Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Flight open house contest winners selected

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Two winners were selected June 4 for the Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Flight Open House coloring and writing contests.

Four-year-old Axel Hernandez-Rodriguez won the 2009 Dover Air Force Base coloring contest and 19-year-old Caroline Andrews won the essay-writing contest.

Hernandez-Rodriguez's Air Force Thunderbirds coloring was selected as the best of more than 100 submissions. Children between the ages of four and nine were eligible to participate in the contest created for the open house, which is scheduled at Dover AFB June 20-21.

Second place in the coloring contest was eight-year-old Jack Markussen. Third place was eight-year-old Nathan Below.

The following is the winning essay:

"Why I Love America"
By - Caroline Andrews

Two hundred plus years, and still going strong. Since her birth, the United States of America has continually defied the odds. Having started out as a mere colony of Great Britain, nowadays we are one of the great superpowers of the world. The reason for this success can be expressed in one word: freedom. Freedom is a broad concept with innumerable applications. However, when reduced to its essence, freedom is both a gift and a responsibility. As a gift, freedom is both the respect for one's self and for others. The responsibility of freedom comes in defending attacks against it and in taking all efforts to preserve it.

Our forefathers deemed freedom to be a basic human right granted to each of us by our creator. It inspires us to be our best and to encourage the best in our fellow citizens. All peoples of this country, regardless of heritage, share a common interest in safeguarding freedom because it serves as the foundation for all things good about our wonderful country. So, when asked why I love America, the answer is simple. I love the United States of America because our freedom enables us to defy all odds and prosper.