Major General Jerry Curry (US Army Ret.)

Maj. Gen. Jerry R. Curry (US Army Ret.) B.A. M.A. Ph.D. is a decorated combat veteran, Army Aviator, Paratrooper and Ranger who has served his country both in the military and as a Presidential appointee in three administrations. 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 NHTSA in the first Bush Administration. General Curry also oversaw the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, the military's weapons testing program, making him a foremost military expert on weaponry But Jerry Curry was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Far from it, Jerry was a steel mill worker from the small town of Liberty, Pennsylvania who enlisted in the Army as a young private and rose to the rank of major general, a feat almost unheard of. His recent book, From Private to General - An African American Soldier Rises Through the Ranks (Believe Books, 2007), is a gritty true-life story of an African American soldier determined to succeed in a white-dominated military culture, facing the barriers of racism and elitism without compromising his values or becoming a victim. Jerry Curry rose through the ranks by distinguishing himself in intense challenges of combat and in military command assignments and by surviving the political infighting that is endemic in the military. Recently announced as a winner of the 2007 IPPY (Independent Publisher) Book of the Year Award for multi-cultural non-fiction, From Private to General is now available in bookstores. Curry shares fresh insights on America's role in Vietnam, achieving racial harmony, challenges in the military, leadership principles and America's role in the world today. Gen. Jerry Curry is a man who might have become President if he had chosen politics instead of the military. His insights into politics and military strategy are particularly relevant to the current situation in Iraq and the lessons in leadership he presents are of timeless benefit. His descriptions of combat in Vietnam are particularly fascinating.