Mission of
The Deadly Writers Patrol

The Deadly Writers Patrol [DWP] began with the mission “to encourage greater understanding of the Vietnam era and the war’s effect on individuals and our nation,” and had a particular interest in writing by Vietnam veterans.

Our mission evolved as subsequent wars created new generations of veterans and renewed challenges of understanding, witnessing, and homecoming. The Deadly Writers Patrol continued to seek writing by Vietnam vets, but we also were interested in engaging veterans and others affected by the wars in the Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Their inclusion reaffirmed the core beliefs of DWP: that writing can be a mirror reflecting the deepest corners of our spirits and psyches, express the reality of suffering, explore the possibility of healing, help us resolve problems and achieve a deeper understanding of our common humanity. It also can bring us face to face with the parts of life that always will remain a mystery.

However, in 2021 the editors of the Deadly Writers Patrol made the difficult decision to end publication of the journal. It had been part of many of our lives for 16 years, but the amount of work (and often financial support) it took could not be sustained by this group of mostly Vietnam veterans. Over the course of its 18 editions, the Deadly Writers Patrol has lifted the voices of hundreds of veterans, shined a light on numerous of their experiences, and mended the hearts of countless others. But stories and poetry about war and the struggles of veterans are not what the public is particularly interested in at this time. We made an effort to find others interested in continuing the publication; we had no takers. 

We thank you for your literary contributions, support, and friendships. With your participation and encouragement, we believe we have put together a quality journal that we, and we hope you, are proud to have been a part of. The remaining issues of the journal have been transferred to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum.