The Power of Pets | News, Sports, Vacancies

This time, Dozer helped Wistrand win the War Writers Society of America Bronze Medal for Wistrand’s book, Saved.

Wistrand graduated from Panama Central School in 2003 and published his book Saved in 2023. He also served in the Marines and was honorably discharged after five years of service. “Saved” focuses on Wistrand’s true story of how he met Dozer after serving in the Marines and struggling with work after being discharged. Wistrand and Dozer met in 2009, and Dozer died at the end of 2022, when Wistrand decided to write his book.

Wistrand submitted “Saved” to the War Writers Society of America competition in early 2024.

“It was no surprise that I received a response from the Military Writers Society of America since I submitted Saved for consideration at the annual awards banquet,” Wistrand said. “However, I was absolutely shocked to receive an email telling me he had won the award. The MWSA did not say which award it received; it remained a surprise.”

Pictured is Andy Wistrand and his book Recued, which tells the story of his life with his dog Dozer. Sent photo

Wistrand said that from the start of the competition, it was assumed that the award could be a gold, silver or bronze medal, if she won anything at all. He added that while he personally feels that he received a quality product, he did not expect his very first book to ever win any award or medal.

Wistrand said receiving a bronze medal for his book meant a lot to him.

“It means a lot to me to be recognized among my peers’ organizations,” Wistrand said. “You see, those associated with MWSA are not just authors, but also war veterans. They each have their own stories to tell themselves. Some of these men looked death in the face, overcame hardships, and saw and experienced the ugly side of war. The subject of my book may also have been an interesting topic and well received by the audience, but that is not what earned me this honor. The MWSA does not grade the subject matter, but does grade the book on technical acuity and visual acuity.”

According to Wistrand, books are judged on four areas, including content, style, visual appeal and technical writing mechanics. Additionally, he said that military personnel and veterans are held to a higher standard, just like everything else, and that the award is not just an award, but an award of excellence.

“I can now add ‘National Award-Winning Author’ to my official writing resume,” Wistrand said.

In terms of book sales, Saved earned Wistrand the third best-selling author in his publishing group in the first quarter and the first place in the group in the second. He attended several book signings and author talks throughout West Tennessee and received praise for his courage to share his story, including how he was in a bad place and not okay at the time he met Dozer.

“I also learned how seriously people take their pets,” Wistrand said. “In some cases, I think meeting people about the book can be considered a therapy session because they start talking about their animals and they always have the biggest smiles on their faces. The amount of joy from simply talking to people about dogs puts them at ease. People tend to open up more and share their personal experiences more freely. I have repeatedly met people who have experienced similar events and agreed that the company of an animal was the only thing that could help their broken soul heal over a period of time.”

Wistrand also met with military family members who said his story resonated with him and that they had experienced similar setbacks in their lives. He said he hopes that if he achieves anything with his book, it will be to help someone in need of a cure that will take them out of the darkness he once experienced.

Future books will be part of Wistrand’s future, especially the two books he’s already working on. The first project, which is a little further along than the other, is non-fiction and focuses on a true story that he was asked to write by a very good friend.

“This individual, who wishes to remain anonymous, was the chaplain for Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy Basic Class 1700, of which we were both members in 2013,” Wistrand said. “The story is about his struggles with the difficulties of life, work and relationships, and how it affected his daily outlook.”

The second book is also non-fiction, focusing on the stories of at least two local West Tennessee veterans whom Wistrand said he holds in high esteem and who are both highly respected Marines with vivid stories of their experiences in Vietnam. and return. house.

“Saved” was also submitted to the Best Indie Book competition, an international award, and Wistrand said he hopes to hear back next year. In addition to writing, Wistrand said he has “a lot of irons in the fire,” works full-time, has a family and children who play sports he enjoys watching, and is a Marine veteran involved with veterans organizations. it keeps him busy.

“Writing, as much as I love doing it, is a part-time job for me,” Wistrand said. “I do my best to balance my priorities and interests.”

Wistrand thanked everyone who has supported his writing efforts over the years, especially in writing Saved, especially thanking Bob Lingle of the Good Neighbor Bookstore in Lakewood, where the book is now on shelves, and the Post-Journal for sharing it history. .

“Being a National Award-winning debut book author and representing Western New York and West Tennessee is an incredible feat of which I am incredibly proud,” Wistrand said. “I hope this will provide lasting support to everyone pursuing their dreams. Semper fi.