When volunteers or hospital staff ask Veterans Voices Writing Project how to organize a writing group for veterans, we have one group that serves as a model. It is composed of approximately 10 veterans who meet at the Albuquerque VAMC under the direction of a writing aide. It was established and nurtured by volunteer writing aide, Phyllis Bibeau.

Somehow, Phyllis was born knowing how to help veterans write to get their hearts and words on paper. Phyllis gracefully encouraged veterans to write about their feelings regarding the military and subsequent life experiences. Then, during weekly group meetings, she would listen intently as the vets read aloud from their writing.

Her instruction was informative and laced with constructive suggestions.

She was never hard on the participants. Instead, she offered good feedback and helped them expand their ideas. Veterans and VAMC staff felt that Phyllis’ approach to writing allowed the participants to express their thoughts and memories on paper when they couldn’t talk about those same feelings with doctors, therapists or even families. For example, one veteran who couldn’t talk about his PTSD wrote a novel with a main character who suffered from the same condition he did! Her vets used to tell Phyllis, if they didn’t write down descriptions of their trauma, it would eat them up.

If the veterans wanted to share their writing with others, Phyllis encouraged them to send stories and poems to Veterans’ Voices for possible publication… and they did! Albuquerque writers published in the magazine include, among others: Allen Burns, Paul David Gonzales, Sam Hall, Vondell Jones, C. L. Nemeth and Tim Segrest. These writers and fellow writing group leaders at the Albuquerque VAMC were instilled with Phyllis’ methods of unlocking angst and trauma by putting pen or computer to paper. Phyllis began facilitating the writing group in 1984 and managed it for the next 30 years. During that time, she volunteered 7,000 hours for the Raymond G.

Murphy VAMC. She also served as VVWP National Writing Aide Chair and received the organization’s National Pen Award. She retired from her volunteer job as writing aide in 2014 due to failing health, but her interest in veterans and the importance of putting thoughts on paper never lagged.

Phyllis Bibeau died August 29, 2022, in Albuquerque at the age of 92. Her husband predeceased her, but she is survived by three children, 11 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. She was born in Detroit, Mich., met her husband in Ashville, N.C., but soon settled with him in Albuquerque, where they fell in love with the Southwest and spent the rest of their lives. Her family has named VVWP as memorial beneficiary to honor Phyllis. She touched many people with her sincere interest in hearing a person’s life story, her uncanny ability to know when someone needed checking on and her deep love for family, friends and veterans. One of her veteran writers once said about the writing program Phyllis introduced him to:

“I had a choice that day to either write or commit suicide and I chose to write. Writing lets me write out emotions that I feel, and it allows me ‘to let my demons loose’ and really express myself.”

Phyllis was a cheerleader for veterans. Helping them write their stories in prose and poetry healed many a sore
heart. She proved that writing is good therapy and she understood how to facilitate that writing. We will miss her wise counsel and sunny personality, but we will always have her example to follow.