3H Winning Essays | 2018

3H Winning Essay "What JFK Means to Me" by Liv Klawiter
I want to ask you all an important question. Have any of you ever had that feeling that you want to change [the] world?? I want to tell you about a very important person named John Fitzgerald Kennedy. JFK wasn’t just a man who achieved becoming the 35th president of the United States. He was a man of love, peace, and most of all hope. JFK brought hope and peace to this nation, lifting it up to the clouds, preventing wars and bringing peace land, and spreading a blanket of confidence over us. Without JFK our lives wouldn’t be this way, our lives are happier thanks to JFK. People still remember John F. Kennedy for changing the world with his bravery.
My first reason, when John F. Kennedy’s mom encouraged him and his brother – Joe Jr. – to enlist in the Navy – Joe Jr. enlisted in the United States Air Force during World War Two. John – or Jack as his parents called him – commanded a PT109 boat. But while they were patrolling the Atlantic Ocean – looking for Japanese ships – a Japanese destroyer rammed into their ship and split it in half. Two out of thirteen sailors died immediately – one half of the ship sunk but the other managed to stay afloat. The remaining crew members – including JFK – hung onto the remaining parts of their ship. After a while no one had come so JFK, while holding a burnt man – named Patrick McMahon – on his back by clenching the man’s life jacket strap between his teeth. They swam for 5 hours – 3 miles – until they swam to shore on an island there they met two Native Americans but they couldn’t communicate with each other.
But JFK was smart, he carved into a coconut. JFK wrote “NAURO ISL … COMMANDER … NATIVE KNOWS POS’IT… HE CAN PILOT … 11 ALIVE … NEED SMALL BOAT … KENNEDY”. The native delivered the message and they got rescued! JFK received two medals – the red cross and the Purple Heart. Unfortunately, Joe Jr. died in a plane crash – yes it was a huge sorrow for the Kennedy family but that is when his father starts pushing him to become president.
Do any of you know that special month? Well let me tell you, it was January 1961 when JFK was sworn in and would like to tell you more about it! If you didn’t know, JFK was very sick as a child! JFK had scarlet fever, whooping cough, measles, chicken pox, German measles, and much more! JFK also had back pain and needed crutches! On the day of the sworn in, it was very cold and almost everyone was wearing jackets or coats, even JFK. But when he did his speech he didn’t have his crutches and he took off his jacket and spoke to the crowd. Even though he wasn’t saying this his actions said “Yes, I may have been weak as a child and I may still be a bit weak, I am strong on the inside and if I’m strong on the inside I can be strong on the outside.” This shows people that he was strong and capable of raising our nation higher.
JFK sent people to invade Cuba but they all got captured or killed! But then in the 1961 People found out Russia sending nuclear bombs to Cuba and then JFK realized Cuba was pointing the bombs at USA! JFK Knew that if he didn’t do something soon USA and Cuba would go to war! Lots of people told JFK to going to war – at one point even one of JFK’s brothers told him to go to war (his name was Robert or Bobby as everyone called him.) But JFK still hesitated. JFK knew if he went to war all the nuclear bombs would destroy the world! So first JFK sent 108 American ships to the Caribbean. At the Caribbean the ships formed lines so no Russia ships could transport more bombs – not without a fight. Everyone was very happy to see the Russia ship turn around! For the next couple of days, JFK and Khrushchev made a treaty to stop testing nuclear bombs and Khrushchev agreed to remove the missile!
This is why people still remember JFK. I chose to write about these parts because – yes, JFK was assassinated but that doesn’t mean he is lost to history. A person would be lost to history if that person was forgotten but JFK is not lost to history – yes, his body physically died but his voice still lives on. JFK’s body did physically died he still lives in our hearts. We all need to keep loving him so his heart can live forever. In those acts of bravery John F. Kennedy shows us he is strong and can lift our nation higher, all the way up the moon.

 

3H Runner-Up Essay "What JFK Means to Me" by Willa Fehlau-Rae
Have you ever wondered what everyone speaking up for what they believed in would look like? JFK was the 35th president, born in Brookline, Massachusetts, 83 Beals St., on May 29, 1917, and went to Devotion. JFK (AKA John Fitzgerald Kennedy) wanted people to speak up for their opinions.
The Kennedys were Roman Catholic, and back then, Catholics had never been president because other people didn’t support them. But John ran for president anyway! It was worth running for, he won! JFK was the first Roman Catholic ever president. He stood up because he didn’t care that Catholics weren’t supported and won their support over anyway.
But he didn’t want only himself (and probably others to) standing up! So he gave a speech, and in that speech he said a sentence, which, almost immediately, became famous. That sentence was: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” In other words, that sentence meant: “Don’t ask for help you don’t need, help others who need help.”
But that’s not all he stood up for! JFK also stood up for African Americans. He got National Guard Troops to protect James Meredith, who was an African American that tried to register for classes at the all-white University of Mississippi, but was denied by Governor Ross Barnett. The guards would protect him from the jeering Americans outside the University. JFK stood up because he helped people who no one helped, like he said people should do in his speech.
JFK wanted people to speak up for their opinions. I chose to write about these 3 reasons that JFK helped people to stand up for their opinions because these few pieces of information inspired me, and I hoped they can do the same for you.