Bernard N Lee Jr

ALLi Author Member

About the Author of “A Look Back in Time: Memoir of a Military Kid in the 50s, Vol I & II”

My name is Bernard, but my friends call me Bernie. I grew up in the fifties and sixties, following World War II and the Korean Conflict. That historical period shaped many of the perceptions that military kids have today of shared sacrifice and love for our country. Those times had a profound impact on my family, and my father’s career in the US Army. They also shaped the personal perspective I have of my childhood.

I kept a mental diary of people and places, during my father’s tours of duty, at various military posts throughout the United States and Europe. Those stories form the basis for my memoir series, “A Look Back in Time: Memoir of a Military Kid in the 50s”

My life as a military kid was filled with one rousing adventure after another. I was never alone. I had other military brats, as we were called, to watch my back. We searched for Big Foot monsters in the Georgia clay pits. We hid under our desks, from gigantic B1 Bombers flying training runs overhead, in Texas. We stalked quail, nabbed bats, and chased Jack Rabbits across the plains in Oklahoma. As I recall, it was a special time for a young boy to be a military kid.

Of all the memories, none are more vivid than the three years we spent together as a military family in the late-1950s living in Germany. It was a magical time to be a kid living in a far-away place experiencing the life and culture of Deutschland. The places we traveled, the people we met, and the stories I remember are shared in the first three volumes of my memoir series.

I have always been good at expressing myself. I spoke frequently in church, competed in poetry and essay contests, contributed to my high school and college publications. In addition to my writing, I studied engineering at Cameron Junior College in Oklahoma and Howard University in Washington, D.C. While at Howard, I joined the Army ROTC Program, obtained a private pilot’s license, and earned a regular army commission. I retired as a Captain from the Army Reserves.

I spent my engineering career with AT&T, in New Jersey, where I worked until 2003. I taught four years of high school and moved to Georgia in 2007. I published volume I of my memoir in 2014 and volume II in December 2017. After a series of insightful, book reviews, I released a second edition of volume II, stories from Germany.

I find I am a better writer when I stay engaged with meaningful activities in my community. I am a Director of the “How Big Is Your Dream?! Foundation, which prepares young adults for careers in the arts. I teach chess to elementary, middle, and high school youngsters. I developed, and taught, a Summer School Reading Curriculum (based upon my book series) at the Hill Academy in Conyers.

I have been a frequent guest speaker on the Tribe Family Channel™ podcast radio. I am a member of the Atlanta Writers Club; the Georgia Writers Association; the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators; the Alliance of Independent Authors; the Military Writer’s Society of America; and numerous online military brat groups.

I reside in Conyers, Georgia, USA, with my wife of forty-five years. We have two grown children and three grandchildren.