PCC Welcomes Author of Until Tuesday

Pasadena City College is pleased to welcome Captain Luis Carlos Montalvan and his dog on Sept. 17 to talk about his book, “Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him” at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. in Creveling Lounge.

The book is a heartwarming dog story like no other: Tuesday, a lovable golden retriever, changes a former soldier’s life forever. A highly decorated captain in the U.S. Army, Montalvan never backed down from a challenge during his two tours of duty in Iraq. After returning home from combat, however, his physical wounds and crippling post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) began to take their toll. He wondered if he would ever recover.

Tuesday came into Montalvan’s life at its darkest hour. After honorably departing the Army in 2007, an institution in which he had served his entire adult life, his mind, body and spirit were broken.

Enter Tuesday. Montalvan and the golden retriever were partnered through the Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities facility in New York after he returned from Iraq with a spinal cord injury, a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and PTSD. Tuesday brightens his days and calms his nights. From retrieving things Montalvan needs so that he doesn’t have to strain his spinal cord injury to gentle nuzzles that return him from horrible flashbacks caused by his TBI and PTSD, Tuesday has given the veteran back his life. Most recently, Tuesday was awarded Best Service Dog from the AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence.

“We are very excited to have Captain Montalvan and Tuesday here,” said Carol Calandra of the PCC Veterans Resource Center.

A 17-year veteran of the U.S. Army, Montalvan was decorated with numerous awards, including two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal for Valor, and the Combat Action Badge. In 2010, Montalvan earned a Master of Science degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

Most recently, “Until Tuesday” won the 2012 USA Best Book Award in the Autobiography/Memoir and Audiobook Non-fiction categories. Montalvan is also the recipient of a 2011 Voice Award and the 2011 Invisible Hero Honors Award for his efforts to educate the public about trauma and the real experiences of veterans and people with disabilities.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information please call (626) 585-7899.