Faces of Freedom

  • Published
  • By Dana Schleich
  • Hanson School

Dana Schleich is the cousin of Staff Sgt. Angela TerMeer, 52nd Fighter Wing Inspections, Plans and Programs security manger. Dana is a fourth grader at Hanson School in South Dakota and received first place in a poem contest for her poem about Sergeant TerMeer when she was in third grade. The contest, sponsored by the American Legion, was themed "America - Home Of The Brave, Land That I Love." 

Dana was inspired to write the poem about her cousin as Sergeant TerMeer is the only person she knows serving in the military. Dana and her family have other connections to the Eifel area - their family name is from the town Schleich -- about 25 miles north of Spangdahlem -- where her great, great grandfather emigrated from to the U.S.

Faces of Freedom
My cousin comes home, freedom has arrived.
She takes off her uniform, freedom has arrived.
She comes home to play with us, freedom has arrived.
She helps the family all the time, freedom has arrived.
Nine weeks later the plane has taken off.
Freedom will always be with me, even though she's gone.
She will keep freedom for those living in the prairie land.
She will bring freedom to the whole world, freedom has arrived.
She went to Iraq to be a guard for the Air Force.
She has to tell them where they go to fight for freedom.
We will welcome her home with open arms.
Freedom has arrived.