C. J. Kelly

Christopher J. Kelly (hence, the 'CJ') was born in the Parkchester section of the Bronx, NY. The son of a World War II veteran and a mother who wanted to be, his upbringing was typical Irish Catholic Bronx kid. Catholic school was where he first learned to write, and with a lot of encouragement from his parents, read a lot of great books.

His long, strange trip led to some unforgettable experiences (and sometimes ones that he wants to forget)that enrich his writing. Three careers and two colleges later, he now lives in the beautiful Northwest, where he began writing.

Why the interest in World War II? That answer is easy: besides his father, he had six uncles in the war. They were tough guys with a heart, and he got to know the real men who lived the lives depicted in the movies. His Bronx neighborhood was filled with patriotic veterans from every war of the 20th century, including numerous Holocaust survivors. That atmosphere can shape a particular world view that comes through in his writing.

Better yet, why the obsession with the Battle of the Bulge? 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 scope of the battle, it led him back to one question: how could men survive and go on under such conditions? He began seeking out the memoirs of the men who fought in the battle and in the 1990s a flood of books were published that shed light on the soldiers' experiences on both sides of the conflict. No less important, was the World Wide Web in increasing access to Veterans' stories. Most of all, he wanted to find the men who were in those newsreels. The majority of those men from the famous German propaganda footage were from the 106th infantry division, who held out for four days in terrible conditions, and although suffering grievous losses, ultimately upset the Nazis' timetable for conquest.

Five years of research into the minute details of being a soldier during the war, and a desire to learn more about the unique aspects of life in the 1940s, led to The Lion's Path, the story of a white officer and a black sergeant trying to survive together during the Battle of the Bulge.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the research was exploring the role of African American troops in the Army. The crisis that the Bulge created led to a watershed moment in American history. Segregation began to break as the desperate need for trained men to precedence over racial stereotypes. It was the beginning of the end of Jim Crow in olive drab.

Chris is hard at work on his next book, Red Legs of the Bulge, the true story behind Lion's Path. It tells the stories of the artillerymen of the 106th and 333rd who helped turn the tide in the Ardennes. He can be reached at goldenlions44@yahoo.com.