Post by Larry Heider on Dec 28, 2014 15:26:02 GMT -5
The Lions Path by C.J. Kelly
Author C.J. Kelly has recently burst onto the 106th’s radar as a writer with a keen eye and ear focused on our Golden Lions. The son of a WWII veteran, Christopher J. Kelly was born in the Bronx, was brought up in a Catholic school system and encouraged by his parents read a lot of great books. His interest in WWII had been enriched by having a father and six uncles who served in the war. They were tough guys with a heart and he got to know the real men who lived the lives depicted in all the WWII movies he watched as he grew up.
Watching documentaries as a kid, particularly the World at War and seeing the newsreel footage of American Prisoners of War in Europe was sort of shocking. Combined with the horrific weather and the scope of the Battle of the Bulge he was led to one question: how could men survive and go on under such conditions? Over the years he read the flood of books written by veterans who shared their memoirs with the world. He poured over the books written by historians and witnesses to the horrors of POW camps. Five years of research into the minute details of being a soldier during the war led C.J. to write two books based on the experiences of men who were in the Golden Lion’s 106th Division. His first book, titled The Lion’s Path, published in 2009, is the story of a white officer and a black sergeant trying to survive together during the Battle of the Bulge. This is a fictional account based on facts surrounding the 106th’s baptism of fire.
Lt. Brendan Green is an executive officer of the 590th Artillery Battalion/Able Battery.. Travelling by jeep, he goes from point to point on the Bleialf-Schonberg Road in the Ardennes Forest, checking on security and readiness at the various outposts and crossroads. The time is 1930 Hrs, Friday, Dec. 15, 1944. As the storyline progresses through the opening attack by the Germans on Dec.16 0530hrs we meet the other protagonist of the story, Sergeant Emmett T. Jackson, at a forward observation post just outside of Bleialf. Jackson is a member of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion, an all-black unit that had been in the Ardennes region since October supporting the 2nd Division. It’s main weapon was the 155mm Howitzer. Like many black units, the 333rd was not assigned to any particular division but was assigned to a particular Corps, in this case it was VIII Corps.
The story takes the reader into the very real situations and conditions faced by the 106th, a refreshing event given the lack of good fictional accounts published over the past 70 years. Mr. Kelly writes with a keen eye for detail and an ear for dialogue that draws the reader into the story from the first page and believably weaves the events into a strong fabric of truth mixed with exciting action and dialogue. A great read and also a good introduction to his next offering: The Red Legs of the Battle of the Bulge.
Author C.J. Kelly has recently burst onto the 106th’s radar as a writer with a keen eye and ear focused on our Golden Lions. The son of a WWII veteran, Christopher J. Kelly was born in the Bronx, was brought up in a Catholic school system and encouraged by his parents read a lot of great books. His interest in WWII had been enriched by having a father and six uncles who served in the war. They were tough guys with a heart and he got to know the real men who lived the lives depicted in all the WWII movies he watched as he grew up.
Watching documentaries as a kid, particularly the World at War and seeing the newsreel footage of American Prisoners of War in Europe was sort of shocking. Combined with the horrific weather and the scope of the Battle of the Bulge he was led to one question: how could men survive and go on under such conditions? Over the years he read the flood of books written by veterans who shared their memoirs with the world. He poured over the books written by historians and witnesses to the horrors of POW camps. Five years of research into the minute details of being a soldier during the war led C.J. to write two books based on the experiences of men who were in the Golden Lion’s 106th Division. His first book, titled The Lion’s Path, published in 2009, is the story of a white officer and a black sergeant trying to survive together during the Battle of the Bulge. This is a fictional account based on facts surrounding the 106th’s baptism of fire.
Lt. Brendan Green is an executive officer of the 590th Artillery Battalion/Able Battery.. Travelling by jeep, he goes from point to point on the Bleialf-Schonberg Road in the Ardennes Forest, checking on security and readiness at the various outposts and crossroads. The time is 1930 Hrs, Friday, Dec. 15, 1944. As the storyline progresses through the opening attack by the Germans on Dec.16 0530hrs we meet the other protagonist of the story, Sergeant Emmett T. Jackson, at a forward observation post just outside of Bleialf. Jackson is a member of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion, an all-black unit that had been in the Ardennes region since October supporting the 2nd Division. It’s main weapon was the 155mm Howitzer. Like many black units, the 333rd was not assigned to any particular division but was assigned to a particular Corps, in this case it was VIII Corps.
The story takes the reader into the very real situations and conditions faced by the 106th, a refreshing event given the lack of good fictional accounts published over the past 70 years. Mr. Kelly writes with a keen eye for detail and an ear for dialogue that draws the reader into the story from the first page and believably weaves the events into a strong fabric of truth mixed with exciting action and dialogue. A great read and also a good introduction to his next offering: The Red Legs of the Battle of the Bulge.