BY STEPHEN H. COWLES/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Playback58@gmail.com

COURTLAND—Hunter Britt, a seventh-grader at Southampton Academy in Courtland, has earned a triple honor for both the American Legion Post 73 in Franklin and herself.

During an assembly on April 12, Britt was noted for her essay in this year’s American Legion Americanism Essay Contest.

She was presented first place for the 4th District Americanism Essay Contest by District Commander James Rovinski from Post 120 in Disputanta.

Further, Department Commander Issac Kelley from Post 2 in Petersburg said he was quite pleased to travel to Courtland and present Britt as the first-place winner in Virginia’s 2013 Americanism Essay Contest.

“I had never won anything like this,” said Britt, 13. “I was ecstatic. I was happy.”

Her previous efforts have included her entry, “The Magic Pencil” for a writing contest in third grade.

Britt recalled her teacher, Doris Rawlings, had assigned she and her classmates 45 minutes to write essays for the competition this past February.

“I thought about everything that soldiers do for us,” Britt said about what inspired her entry.

Britt learned of her local win about three weeks later.

Britt got $25 for the first entry, then $50 for the district and $250 for the state recognition.

The money is being saved up to buy a dirt bike.

“I love dirt bikes,” Britt said. She is the daughter of Dana Britt, who works as a nurse at the academy.

“The contest has been going on for years,” Post 73 Adjutant Carroll Cannon told The Tidewater News.

“There are 14 posts in our district (4th), and she won district and state levels. The first time for our post,” he said. “It’s just been a welcome deal for us.”

Last year, Lucy Gray of Southampton Academy was named runner up for the 4th District, and Cannon said he looks forward to even more entries next year.

Post 73 Commander David Flythe said that after Britt had won first place locally in February, her essay had been sent to the next level for further review.

To read Hunter’s winning essay, click here.