[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 17029]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    MY HERO 6TH GRADE ESSAY CONTEST

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I take a moment to honor Rebecca Sadler, 
who is this year's winner of my annual 6th Grade Essay Contest. Rebecca 
is from Brentwood, TN, and attends Woodland Middle School.
  This year's topic was ``A Salute to Community Heroes.'' Rebecca chose 
her dad, Jerry M. Sadler. Mr. Sadler died of cancer on November 11, 
1999. While we have a few minutes before closing, I thought I would 
read a few paragraphs from Rebecca Sadler's salute to her dad. It is 
entitled ``My Hero.''

       Heroes can be just about anyone. Some have earned Nobel 
     prizes. Some have led marches and protests. Some are world 
     leaders and some have been to the moon. Many have recorded 
     hit singles in the music industry. Others have made millions 
     from a simple story. But what really makes a hero? Are heroes 
     born or made? Do heroes look like movie stars or do they look 
     like the guy who waxes the floors at the end of the day? Are 
     they brave enough to take down an evil terrorist? Or are they 
     just brave enough for a roller coaster?
       My hero hasn't been to the moon. And he hasn't led a 
     protest. He didn't win a Nobel prize and he wasn't a world 
     leader. My hero was a friend, a husband, a brother, a cousin, 
     a father, a pilot, and one of the bravest people I've ever 
     known. My hero is my dad. He was a commander in the Navy 
     Reserve. He flew packages for FedEx. He had a wife, three 
     kids, four brothers, three sisters, a mother-in-law, sisters-
     in-law, brothers-in-law, numerous cousins, nieces and 
     nephews, and innumerable friends.
       The thing that made my dad a hero was that he was never 
     afraid and if he was, he never showed it. He was incredibly 
     honest. My dad was a friend to everyone. My dad would have 
     given his life for his family and his country. There was 
     nothing that my dad couldn't do. He was so strong. Every 
     morning I would walk into his room and say good morning. He 
     would gather up all his strength and as soon as I walked in 
     he would sit up, smile, and act like nothing was wrong.
       Heroes don't have to be superstars and they do not have to 
     beat any world records. They can be a parent, a teacher, a 
     counselor, or even a garbage man. But heroes have to be a 
     couple of things.
       They should be loving, honest, brave, loyal, and kind. They 
     should be kind to people who might not be as fortunate, 
     loving to family, and brave no matter what. They should be 
     loyal to friends, family, God, and their country. They must 
     be honest to their friends so you can trust them.
       My dad inspires me because he was all of the things that 
     make a hero. He inspires me because he never gave up, even in 
     the face of death.
       My dad inspires me to do the very best I can and to be the 
     very best I can be. He inspires me to fly someday. To say, 
     ``Yes, I can'' in the face of failure. He taught me to never 
     give up, no matter what, and he taught me to succeed. He 
     showed me how to be brave. He inspires me to be loyal to our 
     country, God, friends, and family. He taught me to be kind to 
     everyone, even complete strangers, and loving to family. He 
     inspires me to be me. My dad is my hero.
  That essay is from Rebecca Sadler, 6th grade essay contest winner. It 
is a contest I have all over the State on a different subject each 
year. This year was ``A Salute to Community Heroes.''
  Rebecca's dad Jerry M. Sadler, died of cancer on November 11th, 1999.
  She concludes:

       I was 7 years old and in the second grade. He left behind a 
     wife, three children, four brothers, three sisters, and many 
     others.

                          ____________________