Logan Smith, 13, said he didn’t know much about the Battle of Midway in World War II before he began to pen an essay about it earlier this year.

But the Buffalo Township teen said he read up on the fight and submitted his text to the American Battle Monuments Foundation’s annual essay contest.

A few weeks ago, Logan learned he had taken second place in the contest, which drew more than 800 entries from 46 states and 13 nations.

“I’ve always been fascinated by World War II history. I knew a lot about the European theater, but I thought it would be interesting to learn about the Pacific theater,” he said.

The foundation is a nonprofit that partners with the American Battle Monuments Commission, the government agency responsible for maintaining the dozens of American military cemeteries and memorials overseas — perhaps most notably those at Normandy.

Logan, who is homeschooled but attends some classes at Freeport Area Middle School, said he spent about three weeks delving into books and websites to produce his essay on Midway.

The June 1942 battle was among the largest naval engagements against Imperial Japan of the war. American victory at Midway is widely considered a major turning point in the Pacific theater. It claimed the lives of more than 300 sailors and airmen.

Logan said he particularly enjoyed learning about the codebreaking and cryptography that allowed American forces to preempt Japanese plans to attack Midway.

That’s in addition to the many stories of American pilots who flew missions without cover while taking heavy damage from anti-aircraft fire, he said.

The bravery of those troops, he said, has allowed generations of Americans to enjoy basic freedoms, such as First Amendment rights.

Massoud Hossaini | TribLive Logan Smith with his mother, Andrea Smith, 44, who home-schools him.  

Logan’s success in the contest was also fulfilling for Andrea Smith, both as Logan’s mother and educator, she said.

“Logan loves history, and he loves writing, and he’s very fun to teach,” she said.

ABMF Executive Director Christine Burtt said each essay goes through several rounds of blind judging before any victors are crowned. The goal of the contest is to reach out to young people as a way to generate interest in American history among the next generation, she said.

As for Logan’s essay, Burtt said she was struck by how comprehensively, yet succinctly, he wrote about Midway.

“I was impressed by his understanding of the subject, and his ability to articulate it,” Burtt said.

For his efforts, Logan will earn a plaque and a $2,500 check from the foundation. Though the details are still up in the air, he said, a military officer will likely present him with the prize at the middle school.

The teen said he plans to donate a chunk of his winnings to the Blawnox-based music nonprofit Band Together Pittsburgh as well as the Civil War Round Table of D.C. and Freeport Area’s cross-country team. He’s an active member of all three organizations.

This essay contest is likely not the last Logan will enter, and he hopes more students will enter them, too.

In the future, Logan plans to either study physics or enter law school to become a judge advocate general, commonly called a JAG officer, to practice military law.

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