Dennis Hoy

Dennis Hoy is an award-winning author, Vietnam veteran, educator, coach, artist, and recipient of the Silver Star. Drafted into the U.S. Army in 1966 shortly after marrying his wife, Beth, he completed basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas, advanced infantry training at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and arrived in Vietnam in February 1967. He served as a light weapons infantryman with the renowned 1st Cavalry Division in the northern regions of South Vietnam.

During his military service, Hoy stayed connected to his wife and parents through a steady stream of letters that documented his experiences, fears, hopes, and daily life as a young soldier in a combat zone. Preserved by his family for more than five decades, those letters became the foundation of his memoir, Letters from Vietnam, offering readers a rare firsthand account of the Vietnam War written while the events were actually unfolding.

Following his return home, Hoy completed both his bachelor's and master's degrees and spent many years teaching and coaching in Clovis, New Mexico. After retiring from education in 1992, he pursued competitive bass fishing on the B.A.S.S. Circuit for nine years before returning to another lifelong passion: painting. His artwork earned recognition when he was selected as one of twenty New Mexico artists featured in a statewide exhibition in Las Cruces.

Hoy is also proud of his Potawatomi heritage and was honored on the Wall of Honor at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

Today, Dennis resides in Elephant Butte, New Mexico, where he continues to write, create art, and share stories that preserve history for future generations. Through his work, he offers readers an honest and deeply personal perspective on service, sacrifice, family, and the enduring power of memory.