This spring marks the 10th anniversary of The War Horse, and I want to begin our second decade by expressing gratitude to the people and organizations who helped our newsroom reach this milestone.
Since launching our Kickstarter campaign — that topped more than 500 donors and $50,000 — dozens of foundations, Fortune 500 corporations, and thousands of individuals have supported our team’s work.
Over the years, the challenges have been diverse, but our team—and the American public— have believed in our mission and kept us motivated.
Together, our team has earned dozens of awards and held top fellowships. We’ve published stories in partnership and collaboration with dozens of national and local newsrooms, and have participated in discussions at universities, journalism conferences, and across the media ecosystem.
The past 10 years have been a wild and rewarding ride, and on behalf of my teammates—past and present—I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to readers like you.
– Thomas Brennan, Founder
Special shout out to our original Kickstarter donors whose generosity made the last 10 years possible.
Looking Ahead
Heading into the next decade of ad-free, independent, and mission-driven journalism, covering investigations that impact veterans, their families, and our country.
Memorable News Stories
The Fallujah Files
Twenty years after the Iraq War’s bloodiest battle, we brought together a platoon of Marines for the first time to remember and heal.
It led to a yearlong multimedia reporting project, published in partnership with Mother Jones and The American Veterans Center, to share not only the firsthand accounts of the platoon but also the experiences of thousands of service members ordered to fight the Global War on Terrorism.
Our Writing Seminars
The War Horse Writing Seminars are a professional development program for veterans and military family members who are—or aspire to be—writers. We bring them together with world-class journalists, agents, and publishers for an all-expenses-paid, weeklong workshop focused on nonfiction, personal writing. For the past decade, we have provided veterans and military families opportunities to find and hone their stories. Our seminars foster healing and understanding, and celebrate new voices as we bridge the military–civilian divide.
The seminars act as a crucial bridge between military life and civilian understanding. By empowering writers to share unfiltered, deeply personal experiences, The War Horse helps to shape public discourse, moving beyond superficial narratives to convey the complex truth of military service. This has a dual effect: it validates participants’ lived experiences and educates the broader public. In essence, the seminars are a catalyst for healing, advocacy, and professional development, helping program alumni solidify a new identity as storytellers who contribute vital perspectives to American literature and journalism.
