KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) is proud to announce the medal winners of its 2025 Awards Season. The awards were presented this evening during MWSA’s Annual Conference and Awards Banquet in Kansas City, Missouri.
The MWSA Awards program recognizes excellence in literature and the arts, honoring works by veterans and other authors with connections to the US military. Entries are judged on technical writing, message content, and the value they add to the military and veteran community.
2025 MWSA Award Winners
Chapter Book
🥉 Bronze:
- Chloe the “Military Brat” by A.L. Zeine
Historical Fiction
🥇 Gold:
- An Absence of Faith: A Tale of Afghanistan by Craig Trebilcock
- Brothers Bound by Bruce K. Berger
- Degrees of Intelligence by Miranda Armstadt
- Rescue Run: Capt. Jake Rogers’ Daring Return to Occupied Europe by John Winn Miller
- Until Our Time Comes: A Novel of WWII Poland by Nicole M. Miller
- What the Silent Say by Emerson Ford
- When Heroes Flew: Where the Dawn Comes Up Like Thunder by H. W. “Buzz” Bernard
🥈 Silver:
- Finding His Own Way, A Marine Novel by Gerald Gillis
- In Harm’s Way by Thomas M. Wing
- Smoke on the Water by Jack Bartley
🥉 Bronze:
- One of Four by Travis Davis
History
🥇 Gold:
- Berkshire Heroes in WWII—With Courage and Honor by Dennis G. Pregent
- Crucible 1972: The War for Peace in Vietnam by J. Keith Saliba
- Task Force Hogan by William R. Hogan
- The Fight of Their Lives: A 21st Century Primer on World War II by Andy Kutler
🥈 Silver:
- A Nation Born – A Homeland Lost: Native Americans and the Revolutionary War Era by George J. Bryjak
- Elements of War by Gray Rinehart
- Never a Dull Moment: The 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion in World War II by Arthur “Ben” Powers
- Why Vietnam: Reflections on the Effect of War by Margaret Colbert Brown
🥉 Bronze:
- Women Warriors – The Hidden Spies of WWII by Donna Pedace
How To / Business / Self Help
🥉 Bronze:
- Healing Veteran Moral Injury: Using Metaphor and Story to Foster Hope and Connection by Pat Pernicano and Kerry Haynes
Literary Fiction
🥉 Bronze:
- Playing Army by Nancy Stroer
- Skylark by Megan Michelle
Memoir / Biography
🥇 Gold:
- Around the World in 80 Years by Jasmine Tritten and Jim Tritten
- Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet by Ryan McDermott
- Nothing Here Worth Dying For: Task Force Lion in Iraq by Col. Seth W. B. Folsom, USMC (Ret.)
- Running Towards Gunfire: Courage and Brotherhood in Ramadi by Jason Angell
🥈 Silver:
- Pennies from Vietnam: A Sister at Home, a Brother at War by Tracy Smith and Larry Smith (deceased)
- Swift Boat Skipper by Robert H. Bradley III
- The Master Chief’s Sea Stories: Volume I USS Manitowoc (LST 1180) by Johnny J. Moye
🥉 Bronze:
- Inshallah (God Willing) by Dana Catoe
- When Tough Cookies Crumble: A True Story of Friendship, Murder, and Healing by Eva Nevarez St. John
Mystery / Thriller / Crime
🥇 Gold:
- Chasing Money: A Marty and Bo Thriller by Michael Balter
- Heroic Measures by Joel Shulkin, MD
- Murder Comes Home by Rosalie Spielman
- The Black Raven’s Song by Macklin Grey
- The Spear and the Sentinel by J. L. Hancock
🥈 Silver:
- Home is Where the Murder Is by Rosalie Spielman
- Monroe Doctrine: A Post-War Novel by James Rosone
🥉 Bronze:
- Lightning Six by Galen D. Peterson
- Red Lines by James Bultema
- Redcon One by Galen D. Peterson
- The China Factor by Timothy Trainer
- The Very Last War by W. H. Hawthorne
Pictorial / Coffee Table
🥈 Silver:
- F4U Corsair by Ernest M. Snowden
Picture Book
🥇 Gold:
- Finally Home by Cortney Cino
- Sometimes Apart Always in My Heart by Tish Rabe
Poetry Book
🥇 Gold:
- Incidental Moments: New and Selected Poems by Mark Fleisher
Reference
🥈 Silver:
- Unknowable Minds: Philosophical Insights on AI and Autonomous Weapons by Mark Bailey
🥉 Bronze:
- Revive the American Dream by Edward Corcoran
Religious / Spiritual
🥈 Silver:
- A Church More Like Christ by Gray Rinehart
- Government in the Gospels: Daily Reflections for Government Officials by Rev. Jonathan M. Craig
🥉 Bronze:
- Redeeming Warriors: Veteran Suicide, Grieving, and the Fight for Faith by Joshua D. Holler
Young Adult (Fiction or Non-Fiction)
🥇 Gold:
- The Tear of Tybaleth, A Fellowship of the Flame Novel (Book 1) by A. R. Silverberry
🥈 Silver:
- The Treasure of Trenalon: A Fellowship of the Flame Novel (Book 2) by A. R. Silverberry
“Our medalists represent the best of today’s military storytelling—books and works that honor service, preserve history, and inspire readers,” said John Cathcart, President of MWSA. “We are proud to celebrate their accomplishments and the powerful impact of their words.”
The evening banquet was the highlight of MWSA’s three-day conference, which also featured writing workshops, panel discussions, and networking sessions for authors, poets, and artists with a connection to the military experience.
For the complete list of winners and more information about the MWSA Awards program, please visit:
👉 https://www.mwsadispatches.com/events/2025-season
