What does the flag mean to you?

Each year, the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn fifth graders complete a flag unit in language arts class. They learn about flag etiquette, the history of the United States flag, and the different branches of the U.S. military. The students, along with their teacher, Angie Mayer, even go through each part of the U.S. Flag Code.

At the end of the unit, the students are left with a better understanding of what the flag represents and how to show it respect. They then write an essay of 300 words or less reflecting on what the flag means to them, being sure to include information from the Flag Code.

The local American Legion posts in Hartley, Melvin and Sanborn then vote on and choose the Top 3 winners. This year's selections were Harper Wiersma, Kaley Johnson and Clara Mohni, who received certificates and checks last week from local Legion members at the middle school awards ceremony.

The U.S. Flag

By Harper Wiersma, Hartley

1st Place

The flag is more than just a piece of cloth. Our flag stands for our country and our freedom. As you know, the flag has 13 stripes and 50 stars but that is not all. Did you know that the colors such as red, white, and blue have meanings? What do they mean? The blue means loyalty and faith, the red means courage, and lastly, the white means liberty and equality. Have you ever wondered what the little blue part on the top left corner is called? It is called the union, which represents the 50 states.

There are some rules that must always be followed with our American flag. One rule is it should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground or floor. The flag should never be dipped down when holding it. It should always stay upright because the country should never bow down to any person or thing. The flag should be put up in the morning and taken down at night. If you leave it up all the time, there always must be a light shining on it when it is dark. When more flags, such as the state flag, are on the same pole, the U.S. flag should always be on the top. Nothing else comes above us.

The US flag should always be respected. Many men and women have fought and lost their lives fighting for our country's freedom. Two of my grandfathers were in the military. They were in the Navy and the Army. This is why the flag is important and not just a piece of cloth to me. It stands for the 2 F's: Family and Freedom.

Old Glory

By Kaley Johnson, Hartley

2nd Place

What does the flag mean to me? To me the flag means us. The flag means America. It means even more to me because my grandpa served in the U.S Navy. When someone who served in the military dies, they will drape the U.S flag on the casket without it touching the ground. They have the flag on the casket with the union by the head and over the left shoulder. When the casket is going into the ground, do not put the flag down with the casket. You must take it off before lowering it into the ground. While they are lowering the casket, you will fold that flag a certain way. First you need to fold it vertically twice. Then you have to fold it like a triangle all the way down. When you are done folding it, you hand it to one of the person's family members.

Have you ever wondered what the colors on the flag mean? The red stripes on the flag mean courage. There are seven red lines on the flag. The white stripes stand for liberty and equality. There are six white lines on the flag. That means there are thirteen stripes for the thirteen original colonies on Old Glory. The blue stands for loyalty and faith. The blue part is called the union. There are 50 stars in the union standing for the 50 states in the U.S.

There are a couple nicknames for the flag. The nicknames are Old Glory, The Star Spangled Banner, Stars and Stripes, and last but not least the U.S flag/American flag, which is what most people call it. The flag has been through so many disasters and wars, and it is still standing with us today. Old Glory symbolizes us and respect.

Respect the Flag

By Clara Mohni, Hartley

3rd Place

What is the flag? The flag represents America. At first, I didn't really know about the flag. I just thought that it was there, and we needed to stand up and face it during the Pledge of Allegiance. Now I have learned a lot about the flag, and I think it's very important. We talked about the flag, and I started to understand that it means something. The flag stands for our country.

I learned how to take care of the flag. The flag gets burned when it is dirty or not usable. If it is ripped up, that's disrespectful because we are supposed to take good care of our flag and not treat it like trash. You should get a new flag and treat it respectfully. The Flag should be folded in a triangle if you're not using it. You should take it down at night. If you don't, you should shine a light on it because America should never be in darkness.

The flag's birthday is on June 14, 1777. The flag has three colors: red, white, and blue. The blue stands for justice, red stands for courage, and white stands for loyalty and liberty. You should never change the flag in any type of way. Only the president can change the Flag Code.

I learned a lot of facts about the flag, and I love the flag. It is an important piece of history, and our flag is more than just a piece of cloth. You should always respect the flag. I regret not paying attention to the flag when I was younger, but now I will never disrespect the flag.