Retired educator and coach Vincent Rossi has added another title to his list — author.
The former Monroe High School teacher penned a book about his family’s service in the United States Armed Forces. The book is titled, “Honoring The Call: A Family’s Military Story.”
Available on Amazon, the book centers around the marriage of Pasquale Rossi and Frances Silvaggio, his parents.
“I am not a professional writer. I’m a former high school teacher that taught 25 years at Monroe High School. I taught history,” Rossi said. “This story is about an immigrant family. My father was born in Acquaviva, Italy and my mother was born in the states. She is Italian, too.”
The book ties together five Italian families into a single legacy and follows the journey of the sons born from these bloodlines.
As the 87-year-old started his research, he said he uncovered stories he wanted to record and share.
“When I heard about someone who served on a ship, I would do research about the ship to make this story come alive,” he said. “After the research was completed, I started writing. It seemed like everyone had a story to be told. They didn’t talk about being in the military when they came home.”
The Monroe resident said his writing provides a glimpse of the brave descendants that vowed to protect and serve their nation.
In chapter three, he writes about Private Tomasso “Thomas” Donofrio who registered to the World War I draft on June 5, 1917, and “amid the brutal confrontations of the Great War, Private Thomas Donofrio endured one of its most chilling innovations: poison gas.”
Donofrio’s story is just one of many Rossi has documented. The book also includes photos of family and military awards along with images of marriage certificates, maps, discharge papers and grave markers.
Once the information had been gathered, it took about a year to get the book ready and Rossi contacted Brian Lamour at Lamour Printing Company at 123 E. Front St. in Monroe on how to get the book published.
Rossi wanted the book to be available to family and friends but did not want the printing expense or having to store copies. So, with Lamour’s help, he found an online publisher.
He said the most challenging part of writing the book was “making the reader understand what these people went through.”
“For example, my Aunt Mary had a son that went into the military. A couple of months later, another one went in. Six months later, another one went in. Her 19-year-old son was the last one to go. He’s the one that was wounded twice,” he said. “Can you just imagine the emotional impact it had?”
The 223-page paperback became available in July, and the response has been positive.
“I did this book so that we don’t lose this part of the family. Memories fade over time,” he added. “After I finished each individual story, it was like a breath of fresh air. I felt like, ‘People are going to now know about you.’ It was a good feeling.”
Rossi offers advice to others wanting to writers a book.
“Collect your information. It does not have to be in order and just start writing,” he said. “You can make adjustments and your writing will improve as you move along.”
— Contact reporter Lisa Vidaurri-Bowling at lvidaurribowling@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Retired Monroe teacher honors family legacy in new military book
Reporting by Lisa Vidaurri Bowling, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Lisa Vidaurri Bowling, The Monroe News | USA TODAY Network
