ASHLAND – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) has announced Bryant Day, an eighth grade student from Ashland, has been selected the national first-place winner and recipient of a $5,000 award in its 2023-2024 Patriot’s Pen essay contest.
Day, who was sponsored by VFW Post 9943 and its Auxiliary located in Mansfield, wrote his winning essay based on this year’s theme, “How Are You Inspired by America?”
As the national first place winner, Day was presented with his award at the 2024 VFW Washington Conference during tonight’s Parade of Winners award ceremony in Washington, D.C., where he delivered his winning essay before conference attendees.
Since its inception nearly 30 years ago, the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen essay competition has helped foster patriotism by encouraging young minds to examine our nation’s history along with their own experiences in modern American society while improving their writing skills.
Open to eligible sixth, seventh and eighth grade students, the competition requires students to submit a 300- to 400-word essay expressing their views on a selected patriotic theme while competing for their share of nearly $1 million in awards and prizes.
Nearly 55,800 students participated in this year’s competition. Day competed at the national level against 53 other state finalists vying for individual awards ranging from $500 to $5,000. The VFW awarded more than $55,000 in national awards this year. View the full list of 2024 Patriot’s Pen National winners here.
Learn more about the Patriot’s Pen program here.
About Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is the nation’s largest and oldest major war veterans organization.
Founded in 1899, the congressionally chartered VFW is comprised entirely of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces.
With more than 1.4 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in nearly 6,000 Posts worldwide, the nonprofit veterans service organization is proud to proclaim “NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS” than the VFW, which is dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs.
For more information or to join, visit the website at vfw.org.