Posted November 27, 2023
One Book One Community – The Plymouth Chapter has selected “Delete the Adjective: A Soldier's Adventures in Ranger School” for the eighth Community Book Read.
“Delete the Adjective” was written by Lisa Jaster, who grew up in Plymouth and became one of the first three women to graduate from the elite U.S. Army Ranger program. The book recounts her experiences, originally recorded in the field notebook carried by every student in Ranger School.
“Throughout the Ranger course, Lisa proved that mettle breaks down any barriers society might place on you,” notes the book website. “For those six months in the program, her adjectives didn’t matter. What mattered was that she slept on the same forest ground as her peers (typically 23-year-old men on active duty). She ran the same mock missions and battle drills. She demonstrated the fortitude of a Ranger.”
Limited reserved copies of “Delete the Adjective” are available to check out with a library card at Plymouth Public Library. Signed copies may be ordered at deletetheadjective.com.
The public is invited to several events related to the Community Book Read. Reading the book is encouraged, but not required. Admission to all events is free but please register in advance via the MyRec online registration system or by contacting Community Ed & Rec at commedrec@plymouth.k12.wi.us or 920-892-5068.
Book Discussion
2-3 p.m. Tuesday Dec. 5 at Generations, 1500 Douglas Drive
Book Discussion
6:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday Dec. 13 in the library at Plymouth High School, 125 S. Highland Ave.
Author Event
10 a.m.-noon Saturday Dec. 23 at Ladewig-Zinkgraf American Legion Post 243, 40 S. Stafford St.
The annual One Book One Community – The Plymouth Chapter book read is sponsored by Plymouth School District Community Education & Recreation, Plymouth Public Library, and Generations. The overall objective is to select a book annually as a community joint reading venture, in the spirit of Mary McGrory’s observation that “the city that opens the same book closes it in greater harmony.”
Previous Community Book Read selections
• “Go Set a Watchman” by Harper Lee in 2015
• “The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics” by Daniel James Brown in 2016
• “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” by Jamie Ford in 2017
• “The Things They Carried” by Tim O'Brien in 2018
• “How To Make a Life: A Tibetan Refugee Family and the Midwestern Woman They Adopted” by Madeline Uraneck in 2019
• “She Rode a Yellow Stallion” by local author Warren Reed in 2021
• “My Happiness Counts” by local author Charm Joy Der for kids, “Starfish” by Lisa Fipps for young adults, and “Little Fires Everywhere” Celeste Ng for adults in 2022
• Visit the One Book One Community – the Plymouth Chapter website at plymouthbookread.weebly.com.
• Follow One Book One Community – the Plymouth Chapter on Facebook at facebook.com/OneBookPlymouthWI
• Visit the “Delete the Adjective” book website at deletetheadjective.com.
• Explore the Community Engagement section of our interactive, award-winning District Report Card to learn more about how our school and community partnerships yield lifelong learning opportunities.
Lisa Peplinski graduated from Plymouth High School in 1996 and was accepted into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. She graduated with a degree in civil engineering, and, as an officer, was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq in 2002-03. During these deployments, she was responsible for overseeing runway repairs, road construction, mine clearing, and building security infrastructure. After earning a master’s degree in civil engineering in 2004, she was stationed in South Korea, where she was placed in charge of ammunition distribution and maintenance.
She stepped down from active duty in 2007, and started a family with her husband, Marine Col. Allan Jaster, and a civilian career with Shell Oil Co., where she coordinated projects ranging from deep-water offshore wells to brownfield management.
She returned to the Army in 2012 as a reservist, and in 2015 made national history by becoming one of the first three females and the first reservist to graduate from the Army’s Ranger Program. Ranger School, prior to 2015 only open to men, is the Army’s elite combat leadership course, teaching students how to overcome fatigue, hunger, and stress so they can lead soldiers in small-unit combat operations. An athlete focused on strength training and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, she graduated at age 37, while the average trainee age is 23.
In recognition of her achievement, Mrs. Jaster was invited to sit in the First Lady’s box at President Obama’s 2016 State of the Union Address. She was inducted into the Plymouth High School Alumni Hall of Fame in 2016. She also has received numerous military accolades, including two Bronze Star Medals and three Meritorious Service Medals.
She lives with her family in Texas, where she focuses on training management teams, executive coaching, and keynote speaking.
