Do you have a story you feel needs to be shared with the world? If so, you’re not alone. Mason’s former attendance secretary, Peggy Monahan, has completed this lifelong goal. Monahan, a history major, released a compilation of her grandfather’s journal entries and his letters to his family during World War Two.

On November 1st, 2015, Monahan published Pages From a World War II Chaplain’s Diary, a republication of the experiences of her grandfather, Clarence Walstad, during his multiple tours in World War Two. Walstad served from 1943-1945, covering Africa, and Europe, and was commended with a bronze star for his service. Monahan’s book is made up of letters that he sent to his wife and children back at home. His letters take the reader on a “spiritual journey,” said Monahan, as Walstad sends letters to his family home, talking about his experiences with the war and with God.

Walstad experienced and documented things that many only hear about in history books, from shipping out to major turning points in the war, such as the Battle of Bulge, D-day, and coming back home. Walstad, a keen writer, later made copies of these letters, and then redistributed them to his family members after the war.

Monahan grew up reading these stories, and was compelled to share the story with others. Additionally, she had made a promise to her mother, her grandfather’s last surviving child, that she would compile and re-release Walstad’s letters. After making the promise, Monahan spent two years studying the illegible scribbles that composed her grandfather’s letters into text, in order to to share his story.

As it was her first book, Monahan initially wanted to find a publisher to help her through the process of publication. Before sending her manuscript to a publisher, she turned to an Amazon owned company called Createspace to make it look more professional. Createspace is a program that provides creators with a template for self publishing. The final product turned out well, and aided in Monahan’s ultimate decision to self publish.

Monahan additionally chose not to use a professional editor because “I wanted my grandfather’s words to stand for themselves and not be edited by anyone else,” she said. Furthermore, “it was important to me to keep every word punctuation and misspellings,” she said, which are things that an editor would seek to change.

“I [compiled and published the letters] for my mom,” said Monahan, “and I wanted to publish it within her lifetime.” Despite the difficulty of the task, “it did not feel like a chore at all,” she said. “[It was] a total labor of love.”

The book was a monumental task, but it had a monumental reward at the end. Seeing her mother’s reaction, who “cried when I sent her the final copy,” and the reactions of those who read her grandfather’s story served as great fulfillment for the completion of this task.

“I have been very gratified from people who have read it and said that it was not only interesting but good writing,” said Monahan.

You can find Monahan’s book here, or stop by the front desk to see a hard copy.