A Day for Remembering 3

If you had a family member or friend who died in one of our wars, from World War I to the more recent fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, what better way to keep their memory alive than to write their stories?

Here are some writing prompts to help you get started. (For convenience, I use the pronoun “he,” but I recognize that many women have lost their lives as well, so if you are writing about a woman, please just substitute “she” for “he.”)

1. Who was he? What was his name and where did he grow up?
2. What was his family like?
3. What was he most famous for among his friends and family?
4. What do you remember most about him?
5. If you can, interview his family and close friends. What are their fondest memories?
6. What were his dreams for the future?
7. If he were still alive, what do you think he’d be doing now?
8. What would he say if he knew you were writing his story?
9. Write a letter from your soldier to you, in which he gives you his life philosophy.
10. Write a short piece with an anecdote that captures your remembered soldier’s personality and way of being in the world.

Please feel free to honor your fallen soldier by sharing your responses to any of the prompts above in the comments below.

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