Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette Forty-four Lake Linden-Hubbell students were recognized for their essays in the Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy contests Friday, including VOD first-place winner Jade O’Dell, second from left.

LAKE LINDEN — Forty-four Lake Linden-Hubbell students reflected on what veterans mean to them in essays submitted as part of Veterans of Foreign Wars’ essay contests.

Friday afternoon, members of Hubbell’s VFW Post 4624 recognized all of them in a special ceremony, as it has been doing for several years.

Post member Jim Huovinen said it was important to honor the students’ accomplishments and work. That’s especially true for the Voice of Democracy contest, where students not only have to write a longer essay, but record themselves reading it.

“It makes the kids think about the history of the country,” he said. “A lot of them had fathers and mothers and grandparents that served in the military, so a lot of these kids weave that in.”

The first-place winners — Kyara Mills for the Patriot’s Pen essay, and Jade O’Dell for the Voice of Democracy audio essay — each received plaques.

Middle and high schools have separate essay contests, each with its own topic chosen annually by the national VFW commander.

High schools compete in the Voice of Democracy contest. Students record audio essays of three to five minutes. This year, students answered, “Why Is The Veteran Important?”

It’s a personal question for O’Dell, an 11th-grader at Lake Linden-Hubbell High School. Her father, grandfather, brother and uncles have all served.

“I wrote about my family because I come from a family of veterans and how proud I am of them and all the work that they’ve done,” she said. “…I wasn’t really competing for the money or prize. I’m just really proud of my family.”

Aside from one uncle who was in the Air Force, all were in the Army. Their service differed, but demanded something of each of them: Her grandfather served in the Vietnam War. Her father served in Korea during peacetime, but still recalled grueling training.

“…{V}eterans aren’t people to be written off,” she wrote. “They’re real people, with real families, with lives, with people who love them, who put that all on hold to keep us safe each and every day.”

The award, O’Dell’s first for writing, came as a shock to her. She’d been expecting one of her other classmates to win.

Her father got to hear her essay before she submitted it.

“He loved it,” O’Dell said. “I think he’s going to be super happy that I won.”

Middle school students participated in Patriot’s Pen, a contest in which they write 300- to 400-word essays about each year’s topic. This year’s was “My Pledge to Our Veterans.”

Mills also has veterans in her family, in her case great-grandparents, uncles and cousins. Her pledges included thanking veterans for their service, regardless of whether they served in wartime or peacetime, and encouraging people to visit nursing homes and hang out with veterans.

“Through all I have read most veterans love getting cards from kids and people,” she said. “We could also play board games with them or paint with the veterans. I would recommend listening to their stories if they want to tell them.”

Top-three finishers in each contest also received checks. Mills was joined by second- and third-place winners Ashlyn Steves and Bernie Fortin. In Voice of Democracy, runners-up were Allison Corrigan and Rebecca Lyons.

Three teachers and Superintendent Brad Codere also received gifts of laser-engraved insulated mugs.

The top three Patriot’s Pen essays and O’Dell’s Voice of Democracy entry will compete at the district level, made up of the western half of the Upper Peninsula. The first-place winners at District go on to state, and then potentially nationals.