Oh, Say Can You See: What the Star Spangled Banner Means to Me
Congratulations to Our Most Recent Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2011 Independence Day Scholarship Contest!
The First Place ($5000 Scholarship) Winner is Josephine Kao, of Roseville, CA. The Second Place Winner is Ciara Rioghnach Szefei Robinson, of Winston-Salem, NC, and the Third Place Winner is Jeniece Julius, of Rosharon, TX.
Josephine's winning essay is below. To all other entrants, thank you for your wonderful essays. Feel free to check out our current essay contest and our soon-to-be-launched video scholarship contest.
--
We Are All American
Virginia, 1775
Up until this point in my life, I have never been completely certain of who I was meant to be. And I presume that is acceptable, as I am still but sixteen years of age. But today, I believe I have found a calling: the Continental Army is enlisting soldiers, and I have volunteered to fight! Others may wonder why a young lad like me would want to enter the war. “Why would he want to jeopardize his own safety for some false notion of heroism?” they say. Yet I know that I am not enlisting for the glamour of heroic deeds in battle, nor to escape the schoolhouse. I am enlisting because I am sickened at the thought of perpetually feigning complacency as families like mine face injustices that grow worse every day. It is because I believe in our fundamental rights as people that I must fight for our independence. I understand that freedom comes at a cost. I am willing to sacrifice my safety and perhaps even my life so that people like my baby sister can proudly grow up free, in their own country. And if, when the war is over, my sister Grace no longer as me, it will be worth it because she will have America.
When I told mother and father of my decision, they looked at me with solemn, quiet eyes. I asked them if they were troubled with the shock of my news. I had anticipated a worried or inflamed response questioning whether or not my motives were truly genuine. Instead, mother spoke understandingly, with gentleness in her voice. She said “Jonas, your father and I agree that the time for freedom has come”, glancing at my father. Clearing his throat, he said “We wish dearly for you to stay safe with us, but we also know that America needs you. If this is truly what you want, then I grant you my permission. We love you, son.” He placed his rugged hand on my shoulder. “Golly, I don’t quite recall being so noble when I was your age!” he said, chuckling. His eyes gleamed. I am not certain if they were sparkling with proud tears or glinting with gladness. I smiled, sighing and wondering what the future would hold.
I suppose that even though I am not attracted to the glamour of war, there is one symbol I cannot help but envision: a flag. One day, America will have its very own flag. One day, I hope to stand proudly by that American banner, as it waves gracefully and victoriously above our new nation. That flag will embody absolutely everything I am willing to sacrifice for.
Japan, 1944
I always knew there would be a good reason for why I grew up the way I did, speaking Navajo and all. But boy, I never would have thought that a language would be the greatest tool I had to serve my country. Growing up, I guess it wasn’t always easy for me, especially when classmates of mine didn’t understand my American Indian culture. “Go away and speak your little chalky talky Indian language, no one cares what you have to say!” I was told when I was a little boy. I’m different from the majority of people, I know. There are not very many Navajo Indians out there. At the same time, I know that even if I’m a part of this small minority, it doesn’t change the fact that I will always be a proud American patriot. Though I’m not the biggest proponent of war, I still support the United States. Out of faithfulness and respect for America, I am willing to fight for her if that is what she needs me to do. I have been here in the Pacific, fighting in this tumultuous world war. Since some of my brothers and I speak Navajo, it is our job in battle to communicate to each other in our own uniquely crafted ‘code’ version of Navajo that the enemy absolutely cannot crack. Knowing that I can do something like this to save lives keeps me sane, especially since a lot of my comrades have lost it. The other day after a brutal bombardment, my buddy Grant turned to me with glazed eyes, crying “Sam, what if I die? What if I was here for nothing?” He has forgotten what he is here for. When I see the masses of bloodied bodies and dead comrades, I feel like losing it too. But I have to remember why I’m here. I’m here serving the United States and defending everything she stands for and everything she means to me. Each time the American flag is raised, I feel a surge of pride for my beautiful nation. No matter what happens here, I will never forget where I come from: the land of the free and the home of the brave.
