A Look Back in Time: Memoir of a Military Kid in the Fifties Vol. 2

by Bernard N. Lee Jr.

A Look Back in Time: Memoir of a Military Kid in the 50s, Vol. II is a fascinating, insightful, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious, chronicle of life while growing up in a military family. Readers will enjoy the stories of life in the fifties, told from a child's perspective. Through the stories, readers learn the virtues of tolerance, fairness, perseverance, resilience, and other life serving qualities needed for survival in today's world. These qualities are timeless. Readers, young and old, will recognize these virtues, and themselves, inside the stories.
A Look Back in Time... finds our military kid living in Deutschland, while attending an American middle school and high school. His adventures, with the German and American young adults, are rich in history, suspense, and surprises. You will enjoy the stories of this well-traveled, military kid as he navigates his early teen years in Germany during the fifties.

280 pages, Paperback

Published December 12, 2017

About the author

About the Author of “A Look Back in Time: Memoir of a Military Kid in the Fifties, Vol I, II & 2nd Edition”

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 we have today of shared sacrifice and love for 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"

“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 Vol. II, 2nd Edition
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 retired, taught four years of high school, and then moved, with my wife, to Georgia in 2007.

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

I have been a frequent guest speaker on the Tribe Family Channel™ radio program. I am a member of the: Atlanta Writers Club; The Authors Guild; Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators; African American Literature Book Club; Alliance of Independent Authors; Military Writer’s Society of America, and American Overseas Historical Society. I reside with my wife of forty-nine years, Edwina, in Chandler, Arizona.

Reviews

[Military Writers Society of America (MWSA)]

MWSA Review

A Look Back in Time is a profoundly personal glimpse into the adolescence of Bernard N. Lee, Jr. The memoir relates events as a military brat in the 1950s, specifically on the family’s first overseas tour in Ansbach, Germany. The author records his fears of being the “new kid” again, the wonder of the German landscape and people, the challenge of learning a new language, and the ups and downs of beginning high school. The friends he makes there have become lifelong ones—their shared experiences embedded in his mind.

Lee touches on the racial unrest within the military during this time and weaves it into the book very successfully. He confides to the reader his teenage insecurities. He reveals his family to us—a father, a no-nonsense career soldier; a sweet mother who encourages her children to excel; and three younger siblings who look up to him. The author brings this family to life while also acknowledging the stresses that all military families endure.

Lee’s memoir is a treasure for generations of his family and an entertaining read for those with similar experiences. Many of the emotions of the young man portrayed in the book are timeless and still felt by military brats even today. Although a few editing errors detract slightly, A Look Back in Time is indeed a heartwarming portrayal of military life.

Review by Sandi Cathcart (April 2020)

[P.T.L. Perrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This second volume of Bernard Lee’s A Look Back In Time, covering the three years his father was stationed in Germany, is as vibrant and interesting as the first volume, if not more so. Being a teenager in a country with a completely different culture and language, having to make new friends only to lose some as their parents received orders to move, learning a new language, and making your place in the microcosmic society of the military, can be daunting for any young person. Bernard shares his stories with humor, sensitivity and imagery that puts the reader in the action along with him. I had many laugh-out-loud moments reading this book and shed some tears as well. Beautifully written. I loved reading this.

[Rona Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

In A Look Back in Time, Bernard Lee shares his experiences of growing up as a military brat. In this, the second volume of his memoir, it’s the 1950s and his Army family is living in Germany. Bernie and I have some common memories, as I too was a military brat and spent some years in Germany, although at a slightly younger age. And, while Bernie’s incredibly detailed accounts of his formative years resonate, he also touches on more profound aspects, things I did not see or was too young to take note, racial strife, hard times, and fear (during the Cuban crisis). Still, my favorite line is: “I learned a universal truth. Kids are all the same no matter where they live in the world.” Amen to that!