial Day, but every day."
3rd Place Prize - Robyn G. - An Open Edition Medium Matted Print of "Pearl Harbor Memorial"
"Memorial Day represents triumph to me, along with perseverance and gratefulness. Over Memorial Weekend, in 1993, my father, who was in law enforcement, got into a terrible car accident while on the job. He was only 44 at the time, the exact age I am about to become. Life was a blur in the weeks following the accident. He remained in a coma and we all kept vigil beside his hospital bed in between what should have been happy family events, such as my high school graduation and 18th birthday, and my parents' 20th anniversary. Thankfully, he recovered, and was present for so many important events in the lives of our family - he was there for my graduation from college and he got to walk me down the aisle at my wedding. He got to see my special-needs brother graduate from high school. He got to celebrate 40 years of marriage with my mother. He even got to become a Grandpa. He persevered against incredible odds because of his fighting spirit. Had we lost him that weekend in 1993, Memorial Day would have represented a literal memorial to his life. But, because we didn't, Memorial Day became a day to be grateful that his life was spared. Every Memorial Day weekend, my dad would return to the scene of his accident. I think it was his way of reminding himself that even though life was harder than it used to be, he was there to experience it. Life is a gift. Things could have been so different. I lost my dad in 2017, very suddenly and unexpectedly. Memorial Day weekend will always be a reminder to me to be thankful for the gift of extra time I was given with my dad, because he never gave up."
Walfrido would also like to give a shout out to the following honorable mentions for their touching stories:
William F., Shannon A., and John R.
