The Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall, which comes to the Westfield Valencia Town Center from Sept. 26 to 29, represents a piece of our nation’s history.

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To help local students understand that history, the Friendly Valley Veterans Club is sponsoring an essay contest for fourth, fifth and sixth graders between Aug. 1 and 31.

“They don’t teach anything about Vietnam in schools,” said Chuck Morris, an organizer of the event. “I think it’s an important event in history.”

Students must answer the question “Why was the Vietnam War important to America?” in 500-700 words.

“They need to understand the sacrifices that were made,” Morris said, “so that they can have the advantages that they have today.”

Students can submit their entries to any one of the local Santa Clarita Valley libraries, including the Valencia Library, Old Town Newhall Library, Jo Anne Darcy Library, Castaic Library, Stevenson Ranch Library and Acton/Agua Dulce Library.

Winners will be notified in mid-September. Prizes will be awarded in the form of scholarship money: $1,000 for first place, $750 for second place and $500 for third place.

The winners will be announced at the opening ceremonies on Sept. 26 at 6 p.m., and the winning essays will be read aloud to visitors at the wall. For more information about the essay contest, the memorial wall and volunteer opportunities, click here.

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