About us
About the author
Ray Deptula
Ray Deptula is a native of Wells, Maine, and a graduate of Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine. He spent 24 years in the U.S. Navy as a helicopter pilot and a political-military officer. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island with a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. A Dog Before A Soldier is the first book Ray has published, having conceived of it while taking a Revolutionary War elective at the Naval War College.
One Man’s Fight for Purpose in a Chaotic World
A Soldier’s Struggle
Fighting battles both inside and out
History Repeats Itself
Yesterday’s conflicts shape today’s world
Identity Under Fire
Desperately trying to belong in chaos
Morality in War
Choosing values over raw survival
Behind the Story
Ray Deptula: Writing from the Trenches of Truth
Ray Deptula brings a rare authenticity to A Dog Before A Soldier, weaving fiction from the raw threads of history, conflict, and human complexity. With a deep understanding of how personal struggles echo national ones, Deptula crafts Jack Halliday’s journey not as a hero’s tale, but as a mirror—reflecting the burdens of duty, the pain of disillusionment, and the relentless search for meaning in a broken world. His writing doesn’t just tell the story of a war; it invites readers to feel the weight of every choice, every shot fired, and every moment of silent reckoning.