Art & Essay contest winners

All the Art & Essay/Poetry project published on this page are on display at Scobee Diner
Located on the corner of Northern Blvd. and Little Neck Pkwy.

The End of World War II
World War II
The second Great War
That ravaged the world
From every mountain to shore.

It started with a people
They were abused, downtrodden
For how they would act
With an attack
A march on a country called Poland.
With a maniacal leader
That we called Hitler
0 sir, How we hate him now.

In 1939 it began
0 how it was fought
For six long years
0 what havoc was wrought.

But in 1945
All hope was not lost
We put faith in President Truman
But for what cost?

How did this war end?
The second Great War
How did we stop the fighting
For what we stood for?

The price was great
by Presidential order:
Two atomic bombs
Were to be dropped
On our enemy, Japan.

So much killing, so much strife
0 so much loss of life.

For what price is freedom?
For what cost is war?
Are people expendable?
Millions killed to save millions more?
What is the price of that freedom
From shore to shore?

By the year 1945
Millions died
We have much to remember
Every dying ember
Every light of liberty
That those people died for.

I am 10 years old. What do I know about WWII? What do I know about
liberation and freedom? The following is an interview with my Grandpa
Frank, a WWII Veteran.

What kind of training was required?

I turned 17, left school and joined the US Navy. My training was
boot camp which consisted of eight weeks of physical training,
school and discipline training. There was a lot of Yes Sir, No Sir
and going to bed at specific times.

Where were you stationed?

I was on the USS Navara, an attack transport and LST #335, a
landing ship tank. I was a seaman responsible for handling lines
from the ship to the dock. I was assigned to a 40mm gun.

What did the war accomplish?

We went to war to protect America. The spirit of freedom carried us
through the difficult years of war and helped us liberate people
from unjust situations.
Were you scared?
Sometimes I was lonesome. I did make friends with shipmates. I
went to gun training at Pacific Beach, Washington. As the target
planes flew over, many guns fired. I never experienced anything
like that. My knees buckled.

How did you feel the day the war ended?

Joyous. I was at the Naval Mine Depot taking defective
ammunition out to sea.

What advice to you have for soldiers going out to war?

Be physically fit, spiritually grounded and have hope that Peace will
come. Know that the job you are doing is to keep Americans free.

Every year my Grandfather watches the Little Neck - Douglaston
Memorial Day Parade. I am proud that my Grandpa fought to keep
people safe and that he is able to share this with me today.

THE CRY'S OF WWII

Just marching by,
To the sounds of battle cry's.
With tears in our eyes
Hoping we will not die.

We see jets fly,
Bombing us from the sky.
Even though we cry,
Our spirits are still high.

The red, white and blue
makes all stand true.
To fight for the right,
To be you!!

Goodbye World War II (WWII)

It was a time of happiness for the soldiers who
fought. It was a time of glory and miracle for the
people who heard. It was the time that the
United States of America (U.S.A) had ended
WWII. They fought on the side of North Korea
who versed the Japanese and South Korea.
There were people cheering (the side that won)
and sobbing (the side that lost) everywhere as
they heard the news and there were soldiers
from North Korea and the U.S.A throwing their
muskets up into the air and being happy that the
time (the time they had risked their life and
almost died) was over. The smoke rose up far
into the air and away leaving the soldiers and
townspeople to forget the smell of gunpowder
from WWII. Factories were free to open and
slaves were set free with peace, freedom and
abolition (the right to vote). Now they knew
there would be peace for a while.

THE END OF WORLD WAR II

IN ORDER FOR WORLD WAR II TO END, PRESIDENT HARRY S. TRUMAN HAD TO MAKE THE DECISION TO DROP THE ATOM BOMB. HITLER HAD KILLED MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS.

OUR COUNTRY STOOD UNITED. CITIZENS HELPED IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE FOR THE WAR EFFORT.

TWO ATOM BOMBS HAD TO BE DROPPED IN ORDER TO STOP THE WAR. THIS BROUGHT JAPAN TO ITS KNEES. MUSSOLINI WAS ASSINATED. HITLER AND HIS MISTRESS, EVA BRAUN COMMITTED SUICIDE.

DURING THE WAR THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF OUR SERVICEMEN WERE KILLED. AFTER THE ATOM BOMBS WERE DROPPED, AN ARMISTICE WAS IMMEDIATELY SIGNED BY GENERAL MAC ARTHUR.

OUR INJURED SOLDIERS WERE SENT TO ST. ALBANS HOSPITAL. FOR YEARS, OUR FAMILY, VISITED THE INJURED SOLDIERS THAT RESIDE AT ST. ALBANS EXTENDED CARE CENTER. WE COLLECTED CARDS, GOODIES, AND POSTERS 'FROM THE NEARBY SCHOOLS. THE VETERANS APPRECIATED ALL THE CHILDREN DID FOR THEM AND WERE GLAD THAT THEY WERE NEVER FORGOTTEN.

MANY, MANY MONUMENTS WERE ERECTED TO HONOR THE DEAD SOLDIERS FROM WORLD WAR II. THERE IS ONE IN OUR SCHOOLYARD IN ST. ANASTASIA. AT THE BACK OF ST. ANASTASIAS' CHURCH, THE NAMES OF THE SOLDIERS WHO DIED IN THE WAR ARE LISTED. MY GRANDPARENTS LIVED IN THE HOUSE NEXT TO THE KOVARS. THEY LOST THEIR SON, JOHN KOVAR, IN WW II AND HIS BODY WAS NEVER FOUND.

ON SUNDAY, WE VISITED THE REPUBLIC AIRPORT ON LONG ISLAND. THERE ARE MANY AIRPLANES THAT CERTAINLY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE END OF WORLD WAR II.

I PRAY FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES. MY UNCLE, EDWARD R. KRAMER WHO ATTENDED ST. ANASTASIA SCHOOL IS A LT. COLONIAL IN THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE. I AM GOING TO WRITE TO HIM SO THAT HE CAN TELL THE MEMBERS OF THE AIR FORCE THAT HE KNOWS THAT LITTLE NECK-DOUGLASTON PARADE COMMITTEE SUPPORTS THEM. I HAVE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL ABOUT WORLD WAR II BECAUSE OF YOUR CONTEST.

The United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps
How rich in tradition
Three words describe their motto
Honor, Courage and Commitment

As we celebrate the Corps Anniversary
Two hundred thirty are the years
We are proud of their sacrifice
Sometimes holding back the tears

Many Marines have lost their lives
For the freedoms we cherish
`First to Fight' is there motto
Never fearing they may perish

Marines wear their emblem proudly
Eagle, Globe and Anchor
The symbols of air, land and sea
Wherever their service may be

Happy 230th Anniversary US Marine Corps
Many more years may you lead
From all your thankful Americans
From sea to shining sea

MaryAnne Barone's Tribute To The U.S. Marine Corps.The official Motto of the U.S. Marine Corps is
"Semper Fidelis" Latin for "Always Faithful"
The U.S. Marine Corps has played an important role in history. The Marine
Corps, as well as all the other men and women who serve our country daily, are protectors of freedom.
We, as Americans, would not be able to do the things we do because we would not have freedom of choice.
Many evil people have tried to change this and take away our freedom.
To protect our freedom all these years is a big achievement.
And with this thought in my mind of the great accomplishment that the
Marines have done I wrote a poem dedicated at them. The title of my poem is:
FREEDOM

Freedom - Are there anywhere people who desire to be free?
Freedom is for those who would look up to the sky
And pray to God for liberty and justice for all.
People have the right to live their life the way they want.
If people have no night to choose, they would not have liberty or freedom.
Freedom is our natural right.
Freedom is such a simple thought and so many can not understand it.
Those who are confused and don't understand it want to take it away.
But have no fear because the U.S. Marines are here to protect us day and night.
The U.S. Marines protects our right to live one's life as each one decides the way they
want.
Liberty is for all ... the brave and strong, the weak and coward,
The rich and the poor too.
We can all huddle underneath the flag, bought and paid for by our blood
All are free to make a choice to live, be it bad or be it good -
It is Freedom!
And Freedom can ring loud and clear from East to West, North and South because it is
protected day in and day out by all the men and women who serve this land of ours!

