PUTNAM — Commander Norman Beaupre and Auxiliary President Lorraine LaCroix of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Albert J. Breault Post 1523, announced the kick-off of this year’s VFW’s Voice of Democracy scholarship competition. Local high school students in public, private, parochial schools or being home-schooled have the opportunity to compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships and a trip to Washington, D.C. 

Deadline for student entries is Oct. 31 and interested students should contact their schools office and teachers.  For more information contact the Voice of Democracy Chairman Lisa Salisbury by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Students must write and record a three-to-five-minute essay on the selected theme using an audio CD or flash drive and present their recording, typed essay and completed entry form to their local VFW Post by Oct. 31.  

The 2017-2018 theme selected is “American History:  Our Hope for the Future.” Students begin by competing at the local Post level.  Post winners compete at the District level with the winner advancing to the state competition.

All state first-place winners receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. to tour the city, be honored by the VFW and its Auxiliary and receive their portion of $154,000 in national awards, the top scholarship being $30,000.