Washington state youth wins 79th Oratorical Contest

First-time contestant Benjamin Crosby emerged from a competitive field of 52 high school orators to win first place in The American Legion’s 79th annual High School Oratorical Scholarship Program: “A Constitutional Speech Contest.”

Crosby, a homeschool sophomore from Burlington, Wash., is the first youth from the state to win the Legion contest, which began Saturday in Indianapolis where he competed against the other American Legion department youth champions. Sponsored by Memorial Post 91, Crosby was one of three finalists to advance through semifinals and quarterfinals to claim a spot in the Oratorical Contest finals on Sunday, where he presented his winning prepared oration, “Constitutional Literacy.”

“Making it to the final level (of the Oratorical Contest) from Washington state feels really great, and I just feel really honored and really blessed, especially because all the other 52 contestants were truly phenomenal,” said Crosby, an Eagle Scout. “The opportunity that The American Legion has given me is just immense because this type of benefit opens up so many more opportunities and prospects. Not sure where I’m going to college, but I know because of The American Legion’s help it will be a brighter future.”

Solomon Brown, a senior at Amanda Elzy High School in Greenwood, Miss., and sponsored by Post 200, earned a $16,000 scholarship with a second-place finish. And Cheyenne Mathews, a senior at Ketchikan High School in Alaska, and sponsored by Post 3, earned a $14,000 scholarship with a third-place finish.

During the two-day competition, Crosby presented his prepared oration and an assigned topic discourse – a phase of the Constitution selected from Articles and Sections – three times in front of judges, Legionnaires and family.

“The competition has taught me to look further than a cursory glance at the Constitution and to go in depth into every sentence, every word that’s written in the Constitution,” he said.

In his prepared oration, Crosby stated that a 2013 survey conducted by the National Constitutional Center found that “only 5 percent of Americans can correctly answer 10 rudimentary questions about the Constitution. When it comes to citizenship, and our nation’s most important document, our citizens lack literacy.”

He shared in his speech that he believes every American citizen should make the same oath that military servicemembers, elected officials, judges and immigrants seeking citizenship must take, “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, so help me God."

Crosby’s knowledge of the Legion’s Oratorical Contest stems from watching his sister become a two-time national competitor, who told him “how amazing the competition is and the Constitution itself is something I’m personally interested in,” he said. “So the prospect of being able to do two things that I really love doing, namely learn about the Constitution and speak, is the best of both worlds.”

Crosby is actively involved with Legion Post 91 from his involvement with Boy Scouts, the Oratorical Contest and through his nonprofit Titanic Heroes, which earned him The American Legion General Recognition Medal from the post. Through his nonprofit, Crosby visits churches, schools and veterans organizations to share about the history of the sinking of the RMS Titanic and about the bravery of the four World War II chaplains. He earned the award by working with Post 91 members to receive a proclamation from the mayor to mark Feb. 3 as a Four Chaplains remembrance day in Burlington.

“I cannot thank Memorial Post 91 enough to allow me to experience this great opportunity in ways I never would have before,” Crosby said.

As the 2016 National Oratorical Contest winner, Crosby will receive an all-expense paid trip to the Legion’s national convention in Cincinnati in August.