Jerry Lyons brings unparalleled depth to military journalism through his dual perspective as a Vietnam veteran and master storyteller. As a staff writer for The War Horse, he specializes in:
When approaching Lyons, consider these evidence-based strategies:
Jerry Lyons has carved a distinctive niche in journalism by amplifying the voices of veterans and military families through deeply personal narratives. His work for The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit newsroom, reflects a career-long commitment to exploring the emotional and societal complexities of military service.
Lyons’ trajectory began with two years of Army service, including a pivotal deployment to Vietnam as an infantry soldier. This experience fundamentally shaped his journalistic lens, grounding his reporting in firsthand understanding of military life’s triumphs and challenges. After completing his service, Lyons transitioned to journalism, where he found his calling in bridging civilian-military understanding gaps.
“We all spent many hours traveling by Huey and Chinook helicopters, but my DD214 showed that I had never been awarded the Air Medal.”
This investigative memoir traces Lyons’ 31-year quest to correct military record errors, blending personal history with systemic critique of veterans’ bureaucracy. Through meticulous documentation of his efforts to secure overdue recognition, Lyons exposes the emotional toll of administrative oversights on service members. The piece’s publication spurred renewed attention to record-correction processes, with multiple readers sharing similar experiences through The War Horse’s veteran forums.
In this cultural analysis, Lyons deconstructs well-meaning but superficial displays of military appreciation. Drawing on interviews with 22 military spouses and longitudinal studies of community engagement programs, he identifies key disconnects between civilian perceptions and military families’ actual needs. The article has been cited by three national veteran service organizations in their public education initiatives.
This intimate profile follows a veteran’s journey through guilt, grief, and reconciliation, using narrative techniques more common to literary fiction than traditional journalism. Lyons’ decision to structure the piece around unsent letters creates a powerful framework for examining intergenerational impacts of military service.
Lyons prioritizes stories exploring relationships shaped by service—between soldiers, across generations, and within military-civilian interfaces. Successful pitches might examine how deployment affects family communication patterns or how veterans rebuild social connections post-service. His analysis of military family support systems demonstrates particular interest in this subtopic.
With 14% of his articles containing historical parallels, Lyons frequently contextualizes contemporary military issues within longer arcs. Proposals could compare Vietnam-era veteran reintegration programs with modern initiatives, or trace the evolution of specific military policies. His medal-correction story exemplifies this approach by connecting personal experience to broader bureaucratic patterns.
Lyons’ work derives its power from centering authentic voices rather than institutional statements. Pitches should prioritize access to veterans willing to share nuanced personal journeys, particularly those involving reconciliation or personal growth. The confessional letter format in his maternal reconciliation piece illustrates this preference.
While Lyons maintains focus on his subjects rather than personal accolades, his work contributes to The War Horse’s reputation as a two-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting. His articles have been recognized by:
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