Smith’s essay wins local VFW contest
“Does America Still Have Heroes?” was the intriguing question asked, and answered, by Brownstown High School senior Connor Smith in the essay he wrote for the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ annual “Voice of Democracy” student contest.
Connor’s entry won the local award presented by the Brownstown VFW Post 9770.
The 18-year-old son of Stan and Lana Smith is a member of this year’s graduating class at Brownstown High School.
A very amiable, genial and soft-spoken young man, Connor shared what inspired him to write about the question of heroes for the patriotic essay.
Several “heroes” came to mind, such as firefighters, policemen and police women, doctors and teachers.
“I was thinking about the definition of a hero,” he said, “and soldiers kept coming to mind. Pat Tillman, an NFL star, came to mind.
"He willingly gave up a multi-million dollar career after the 9/11 attacks and died serving his country with the U.S. Army Rangers in Afghanistan.”
Connor’s essay described Tillman’s sacrifice, but also noted that all of “the normal, everyday people, all those people serving our country, and those who have previously served, are considered heroes,” and he ultimately reaches the conclusion that America does, indeed, still have heroes.
Connor, In Person
“My dad is a farmer,” he said, “and my mom works in Effingham as a secretary for Taylor Law Firm.”
“I like to hunt, fish and play baseball,” he said, talking about his hobbies.
His favorite subject in school this year is world history. “I only have three classes this year,” he said, with a grin.
He attends Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Vandalia
After graduation, Connor plans to enter Lake Land College to start pre-engineering as his major, “then, maybe transferring to the University of Missouri for science and technology, for petroleum engineering,” he said.
“I like science and math, and that is kind of a good field to be into. It pays pretty good and I think that is something I’d like to do,” he said.
Connor will read his winning ‘Voice of Democracy” essay, “Dies America Still Have Heroes?,” in its entirety at the Memorial Day Celebration at the Brownstown Memorial Wall on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31.
The public is invited to the program, which begins at 11 a.m. Included in the full program will be the Marine Corps color guard.
