Army veteran and VFW Life member Tom Laaser attends a writer’s residency in July 2026 in Mystic, Connecticut. With help from the VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship, Laaser plans to continue introducing veterans to creative arts resources, such as writers' workshops, which he believes can help them better understand themselves and the world.Army veteran Tom Laaser recognizes the potential past service members have when it comes to storytelling, and how through stories, veterans can form deeper connections with civilians and each other.
Currently pursuing a master’s degree in creative writing at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, Laaser is an award-winning writer whose work has been featured in Military Experience and the Arts and As You Were: A Military Literary Journal.
Having been an avid reader growing up, Laaser would remove socks and underwear from his duffel bag to create more space for books while serving with the 10th Mountain Division in 2013 in Khost, Afghanistan.
“People understand the world and themselves the best through stories,” Laaser said. “By taking their experiences and putting them on the page, sharing them with others or even changing them into fiction, the veteran takes control of themselves and their experiences.”
One of Laaser’s goals is to expand access to creative arts for veterans. Through his master’s program, Laaser will be able to become a creative writing instructor at the university level, where he’ll be able to share his writing experiences with student veterans directly.
The VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship” helped provide needed financial support for Laaser.
“Applying to the VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship” was a million times easier than applying for other scholarships,” Laaser said. “The requirements and deadlines were clear, the website was easy to use, and the staff was very helpful.”
A VFW Life member, Laaser credits VFW Post 1524 with providing him space for a writer’s workshop for veterans.
“Post 1524 in Salem, Massachusetts, was instrumental in helping me when I returned to civilian life,” Laaser said. “The Post Commander, Kim Emerling, is a superhero in his efforts to help veterans.”
Each November in Salem, Laaser runs a playwriting festival for veterans at Salem State University in Salem, Massachusetts, alongside Artistic Director Julie Kiernan. According to the Salem State Log, the plays that are performed provide an outlet for veterans and their families to discuss and process themes such as PTSD.
Laaser is currently finishing a fiction novel and several non-fiction essays that cover topics on veterans.
This article is featured in the 2026 September issue of Checkpoint. If you're a VFW member and don't currently receive the VFW Checkpoint, please contact VFW magazine at magazine@vfw.org.