Anthony goes to Washington DC

Anthony Zendejas, who has been studying the history of POWs of the Japanese and making many presentations, won 1st place for Washington State Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy Audio/Essay contest and has been awarded $1700 in Scholarships and 2 all expenses paid trips to Washington D.C.

On the first trip he will compete for up to $30,000 in scholarships, tour museums and possibly meet the President.

On the second trip he will attend the American Leaders Youth Summit where he will attend leadership and civic workshops, tour Philadelphia, study free enterprise, and learn from "Living History Presenters."

The first trip is March 5-10, the second trip is June 17-20.

Here is Anthony's prize winning essay:

In the Midst of Heroes by Anthony Zendejas IV

There are critics in this world who say, “America has no heroes.” But, I have met hundreds of heroes, hugged them, spoken with them, and I have seen their lives unfold in tears in front of me.

Over the past four years I have had the privilege of meeting and documenting the experiences of 35 former American Prisoners held captive by the Japanese during World War II. Twenty of them were survivors of the Bataan Death March. These men were tortured, made to endure slave labor and were systematically dehumanized for over three years. Their stories compelled me to write a fifteen minute one man play where I portray their heroic sacrifice for our freedom. These great American heroes may have come back from battle in the flesh, but their souls are on the other side of the ocean still in battle weeping for their lost brothers.

Because I have performed my play and told the POW’s story in Veteran’s and Memorial Day ceremonies numerous times locally and nationally, I have had the opportunity to speak with hundreds of other veterans who fought in Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, and the Global War on Terror. These brave men and women have walked through the valley of the shadow of death and lived the horror that is war. Their stories have painted vivid pictures in my mind. I see images of men held captive in combat, with their eyes sunken in, and their jaws jutted out. I see their will to fight, to survive, and to win. I have learned that a hero isn’t made from the uniform they wear, but by what is in their hearts, what fills their being and propels them to do the uncommon.

A hero is the one who struggles to carry on the fight even as the world is hell all around. She is the nurse on Bataan choosing to stay behind to care for the sick and wounded even after Bataan has fallen. He is the man who carries his buddy back from the front lines even though he has been shot himself. He is the chopper pilot taking enemy fire as he picks up his wounded comrades.  He is the prisoner of war who survives a year in solitary confinement in a cold dank cell, given only bread and water.   

He is also the man who carries on after the war is over, going home to raise his family, all the while the terror he faced in battle lives on, breathing as a foreboding shadow in his heart for the rest of his life.

When I meet veterans I am surprised to find how truly humble they are. They don’t wear a mask of false majesty, nor do they strive to be noticed. In their humility they tell me over and over that the real heroes are the men and women who died in service to our country. They say the real heroes are those who lie beneath unmarked graves and polished white head stones. Along with the lost hero is the wife who bravely faces the night alone, the widow who clings to a pillow at night where her husband used to be, the mother who answered “that” knock on the door, and the son who whispers, “I love you daddy,” to the photo taped to his bedroom wall.

Likewise, I know that the one who returns from battle is also a hero. He is a father who kisses his daughter on the head and shows love to his family. He bravely strives to look on the world with joy, joy for being alive and free even as his mind is telling him the night will be long and tomorrow will be a dark day. The hero is the one, who fights for his buddy beside him, the one who dies for something greater than himself.       

I have stood in the company of great and honorable men and women who sacrificed more than we will ever know for this great country. They have told me their stories, and made me feel like I was there. I felt like I was standing next to them with my back to the sun in the midst of a fight. I have seen the eyes of heroes rimmed with sad and bitter tears as they relived their history, some of them telling their story for the first time. I have seen their eyes filled with tears of joy, and happiness as they reflected on what it really means to be free. And through their eyes I see humility, even though these common men and women have done the uncommon. In their hearts, I see the love they have for their fallen brothers and sisters, their friends, and their families.

It is these honorable men and women who are heroes. Their history lives inside of me. Their heroic sacrifice and the way they live their lives has shaped my life, and in meeting them, I wish with all my heart that I can be as they are. Yes, America does have heroes. It is an honor to stand in the midst of them, to admire them, and to remember their sacrifice.
 

Anthony with Thomas J. Tradewell Sr. VFW National Commander in Chief
 

Anthony's one-person play on rescuing POWs and Hellships　(written when he was 14.)

Another prize winning essay written when he was 16.
My Role in Honoring America’s Veterans: Portraying the Reality of True Sacrifice