About Brendon
BRENDON
Brendon O. Smith is a former Marine Corps Infantry Squad Leader and he served in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Iraq. His experience in combat and the aftermath of war shaped both his worldview and his voice as a Warrior Writer.
An alumnus of Rowan University of New Jersey, Brendon’s path has been anything but conventional. He is the co-author of “Acceptable Losses”—a stage production performed Off-Broadway—and the author of “The Anchorhouse Boys” and “Tattoos and Scars”, his latest work “ Despicable Heroes” pulls no punches in their exploration of trauma, rebellion, and redemption.
Beyond the page, Brendon is a survivor, father, and grandfather. His humanitarian spirit is reflected in the kidney he donated to his friend, and the recognition he’s received—including the CCM Humanitarian Award and the Smiling Tear Humanitarian Award.
Brendon lives with Post-Traumatic Stress and is a vocal advocate for veteran mental health, addiction, suicide, post-traumatic growth, and alternatives to pharmaceutical cocktails. He’s a suicide survivor and a student of the dark places’ veterans go, determined to shine a light on them with raw truth, gritty storytelling, and unflinching courage. To show other surviors a light in the darkness, by saying “Hey, you are not alone in this fight”.
Brendon turns scars into stories and tattoos into testimonies.
My Origins
I am a United States Marine Corps combat veteran, author, speaker, and professional drug and alcohol counselor with decades of experience serving veterans and individuals recovering from addiction and mental health challenges. My background combines military leadership, combat service, behavioral health counseling, and firsthand experience navigating trauma, resilience, and recovery. As both a clinician and storyteller, I specialize in veteran transition, Post-Traumatic Stress, Post-Traumatic Growth (PTSG), suicide awareness, addiction recovery, and the lasting impact of military service on service members and their families. Drawing on my education, professional counseling experience, and years of working directly with veterans, I believe I deliver practical insight with authenticity, compassion, and credibility. My mission is to empower others through honest conversation, compelling storytelling, and the belief that even after life's darkest battles, growth, purpose, and hope are possible.
Still Here.
My Approach
My writing blends the grit of military service with the humanity of redemption. Drawing from real-life experience, I craft emotionally honest stories that explore trauma, resilience, family, recovery, and the enduring strength of the human spirit. Whether writing fiction or nonfiction, these works are rooted in authentic characters, compelling storytelling, and the principles of Post-Traumatic Growth (PTSG)—the belief that even after life's darkest battles, people can find purpose, rebuild their lives, and emerge stronger with hope for the future.
Post Traumatic Growth
Post-traumatic growth isn't pretending the trauma never happened, and it isn't putting a positive spin on pain. It's what happens when you refuse to let your worst experiences become the final chapter of your life. Trauma changes you—but growth is deciding that those scars will become a source of strength instead of a life sentence.
For many veterans, first responders, and survivors, healing doesn't mean returning to the person you were before. That person is gone. Growth means becoming someone stronger, wiser, and more purposeful because of what you've endured. It means finding meaning in suffering, rediscovering hope, rebuilding relationships, and using your experiences to help others find their own way out of the darkness.
Post-traumatic growth is the belief that while trauma may shape your story, it never gets to write the ending.
EX BELLO, LUX
From War, Light
