Promising War Veteran Authors You Should Know

Stories often reflect and feature the personal accounts and experiences of the authors. Although there are original and developed concepts, there are still thousands of tales that came based on real events and situations, like war stories.

Many war veterans turned to literature to express their emotions, thoughts, and memories of the battle that they served. There are also those who shared their conditions after they served the military.  With these powerful stories, millions of readers have been inspired, touched, and impacted. Indeed, war veteran writers have greatly contributed to shaping the literary realm. Thus, here are some of the remarkable war vet authors you should take note of.

RC LeBeau

LeBeau was raised in Detroit, and as a kid, he had no idea that he’d join the Marines not until his dear father died when he was 15. Donut Hole is RC LeBeau’s book on 1^st Force Logistical Command and his other experiences as part of the Marine Corps in the Vietnam War. Being a Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and a Civil Air Patrol Cadet greatly contributed to his Marine Logistics expert journey. Moreover, LeBeau underwent different pieces of training held in Camp Le June, NC, Camp Pendleton, Ca., and other significant locations. When LeBeau reached the age of 21, he was already on his 13-month tour in Vietnam, striving for nearly 85 days of battle. With a few weeks to go on his journey, Echo 4 suddenly emerged, which challenged his life again.

Tim O’Brien

William Timothy O’Brien, also known as Tim O’Brien, was born in 1946 in Austin, Minnesota. He served the Army after gaining his BA in political science from Macalester College in 1968. After being drafted, he was among the brave men that were sent to Vietnam. O’Brien was part of the 3^rd Platoon, Company A, 5^th Battalion, 46^th Infantry Regiment, part of the 23^rd Infantry Division. When he finished his service, he proceeded to get his MA at Harvard. Tim released his first memoir containing his war experiences titled. If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box me Up and Ship Me Home. His other notable works are The Things They Carried, In the Lake of the Woods, Northern Lights, and Going After Cacciato. As an author, O’Brien gained multiple honors and awards, including the Outstanding Book of 1973 by the New York Times.

Kurt Vonnegut

Have you read the science fiction blend anti-war book titled Slaughterhouse-Five? If you have, then Kurt Vonnegut might be familiar to you. Vonnegut is an Indiana-born and raised American writer. He entered Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, in 1940, with biochemistry as his major. But, in 1943, he joined the U.S. Army. He attended Carnegie Institute of Technology and the University of Tennessee and studied mechanical engineering as part of his training. Afterward, he was deployed to Europe to combat in WWII. However, at the Battle of Bulge, he was caught by the Germans. With everything that he’d been through, he survived and married Jane Marie Cox. Vonnegut’s experiences as part of the troops who fought in the Second World War were evident in the first chapter of his book Slaughterhouse-Five.  Thus, the book became the key to his author’s fame.

Joseph Heller

Joseph Heller was born on May 1, 1923, and died on December 12, 1999. He was the author of the popular classic satire novel titled Catch-22. While he was still a kid, he was already in love with the art of writing. Moreover, in 1941, he graduated high school and worked multiple jobs, including a messenger, filing clerk, and more. A year after that, he became a part of the Air Corps of the U.S. Army. After twenty-four months, he was deployed to the Italian Front, where he was a B-25 bombardier and embarked on 60 combat missions. Joseph was part of the 488^th Bombardment Squadron, 340^th Bomb Group, and 12^th Air Force. His experiences as a bombardier were expressed in his notable work Catch-22.

Roald Dahl

The remarkable British writer named Roald Dahl was born on September 13, 1916, in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales. He authored many amazing children’s books, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, and more. Furthermore, Roald is also known as a wartime fighter pilot after serving in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Later on, he became an intelligence officer and was promoted to an acting wing commander.