Far From Home: A Combat Engineer's Journal of Fierce Battles and German Occupation - Softcover

Kelley, Lieutenant Jay H.

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798995535508

Verlag: Kelley Press, 2026

Inhaltsangabe

Far From Home is the wartime journal of Lieutenant Jay Hilary Kelley following his remarkable journey across the front lines of the Second World War—from training in the United States and deployment to England, Utah Beach, the race across France, the Battle of the Bulge, the drive into Germany, and finally the daunting task of rebuilding a defeated nation as part of Allied Military Government.

Written as daily journal entries and preserved for over eighty years, Kelley's firsthand account places readers beside him through fierce combat, artillery bombardments, dangerous engineering missions, and the everyday struggles of leading soldiers in wartime. His journal captures not only the brutality of battle, but also the humor, friendships, and unexpected moments of humanity that sustained men through one of history's greatest conflicts.

In April 1945, the mission changes, and Kelley is appointed to Military Government in postwar Germany. His duties included reopening local governments, rebuilding essential services, overseeing displaced persons and Jewish camps, denazification, and witnessing firsthand the immense challenge of rebuilding a shattered enemy nation.

Rich in historical detail, sharp observations, and deeply human storytelling, Far From Home is a rare primary source that offers an intimate, boots-on-the-ground perspective of World War II—from the Normandy campaign and the Battle of the Bulge to the occupation of Germany and the difficult work of "winning the peace."

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Lieutenant Jay H. Kelley was born on March 9, 1920, in Greensburg, PA. Hil received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Penn State. During WWII, he served in the Army as a 1st Lieutenant in the 51st Engineer Combat Battalion and later as a security and administrative officer in the Military Government. He was part of the invasion force at Normandy and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, where his unit was commemorated in the book "Unbroken Line." In April of 1945, he was transferred to the occupation government supervising census, security, and denazification in Bavaria and Thuringia, Germany. When he returned home, Hil was introduced to Catherine Holway Thom by their mutual friend, John F. Kennedy, who was a junior congressman at the time. After obtaining his PhD, Hil was invited by the newly elected President Kennedy to join his staff as a science advisor. He served in both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations before accepting an executive position at Rutgers University. Dr. Kelley also worked as an executive at Ford and taught at Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania before being appointed a dean at West Virginia University. Dr. Kelley also held multiple patents and ran a successful engineering consulting business. Dr. Kelley was a proud father of nine children.

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Kelley Press
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2026
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 13: 9798995535508
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 303
• Herausgeber: Kelley Patrick, Kelley Justyna
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Manufactured by Amazon on behalf of the author; https://www.amazon.de/hz/contact-us; ; c/o Amazon Media EU S.à.r.l., 38 Avenue John F. Kennedy; Luxembourg; L-1855; Luxemburg