Valley View School District Announces VFW Essay Winner

ROMEOVILLE, IL —The winner of the Veterans of Foreign Wars' annual Patriot’s Pen Youth Essay Competition is A. Vito Martinez Middle School 7th grader Natalie Bell, Valley View School District announced Thursday. Bell, who has won the contest for the second year in a row, has a strong sense of patriotism, officials said, that comes from several family members serving in the armed forces.

"I honor the American flag because it's a symbol of freedom, determination and the bravery of our U.S. armed forces," Bell said, reading a portion of the essay in a video posted to the district's Facebook page.

Bell said her grandfather served during the Vietnam War, but that he hasn't shared much of his wartime experiences because it upsets him to talk about. Bell said she hopes to follow in his footsteps by joining the Air Force as a flight nurse.

Watch the full video up above.

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