An adage for writers says, "If you have a good story to tell, tell it. If you don't have a good story to tell, write it."

Liam Evans had a good story to tell, and he wrote it well.

So well that Liam earned a first-place award in the nonfiction category of the Hershey Story Museum's annual contest with his work titled "Hero of Hericourt-sur-Therain, France."

Liam, who recently wrapped up his fifth-grade year at Eshleman Elementary School, was caught off-guard by the honor. "I came back from school one day, and my mom (Irita Evans) asked if I had heard any news, and I told her I didn't," he recalled. "She told me about the win on the way to acting club, and I was so excited. I couldn't really believe it."

While Liam was surprised that he earned the award, his teacher, Mindy Swope, was not. "I was elated," Swope said. "I knew that he was always such a great writer during the school year that I was honestly not surprised. I knew that he had it in him, so I was very happy and proud of him."

Liam received $100, a one-year membership to the Hershey Story Museum, two tickets to Hersheypark, a Hershey's chocolate gift basket, and 30 Hershey's chocolate bars to share with his classmates.

The story was not a required assignment. Swope offered her students an opportunity to gain extra credit by participating, and eight of them accepted. Students had to complete the project on their own time, and Swope did not read the stories until after they had been submitted.

Swope said Eshleman teachers encourage pupils to push themselves and experience new adventures. "I feel like our students know it's OK to take risks, and if you make mistakes, you learn from them, and your teachers are there to back you up and support you," she said.

Liam credits his teacher. "Mrs. Swope taught me all of the writing techniques and how to become a better writer," he said. "Fifth grade is when I learned about word expansion and everything you can use to make your story work."

Liam's passion for the craft is evident in his works. "I love to write," he said. "It takes you into a whole new world. You can do whatever you want to do. There are no limits."

Liam conducted meticulous research and pored over mission reports. "I was just lucky to have a great story," he said, humbly.

"Hero of Hericourt-sur-Therain, France" begins, "June 7th, 1944, you'd think the Allied forces would be on top of the world! They just won a key battle in World War 2, D-Day. But that wasn't the case for my grandpa's cousin, Alfred Evans."

A day after the invasion of Normandy, Alfred, a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force, was flying a Thunderbolt P-47 with the words "Lancaster Lil" written on it in honor of his hometown. The plane was struck by German anti-aircraft fire, and Alfred did not survive a crash landing in a French field. Alfred, nicknamed "Buddy" because of how kind he was, died at the age of 21.

An 18-year-old woman named Therese lived on the property along with her 8-year-old brother, Francois, and other family members. The siblings covered Alfred's body with poppies, a symbol of sacrifice that first became popular in World War I.

Many years later, Therese told the story to her grandson, Isaac. When Isaac was 10, they laid flowers at Alfred's gravesite in the Normandy American Cemetery. Therese pledged to locate Alfred's living relatives, but she died before she could, and Isaac vowed to take on the task.

While studying in the United States, Isaac located Liam's grandmother Harriet and Alfred's cousin Ruth. On Sept. 2, 2018, the families held a ceremony in Hericourt-sur-Therain.

"(Liam) started his entry with a great hook, maintained his creative rhythm throughout his middles while still intertwining the historical facts, and ended with a thought-provoking question for his readers," Swope said.

Liam closed his story by writing, "So, is this a story of a tragedy or a miracle? It depends on how you look at it. Some would say that Buddy's death was so sad that the whole story is depressing. While others would focus on the fact that Isaac Beaudoin finding my family was a miracle. But if one thing is for sure, it's that the tale will be told for generations to come both in France and America."