Established in 2016, Veteran Women’s Voices (VWV) is an offshoot of the nationally recognized Veteran Writers Group established more than 25 years ago by Maxine Hong Kingston (Veterans of War: Veterans of Peace). As a writer, activist, and teacher, Hong Kingston recognized the power of writing, of telling one’s story, in transcending difficult experiences, and of the necessity of community and witness in healing. “Tell the truth,” she states, “and so make peace.” Inspired by the demonstrated success of Hong-Kingston’s work, VWV recognized that women’s military experience differs greatly from men’s and created a women-only format. Free three-day writing residencies and single-day retreats are led by experienced veteran writer/facilitators, who have participated in Hong Kingston’s methods. The VWV motto, Your Truth in Your Words, guides facilitation, ensuring that retreats are a safe and confidential space to write one’s story in whatever form or genre, as memoir or poem, or fiction.