Three students at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School have been recognized as winners of the American Legion Flag Essay Contest. The three winners are Viviana Delacruz – 1st place, Caleb Tripp – 2nd place, and Reed Baker – 3rd place. Angie Mayer’s fifth grade class studied the history of American flag, the meaning of the flag’s design and flag etiquette. The fifth graders wrote flag essays which were then judged by American Legion members. American Legion representatives from Sanborn, Melvin and Hartley presented each of the three winners with a certificate and a small monetary award as part of the Middle School Awards Ceremony held May 19. Following are the winning essays:

First Place
Flag Essay
by Viviana Delacruz
Is the Flag really that important? Yes, the flag is really important to America, but have you ever asked yourself why it is important? To me, the flag means freedom and justice, but that is not all it is. The flag also represents America. It has 50 stars; those 50 stars represent the 50 states, and the 13 stripes represent the 13 colonies. If we ever added another state, we would put the 51st star on the flag on the following 4th of July.
Have you ever heard of flag etiquette? Flag etiquette refers to how we treat the flag and what we are not supposed to do to the flag. The flag cannot touch the floor; if it does, you have to burn it, but you can’t burn it yourself. You have to take it to the American Legion so they can burn it properly. Another one is you cannot use the flag for a blanket, clothing, or a curtain. There is a really important one: you cannot change the colors of the flag or change how it looks. 
Are you wondering how to give respect to the flag? When you put a flag up, you have to put it up fast, but when you take it down, you have to take it down slowly and proudly. You have to light the flag, and if you don’t have a light on it, you have to take it down before night comes. When you are saying the Pledge, you have to put your right hand over your heart. If you are a veteran or soldier, you have to salute the flag. These actions are how we show respect for the flag and for our country because the flag represents the beautiful country I live in!

Second Place
The Flag
by Caleb Tripp
What does the flag mean to you? To me, the flag IS America. This means that what you do to our flag, you are doing to America. Some flag etiquette is when you see it in a parade you would stand up to show honor to the flag and our country. When people are singing the national anthem at baseball or football games, you take your head wear off and you put your right hand over your heart.
When people display the flag with the union (stars) in the wrong spot, that is a violation of the Flag Code because you’re always supposed to have it on the left side when displayed against a wall. Don’t ever let the flag touch the ground or if you do, you have to burn it. The flag has thirteen stripes for the thirteen colonies of the United States and 50 stars for the 50 states. When you put our flag up with other flags, none of them can be on the right or above the American flag because that would make it disrespectful. If you disrespect the flag, you are disrespecting the country. If there are multiple flags, the American flag has to be in the middle and has to be on the highest pole. We leave the flag up on federal holidays. On Memorial Day, the flag should be at half staff until noon. If the president or an old president dies, the flag should be at half-staff for 30 days. If the governor dies, it should be at half-staff for ten days. That’s some of the information I know about the flag and what the flag means to me. It means a lot to me and to our country, and it should be respected.

Third Place
The Flag
by Reed Baker
What does the flag mean to you? It means to me freedom and that soldiers fight for us and our rights. The flag should be respected by all. Do not make fun of it. It represents America, so we should follow flag etiquette. Flag etiquette means the way you treat it, and we should be respectful. Do not let the flag touch the ground. It cannot be used for clothing. Make sure you put it up right. To respect the flag when the national anthem is playing, take off your hat and put your hand on your heart. Do not use the flag as clothing, but it can be used to cover a soldier or veteran’s coffin. Do not stomp on it, kick it, or cut the flag. You should not write on the flag.
Another fact is that America has had a lot of different flags. One of the flags had a snake on it because our early colonies were always watching for danger. There was one flag with the stars in a circle. The 50 stars represent the 50 states. The 13 stripes represent the 13 colonies. At night, there has to be a light on the flag. If there is a hole in the flag, take it to the American Legion. You may not burn the flag by yourself; only the people at the American Legion should do that. When you take down the flag, fold it correctly. When you are done folding, it should be in a triangle. I had fun learning about the flag and how to treat it. I will respect the flag forever.