Middle Schooler Wins Essay Contest Honoring Army Veteran Brother

BUZZARDS BAY (CBS) -- We got to witness something really remarkable -- the love between 2 brothers, one a war hero, the other a 12-year-old.  It took place at St. Margaret's school in Buzzards Bay.

The assignment was to write an essay about the person you're most thankful for.  For 7th grader Aidan MacDougall, the choice was clear.

"We're going to start by announcing the top 10," says Larry Palmer, a Southwest Airlines pilot, and parent of 2 students at St. Margaret's.  Palmer helped organize the contest.

"The middle schoolers had to write an essay about a person they are thankful for, and it couldn't be a parent.  That would be too easy," Palmer says.

The essays were about grandparents, teachers and finally, a very special brother.

"The winner of our thanksgiving essay contest, Aidan MacDougall," Palmer announced as the other students cheered.  Aidan read his touching essay.

"My brother Derek is my role model and my hero.  He's funny, fearless, hardworking and loving.  My brother is an amazing individual because of all his wonderful qualities," Aidan told his classmates.

Derek MacDougall is also an Army veteran who served 2 tours in Afghanistan, and suffered serious wounds when a roadside bomb exploded.

"I got a blow to the head, you know, hit pretty hard to the head.  So I've got TBI and PTSD," Derek explains.

"He spent 18 months in Afghanistan, protecting his family and I," Aidan says, reading from his 2 page essay.

Derek also surprised his little brother by being at today's assembly, where he heard the essay for the first time.

"I was just excited and stunned," Aidan says.  "Very emotional, yeah.  It means a lot that he would pick me," says Derek.

"If you are lonely, sad or in need of help, you should meet my brother.  He always makes me feel like I'm the most important person in the world," says Aidan.

Derek is out of the military now, so another thing Aidan is thankful for is having him home.

"He's something else.  He's smart.  It's kind of funny.  I'm going to school, and I haven't been in school in so long, and I had math homework and he was helping me with it," says Derek.

Aidan's prize is 2 round trip Southwest Airlines tickets to anywhere in the country.  He gave them to Derek.  A great Christmas present?

"I'm probably going to get him something else.  I already have something for him," Aidan says.

Derek tells us he'll use the tickets to take Aidan to Florida, so they can visit their other brother.