Rochester Veterans' Writing Group

Rochester Veterans' Writing Group The RVWG promotes Veterans telling their life stories during war and peace through the written word, photographs and film.

The RVWG is a non-profit, all volunteer group that encourages all veterans of all wars and their family members to write their narratives as a part of the ongoing American military experience. The group is open to Vets of all ranks, of all branches of service and from all wars. The only requirement is the desire to write and there is no fee. The group's main focus is creative non-fiction writing

but is open to all genres. The intent of the group is threefold: to develop writing skills, provide a forum to share experiences and to strengthen the Veteran community in Rochester, New York.

The RVWG will meet at 10 a.m., this Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the DAV, Suite No. 4, 1239 University Avenue, Rochester, ...
06/03/2026

The RVWG will meet at 10 a.m., this Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the DAV, Suite No. 4, 1239 University Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14607. Veterans of all ranks and from all branches of service and their family members are welcome to join us for a morning of reading from our current stories about our diverse experiences while serving in uniform. I See you then!

We broke from our regular routine and assembled at the Memorial Art Gallery on Saturday morning to do something differen...
05/03/2026

We broke from our regular routine and assembled at the Memorial Art Gallery on Saturday morning to do something different: Use works of art as prompts for our writing. Susan, a senior associate at the Museum, gently led us to paintings that spoke to us, evoked feelings long ignored, and stirred memories buried by the passage of time. We saw a man in a worn trenchcoat walking away from brightly burning destruction; a suspension bridge devoid of traffic, rising up to meet the blue sky; the arrest of Cleopatra after the death of Marc Antony; and the end of a winter's day deep in the woods. We went from nature in disarray to the stillness of a forest and discussed deeply. We found meaning in what we saw ... Many thanks to our guide Susan for opening our eyes to a few of the vast treasures at MAG and to the museum staff for making our visit so meaningful, profound, and enriching.

The RVWG is taking a field trip this month! We will meet at 11 a.m., Saturday, May 2d, at the Memorial Art Gallery, 500...
05/02/2026

The RVWG is taking a field trip this month! We will meet at 11 a.m., Saturday, May 2d, at the Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Avenue. We will depart from our regular routine and use original art as prompts. Let's see how much we can write! See you there!

The RVWG will meet at 10 a.m., this Saturday, April 4, 2026, at the DAV, Suite No. 4, 1239 University Avenue, Rochester,...
03/30/2026

The RVWG will meet at 10 a.m., this Saturday, April 4, 2026, at the DAV, Suite No. 4, 1239 University Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14607. Veterans of all ranks and from all branches of service and their family members are welcome to join us for a morning of reading from our current stories about our diverse experiences while serving in uniform. Prompts will be forthcoming and not to worry! See you then!

Local author Karin Cole joined us last Saturday morning and spent nearly two hours discussing the life of her uncle, Sta...
03/09/2026

Local author Karin Cole joined us last Saturday morning and spent nearly two hours discussing the life of her uncle, Staff Sgt. Harold Vance, the discovery of his wartime letters in a shirt box, and her realization to arrange and publish these letters. Vance and his crew were killed over France on July 8, 1944 when their Martin B-26 Marauder took enemy fire. None of the crew survived. But, his letters survived and will remain his enduring legacy with much to offer historians in terns of training doctrine, command climate, and the B-26 in Europe. Another great treat was the "wartime" cake which Karin made on Friday night to share with the group. (See p. 22 of "Love, Harold.") We will always honor and respect Staff Sgt Vance. Thank you, Karin for sharing your uncle's life with us.

February 24, 1943"Did I tell you that when I get through gunner's school that I will be made Staff Sgt. and get my wings...
03/04/2026

February 24, 1943
"Did I tell you that when I get through gunner's school that I will be made Staff Sgt. and get my wings and flying pay? I didn't remember if I had told you or not." -- from a wartime letter written by Staff Sgt. Harold Vance to his sister and brother-in-law.

This excerpt is from Karin Cole's epistolary work, "Love, Harold," that she will discuss at our upcoming meeting, 10 a.m., this Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the DAV conference room, 1239 University Avenue, Rochester. All vets and the public are welcome to attend.

The RVWG will meet at 10 a.m., this Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the DAV, Suite No. 4, 1239 University Avenue, Rochester,...
03/03/2026

The RVWG will meet at 10 a.m., this Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the DAV, Suite No. 4, 1239 University Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14607. Our March meeting will feature local author Karin Cole as our guest speaker. Karin will talk about her latest book "Love, Harold: Democracy Isn't Free," a collection of letters written by her uncle while on active duty during World War II. These letters capture the enthusiasm, aspirations, and courage of a bright and promising young man who flew more than 40 combat missions over Europe while assigned to the Army Air Force. Veterans, their family members, and the public are welcome to join us and listen to this talented Rochester author speak about the indomitable spirit of her uncle, Staff Sgt. Harold Vance. See you then!

Local author Karin Cole will be our guest speaker this Saturday, March 7, 2026. 10 a.m., at the DAV conference room, 123...
03/03/2026

Local author Karin Cole will be our guest speaker this Saturday, March 7, 2026. 10 a.m., at the DAV conference room, 1239 University Avenue, Rochester, 14607. Karin will discuss the writing process for her latest book, "Love, Harold: Democracy Isn't Free," a beautifully curated collection of 65 letters written by her uncle, Staff Sgt. Harold Vance, during World War II. Vance's letters shed light on the massive military training system that quickly developed in order to mobilize the nation for the demands of war in two theaters. Built into the epistolary framework of this narrative is Vance's engaging musical talent that enables the reader to hear almost the strains of Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey. Vance flew 40 combat missions as a turret gunner/aircraft mechanic on a B-26 Marauder. Come hear more on this brave son of Rochester. All vets and family members welcome!

Classic prompts by Lee read like deep dives into existential angst and Nietzschean dystopia but yielded heady prose wit...
02/07/2026

Classic prompts by Lee read like deep dives into existential angst and Nietzschean dystopia but yielded heady prose with distinct veteran perspectives at this morning's meeting. Despite arctic conditions outside, we huddled in Dave's office at the DAV on University Ave to stay warm as we read our drafts. The central question for all was would you serve in today's U.S. Armed Forces? Everyone had something to say from Vaughn's avuncular note to Richard's one-liner. All very intense but engaging. Don't forget to check out Gary's photos this week at the Flower City Art Center! Many thanks to Dave at the DAV! See you all in March!

The RVWG will meet at 10 a.m., this Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the DAV office, Suite 4, 1239 University Avenue, Roch...
02/03/2026

The RVWG will meet at 10 a.m., this Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the DAV office, Suite 4, 1239 University Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14607. Veterans of all ranks and from all branches of service and their family members are welcome to join us for a morning of reading from our current stories about our diverse experiences while serving in uniform or life on the home front. If you feel an inclination to write, choose the last option of our monthly prompts, i.e., write about any salient memory of your time in service, and then share it with our group this Saturday. We always appreciate and encourage new voices from our Monroe County veteran community. See you then!

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Suite 4, 1239 University Avenue
Rochester, NY
14607

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