Five members of SouthWest Writers have been recognized at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico for their entries into the 2024 VA Creative Writing Contest.
The winners are:
Mark Fleisher
“A Look Over My Shoulder” – Short, Short Story, 3rd place
“Riding the Horse” – Rhyming Poetry, Military Experience, 3rd place
“Sunset on the Trail” – Non-Rhyming Poetry, General Topics, 3rd place
Walter “Butch” Maki
“My Memorial Day Speech 2024” – Personal Essay, Inspirational, 2nd place
Raymund Tembreull
“Boxes” – Personal Essay, General Topic, 2nd place
“Rootless” – Rhyming Poetry, General Topic, 1st place
Jim Tritten
“Death by Chocolate” Personal Essay, General Topic, 3rd place
“There’s a W on the Back” – Short, Short Story, 1st place
Dan Wetmore
“Best Gift Ever” Personal Essay-General Topic, 1st place
“This” – Non-Rhyming Poetry-General Topics, 2nd place
“Unfriendly Fire” – Short Script, 1st place
Veterans enrolled in the VA Healthcare System are eligible to enter this annual contest. The first-, second-, and third-place winners all advance to regional competition. Survivors compete for a spot at the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival. This prestigious event, held at a different location each year, showcases the artistic talents of veterans from across the country. Butch, Jim, and Dan have previously won Gold first-place medals at the national level.
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