World War II Reflection

We are taught that freedom rings,
That justice will serve many things.
We should be proud of the wars we have won,
And all of the noble things we have done.
But noble doesn't come to mind,
When the war is over and ruins left behind.

World War II was suppos to be,
The end of war for you and me.
It was the war to end all wars,
And thousands died to serve the cause.
The Marines offered their strongest hand,
To defend our country from Europe and Japan.

Many lives had now been lost,
We feared it wasn't worth the cost.
The President devised a plan,
And dropped a bomb upon Japan.
It wasn't long till they surrendered,
And the war officially ended.

You have to sit and wonder why,
We call it winning when so many died.
Thank you to those who help to protect,
And gave our generation time to reflect.
If we had the vision to see its end,
Would we of had the courage to let it begin?

The last Monday in May is Memorial Day
This is the day for soldiers we thank and pray
We go to parades dressed in red. white, and blue
We go knowing that to our country, we must be True

We salute the soldiers, some young some old
They all deserve a star of royal gold

Some of the soldiers, we remember fought in recent years
They were afraid but had to conquer their fears

The soldiers that fought in World War II
lead to fight on land, on sea, or even in jets they flew

Even though it is hard for these great men to stand tall
Because of them our country did not fall

Some sacrificed their lives to rid the world of evil men
They made sure that Hitler would not come back again

Some of these soldiers are old and gray
However, what they gave us, we can never repay

If not for these soldiers of World War II
We would not be saluting our flag of red white and blue
That is why this Memorial day
our veterans we should praise and thank them always for
the rest of their days

THE MARINES
" From the halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli
"Fighting for America
To keep all people free.

They are part of our armed forces
We call them "soldiers of the fleet"
They have protected us in every war
Tliey take every challenge that they meet.

They kept their motto "always faithful"
And in the end we were all saved
'Today we all live free
Because they were so very brave.

They celebrate their birthday
Each year on the tenth of November
Two hundred and thirty years of service
It is important that we remember.

The oldest gets the first piece
Of their traditional birthday cake
The youngest gets the second
And then they-all partake.

These are the United States Marines!

The End of World War II

The end of World War II marked a turning point in world history. For the Jews in the concentration camps, it was a dream come true. When they saw the American soldiers coming, they knew that their suffering had ended at last. America has always been a symbol of liberty and justice.
The conclusion of World War II sparked an awareness period throughout the world. The treatment of those who did not belong to the Aryan race by the Nazis concerned others. People realized the importance of things they had begun to take for granted. They wanted to make sure that history wouldn't repeat itself. They wanted to protect and guarantee freedom, justice and peace for every person. This resulted in the birth of the United Nations.
The real victory was not for the United States and its allies, it was a victory for humanity. How do we thank those many Americans who risked their lives safeguarding freedom and peace? We can never thank them enough, but we can we come close by showing appreciation and gratitude for their work. Not only is that the best thank you anyone can ever get, but also the best birthday gift the Marine Corps can receive on their 230th birthday.
The demise of World War II sparked many things. But most importantly, it brought a realization to people that freedom and peace were precious gifts that we had to spread to the rest of the world.

The Fight for freedom.
Ends at Last!!

The Fight for Freedom
is the Marine Corps' destiny.
And now we celebrate their courage,
their 230"' birthday, their prestige.

The Fight for Freedom
is long and, hard.
There is no sense of personal regard.

The Fight for Freedom
cost many lives,
All these Who Failed to survive.

The Fight for Freedom
divides people into enemies and allies.
Those who are our friends kind those in disguise.

The Fight for Freedom
is fought by the Marine Corps,
at all times, in all wars.

The Fight for Freedom
is never fought for our enemy's defeat,
but, for justice.

