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From Private to General: An African American Soldier Rises Through The Ranks
The faith and determination of an African American soldier allow him to overcome racial and social barriers to rise from private to general in the U.S. Army and to serve in the administration of three presidents.
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This book chronicles the life of Jerry Curry, a steel mill worker from the small town of Liberty, Pennsylvania who enlisted in the Army as a private and rose to the rank of major general. Curry’s story of an African American man determined to succeed in a white-dominated society, without compromising his values or becoming a victim, will inspire readers everywhere. The book takes Curry to Cold War Germany—where the threat of Soviet invasion kept everyone on edge—to post-partition Korea, and the jungles of Vietnam. To be promoted beyond the ranks of an enlisted man, Jerry attends night school for nine years to earn his bachelor’s degree and then goes on to earn his master’s degree and doctorate—all while on active duty with the Army. Through it all, Curry is sustained by a trust in God that grows as he tests his faith against life’s challenges. From Private to General provides an intriguing glimpse into the mind and experience of a man of outstanding professional achievement. “Dr. Jerry R. Curry emerged from humble small-town beginnings to become an Army major general. A man of great intelligence, integrity, and self-discipline, he is a focused, tactical and strategic thinker and doer. Over the years he has deftly balanced a demanding public service career, family obligations, and love of music. You’ll be fascinated to learn of how a ranger warrior became an opera singer. The stabilizing constant is his prayerful Christian character. Here is a physically and morally courageous soldier—a survivor of agonizing combat in Vietnam, cold-war duty in Europe, and the harrowing challenges of soldierly diplomacy and politics of Washington, D.C. He is the kind of friend you greatly value in a firefight or when you simply need an insightful, empathetic source of pragmatic support.” Major General (Ret) Robert C. Gaskill, U.S. Army “Jerry Curry’s war stories are electrifying. Jerry enlisted in the Army as a private and retired as a general, a feat that is extremely rare and difficult to accomplish. He is a warrior statesman whom I suspect would have become President if he had chosen politics instead of the military.” Edward A. Elliott, President, Oasis Audio LLC, a leading publisher of audio books.
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Jerry Ralph Curry was Commanding General of the Military District of Washington and Deputy Commander of V Corp in Germany. He served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Carter administration, as Press Secretary to the Secretary of Defense in the Reagan administration, and as Administrator of the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration in the first Bush administration. He earned a B.A. from the University of Nebraska/Omaha, an M.A. in International Relations from Boston University, and a Doctorate from Luther Rice Seminary. In 1982, he was named Washingtonian of the Year.
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This book chronicles the life of Jerry Curry, a steel mill worker from the small town of Liberty, Pennsylvania who enlisted in the Army as a private and rose to the rank of major general. Curry’s story of an African American man determined to succeed in a white-dominated society, without compromising his values or becoming a victim, will inspire readers everywhere. The book takes Curry to Cold War Germany—where the threat of Soviet invasion kept everyone on edge—to post-partition Korea, and the jungles of Vietnam. To be promoted beyond the ranks of an enlisted man, Jerry attends night school for nine years to earn his bachelor’s degree and then goes on to earn his master’s degree and doctorate—all while on active duty with the Army. Through it all, Curry is sustained by a trust in God that grows as he tests his faith against life’s challenges. From Private to General provides an intriguing glimpse into the mind and experience of a man of outstanding professional achievement. “Dr. Jerry R. Curry emerged from humble small-town beginnings to become an Army major general. A man of great intelligence, integrity, and self-discipline, he is a focused, tactical and strategic thinker and doer. Over the years he has deftly balanced a demanding public service career, family obligations, and love of music. You’ll be fascinated to learn of how a ranger warrior became an opera singer. The stabilizing constant is his prayerful Christian character. Here is a physically and morally courageous soldier—a survivor of agonizing combat in Vietnam, cold-war duty in Europe, and the harrowing challenges of soldierly diplomacy and politics of Washington, D.C. He is the kind of friend you greatly value in a firefight or when you simply need an insightful, empathetic source of pragmatic support.” Major General (Ret) Robert C. Gaskill, U.S. Army “Jerry Curry’s war stories are electrifying. Jerry enlisted in the Army as a private and retired as a general, a feat that is extremely rare and difficult to accomplish. He is a warrior statesman whom I suspect would have become President if he had chosen politics instead of the military.” Edward A. Elliott, President, Oasis Audio LLC, a leading publisher of audio books.
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Jerry Ralph Curry was Commanding General of the Military District of Washington and Deputy Commander of V Corp in Germany. He served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Carter administration, as Press Secretary to the Secretary of Defense in the Reagan administration, and as Administrator of the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration in the first Bush administration. He earned a B.A. from the University of Nebraska/Omaha, an M.A. in International Relations from Boston University, and a Doctorate from Luther Rice Seminary. In 1982, he was named Washingtonian of the Year.
352 pages, Paperback
Published August 13, 2023
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September 30, 2024
I mostly enjoyed the General's time in combat and the personal struggles he endured to enhance his chances at promotional career opportunities to optimize his success in his chosen profession. The politics of an ascendant military career were no surprise to me, but the restraint and discipline necessary to be successful and to meet the various challenges was somewhat revelatory. It takes a certain kind of individual to navigate the political/military landscape of a career in uniform. I found this reading to be encouraging and inspiring as I reflected on the what-ifs of missed opportunities in my own life to make a career of the military. "From Private to General" is an American success story, draped in all the pathologies and strengths of our American society with the prevailing message that it can be done. Only in America do we see a lowly enlisted man with all the right stuff, rise through the ranks of the military bureaucracy while side-stepping political career-ending landmines to achieve the responsibilities and success of our nation's top military leadership. My compliments to the good General (R.I.P. ) and his loving, supportive family for an inspirational telling of the American Dream.
Displaying 1 of 1 review