1 minute read
“The Real Heroes” - 1st Place - by Autumn Dempsey
THE REAL HEROES - FIRST PLACE
Autumn Dempsey*
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His Bronze Star collects dust in the oak dresser left of the hospital bed. A scratched silver dog tag hangs in the back of the closet. He will never boast, but he will never forget.
Years have passed since 1965, and the six years dedicated to the First Air Calvary still fixed in his mind.
His brown eyes are filled with stories that live on as memories. His sacrifices trail him for life, like a shadow. Each day he fights a battle we may not be able to see.
His legacy continues in that faded Army cap he wears religiously. He is valor. He is devotion. He wears red, white, and blue on his sleeve.
When he hears the Star-Spangled Banner play, he rises from his wheelchair, bound by nothing, and steadily places his hand over his heart.
