Sincere thanks to all who have been involved in orchestrating what has become the Veterans Voices Writing Project (VVWP) for over 75 years.

I am a firm believer in the value of the VVWP.  ere is an ongoing flood of memories and emotions associated with being a veteran. You have seen a lot and you have done a lot. Many of the memories are hard to talk about. In some cases, you suffer guilt for what you did or didn’t do. In other cases, there is an overwhelming accumulation of stress for all of the things experienced that you could not control. You keep a lot inside of yourself, and it weighs you down.

Writing about your feelings is a way to let them out. To find freedom from the burden. It is a private and personal means to confront yourself. Look into the mirror and decide what you see. You choose the words and express your feelings on paper. Tell a story. It can be an historical recollection, or it can be allegory. It can be a poem. Regardless of the method, it offers a powerful emotional release.

In turn, veterans who read the writings of others can o en identify with the stories. Shared experience helps to create a pathway of healing. The VVWP amplifies veterans voices and creates sustained powerful therapy. The words of one veteran reverberate with many.

The value of our veterans’ written words also extends into general society. Friends and families of veterans, as well as citizenry at large without a connection to the military, see the depth of humanity represented by the veteran community. Veterans have witnessed first-hand the pain and suffering associated with war. In their own way, every veteran tells a story relatable to all Americans. I want to believe this raises our collective sensitivity to the impact of placing our service men and women in harms way. The VVWP is a prescription for caution before we engage in future actions that create more veterans.

Veterans who write should feel a sense of pride. You are making a powerful contribution to the welfare of our society. I encourage everyone to make the widest possible distribution of the Veterans’ Voices website: https://veteransvoices.org.