France, 1944
I never thought I would end up in a position like this, but life is unpredictable, isn’t it? As I am here, ready to fight for America, my wife and daughter are in America, being held in a relocation center. I know that many of the Japanese Americans are confused and frustrated at what is happening to them. To them I say:
We live in America, the land of the brave and the home of the free. Though you may not feel free, I encourage you to be brave and stay true to your country--this time of crisis will come to an end. As many of your fathers faithfully fight as members of the 442nd regiment, I ask you to faithfully support us and remember what your country stands for. Keep pledging the pledge of allegiance, keep singing our national anthem, and keep hoping for a peaceful and just future.
Though I find myself missing my family and home quite often, I have been blessed to find that this war has brought a sense of togetherness to the Nisei community. I do not regret volunteering to fight this war. Every day, I see so many displays of valor and selflessness on the battlefield: my brave comrades are constantly teaching me lessons in empathy and compassion through their actions. We know what it means to “go for broke!” like our motto says. Just yesterday, my younger cousin Richard threw himself toward a grenade to prevent it from taking those behind him. I was awed by his valiance in his last moments as he gasped for breath, saying “I did it for the flag. I went for broke.” Because people like Richard lived and died for the flag, I am compelled to carry on their legacy for as long as I live. I hope that our service will help show America that even though we are ethnically Japanese, we are true and loyal citizens of the United States, willing to fight for the flag no matter what it costs.
Texas, 2011
I am an eclectic person. It’s what makes me who I am. Everything from my hobbies, to my taste in food, to my ethnicity is mixed. I’m part English, part Navajo Indian, and part Japanese, but I’m one hundred percent American. I am named Grace, after an ancestor who was born around the time of the American Revolution. My name is a constant reminder of the sacrifices that made this nation what it is today. Every time one of my grandfathers tells me about my family’s history, my heart is touched at the fact that my relatives fought so selflessly for the future. My grandpa once told me about his cousin, my great uncle, who willingly ran towards a grenade in order to prevent it from killing anyone else. Grandpa’s voice was trembling. “He was only three or four years older than you, yet he understood the magnitude of selflessness in war. If it weren’t for Richard, I might not have survived World War II to tell you this”. In a seemingly infinite moment of silence, I quietly thanked my great uncle with tears and humble gratitude. Even though my other grandfather, Papa Sam, was a pacifist, he valued his country over himself. He fought in World War II as a Navajo code talker. “War can be traumatizing”, he told me, “but the flag gave me something to hold onto”. At my school’s homecoming rally last week, I sang the national anthem. I was ecstatic about the occasion– it’s been something I have dreamed about since I was a little girl. I finally had the chance to publically declare the words that meant everything to me. As I sang each line, I envisioned the star spangled banner rippling gloriously in the wind amongst scenes of American victories. I realized that to me, the star spangled banner is a binding symbol of our unity as a nation. Her rich detail, history, scars and stitches are reflective of how far we have come as a country. The flag manifests our loyalty to the principles of freedom upon which we were founded.
----
She was destined for greatness. Born in the humble Philadelphia home of an upholsterer, she was created with boundless hope for the future. The members of the Continental Congress adopted her, agreeing that her white stars in a blue field would represent a new constellation. Her beauty is proudly displayed everywhere: atop buildings, homes, schools, churches, even the moon. Though she has been burned, tried, and tested throughout history, she has always been noble, graceful, and dignified. The star spangled banner has come to mean more to us than a representation of our freedom, but also an embodiment of the resilient American spirit. Because of all she means to us, we have fought with the utmost loyalty to protect her. She is here for each of us, regardless of whether we are a part of a minority or a majority, regardless of what our outward opinions and appearances reveal about us. She reminds us that despite our differences, we are all American.
--
Return to the Scholarship Contest page.
Return to the Joe Foss Institute home page.
|