The Fight f or Freedom
is the Marine Corps' destiny.
And now we celebrate their courage,
their 230th birthday, their prestige.

Honor to the Marine Corps

Memorial Day is a time to reflect,
To give our armed forces honor and respect.
Defending our freedom during World War II,
They fought against tyranny for me and for you.
A tyrant named Hitler tried to create,
A world full of people called the Aryan race.
Our soldiers marched in and stood up to this man,
And they put an end to his hideous plan.
But not before sixty million people had died.
Now 60 years later we live freely with pride.
The Army, the Navy, and Marines as you know,
Fight for our freedom wherever they go.
Freedom doesn't come easy, we defend it each day.
The Marines celebrate their 230d' year
Of defending the freedom that we hold so dear.
They fought many battles and lost many lives.
Because of these sacrifices our freedom survives.
So we honor our service men in a special way.
With parades, flags, and speeches,
On Memorial Day.

The War of all Wars
The 7th of December, 1941,
for the Americans, the war had just begun.
Japanese fighter planes whistled overhead,
as unsuspecting Americans were still snuggled in bed.
The very next day, on the 8th of December,
would be a day we would all remember.
America finally entered World War 11,
what would happen from here, God only knew.
We took on a task to bring peace to all nations,
to protect and to serve all of creation.
Four long years later, 700,000 Americans lay dead.
We need to remember it was for us that they bled.
In 1945, on August the 6th, America made a first,
we actually dropped an atomic bomb on the earth.
Hiroshima was the first on the list,
and then Nagasaki the atomic bomb didn't miss.
Finally, on September 2nd, 1945,
we declared V-J Day, which means in simpler terms,
VICTORY WAS OURS; it's what we had earned.
Hoorahl Hoorah!
For the good old U S of A!

" The End Of World War II
The 230th Birthday Of The Marine Corps".

Its now the twenty-first century, and World War II is now in our past,
yet it will forever be in our hearts and will be a memory no one could ever
forget. World War II, the days our lives changed forever.

World War II brought such grief to many, including families whose
loved ones were in the U.S. Marine Corps. The US Marine Corps saw things
that we would never want to see, never want to experience, yet they stayed
brave for us and fought for our freedom and theirs.

The war was a horror film that couldn't be shut off. Man kept
fighting, bodies were piled high, blood was everywhere, grounds stained
with it. Imagine, you're in a dark place and all you can hear is the "pop" of a
rifle, or someone crying in the distance in pain, even worse, the silence of
the dead.

We salute all the men, the army, Navy, Marines and all who fought to
win the war and give us peace. It's now the year 2005 and we celebrate the
230th birthday of the marine Corps and how they fought for us in our past
years, gave us their blood, sweat and tears, and how they still fight for us
today in the new war. May they win us peace again as they did long ago.
May our world one day be filled again with truth, honor and peace. To the
Marines and all who fight for us, thank you!!!

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Grand Prize Abena Opam, St. Anastasia, 8th grade
4^th Grade 1^st place Kate Goldman, P.S. 98	4^th Grade 2nd place Paul Joseph Rifino, P.S. 98	4^th Grade 3rd place Brett Landau, P.S. 98
5^th Grade 1^st place Janna Lynn Kramer, St. Anastasia	5^th Grade 2nd place Robert Matelsky, St. Anastasia	5^th Grade 3rd place Mary Anne Barone, St. Anastasia
6^th Grade 1st place Krista Marino, St. Anastasia	6^th Grade 2nd place Ali Russo, St. Anastasia	6^th Grade 3rd place Leah DeEgidio, St. Anastasia
7th Grade 1st place Sarah Mahmood, M.S. 67	7th Grade 2nd place Heena Manglani, M.S. 67	7th Grade 3rd place Sarah Kohler, St. Anastasia
8th Grade 1^st place Laura Matelsky, St. Anastasia	8th Grade 2nd place Steven Critelli, PS 266	8th Grade 3rd place Kate O'Byrne, St. Anastasia