On Saturday, Nov. 15, the Lamanda Park branch of the Pasadena Public Library, 140 S. Altadena Drive, will honor Veteran’s Day 2025 by hosting four area veteran/writers whose work reflects each one’s connection to their time serving in the military.

The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will take place from 2  p.m. to 4 p.m. Panelists will draw on selections from their work during the event and there will be opportunities for questions and answers. Writers will also be available to meet with attendees. When possible, copies of their work will be available. The featured writers are Pablo Agrio, Bill Cushing, Gregory (GT) Foster and John McBready.

Agrio served in the Marines. His memoir, Pursuit of Happiness, was published in 2020. He won first place for his short story “The Dom.” Pablo belongs to and works with the UCLA Wordcommandos, a workshop for veterans suffering from PTSD. He will discuss “Writing as a way of coping with trauma.”

Called the “blue collar” writer as an undergrad because of his years on surface vessels in the Navy before starting school, Cushing’s book Heroic Brothers of the Civil War won an award for historical non-fiction with one part of the book winning a Col. Damon L. Wright prize. His short story “Memorial Day” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Cushing will focus on “capturing the field of battle in prose and poetry.”

Foster has been one of the major poetry forces in Pasadena and twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize. His latest release is The Boys Are Not Refined, a book that is part novel and part memoir that focuses on his service in the Army during the Vietnam era. His latest poetry collection is titled Warped by War. Foster’s focus will be on “a draftee’s experiences.”

Finally, McBready retired as a career military officer whose works encompass a diverse range of genres. He was a first-place winner in the Dept. of Veterans Affairs-sponsored National Veteran’s Day Creative Arts Festival for creative writing. Upon his retirement, President Barack Obama recognized him for his outstanding service. His talk recalls his experience of “working through the ranks.”