MEROM, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A local war hero’s story has been turned into a book and is heading to the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City.
John Henry Parsel, from Merom, was a skilled scout sniper, engineer, and railman in World War I. During his time in the war, he kept a journal accounting for his time in the armed forces. After the war ended, he took these accounts and turned them into a book he one day wished to publish.
However, the book was kept in storage, never to be published until his grandson, Dan Emmons, got his hands on it.
Emmons said it means so much to him and the family to complete his grandfather’s dream.
“He died in 1968, still unpublished, still the manuscript setting in the trunk. I think now he has to be looking down and just feeling wonderful about it,” said Emmons.
The title of Emmons’ book is “1918 From Heaven to Hell to Hoboken” and is available online.
To see Emmons’ full interview, where he dives into the story and background of the book, you can do so by watching it in the video player above.
