A Vietnam veteran from Alabama has won first place in a creative writing competition for his poem about his father's death from injuries in the war, and second place for his poem about his service dog, who died in 2020, AL.com reports.lon Hodge will attend the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival in Denver next month as the only first-place winner from the South Alabama region.
The visual arts division of the competition includes categories such as oil painting, leatherwork, paint-by-number kits, and more.
Veterans enroll at hundreds of VA health care facilities each year to compete in a local creative arts competition.
The winners advance to a national judging process and first, second, and third place entries are determined at the national level.
First place winners are invited to the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival hosted by a different VA facility each year.
Hodge has traveled to 46 states in total with his service dogs Gander and Mae.
He also founded a group over a decade ago that supports acts of kindness for the homeless, veterans, and veterans families in need.
His photography is currently on display at the Coastal Arts Center in Orange Beach.
He plans to publish a second book of poetry and a collection of photographs from the South Alabama area within the next few months.
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