About the Author:
Lieutenant General Larry R. Jordan grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1968. He retired after 35 years of active duty, serving in the Republic of Vietnam, Germany, Kuwait, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Pentagon. He served three years at West Point as an assistant professor in the Department of History, and upon retirement from the Army, he worked in the defense industry for a decade. He then shifted his focus to supporting non-profit and service organizations including the Association of the U.S. Army, the Army Historical Foundation, the West Point Association of Graduates, Army Emergency Relief, the National Urban Fellows, and the ROCKS, a mentoring and professional development organization specializing in assisting minority officers grow and achieve.
The Journey Behind A Route of Surprises:
I am a retired Army Lieutenant General with thirty-five years of service in such places as the Republic of Vietnam, Germany, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, and several posts in the United states. My background differs greatly from what was expected and experienced by the vast majority of my peers. Growing up in Kansas City, Missouri in the post-WW II era, I experienced the turbulence of mid-century American society as it dealt with social, cultural, political and other issues, much as they did. However, my path was different, as an African American seeking to overcome societal, cultural, and institutional challenges. That path led me to graduation from West Point in 1968, at a time of a controversial conflict in Vietnam and domestic unrest and struggles in the areas of civil rights and equality.
My journey was filled with unexpected and improbable experiences, all of which either taught life lessons or reinforced those learned earlier while growing up. They included lessons from the individuals, situations, and environments I encountered. Multiple troop assignments, graduate school, service on the West Point faculty, Pentagon duty, and over a decade spent overseas made this a rich and diverse experience. The impact carried beyond my military career and continued during ten years in business after the Army, and during service with a number of non-profit and service organizations following retirement.
I was led to write A Route of Surprises as I reflected on the many individuals and places I had encountered during thirty-five years in uniform, and both before and after that service. I also came to belatedly learn of my family history and a legacy of military service beginning in the American Civil War and spanning six generations seeing service in six separate conflicts. It seemed a unique and certainly untold story that was more common than widely thought with regard to the African American community. That, along with the many close friends who were made over time, and the untold accounts of their service, successes, and contributions, convinced me this was a story worth sharing. During my career, I came to believe that the best legacy we truly leave is in terms of the people and places we touch, for better or worse. By far, the untold stories reflected a legacy of touching people and places for the better. That needed to be shared
A Route of Surprises matters now because the message of character, leadership, principles, and perseverance are truly important today, as we traverse both new and unprecedented challenges, and older social and institutional ones. It also provides readers a better understanding of the experiences and contributions of our service members and their families at a time when fewer Americans have any military experience or connection.
My sincere hope is that readers will realize not only the challenges and contributions that soldiers make in their service around the globe but also gain an appreciation of the world beyond their domestic boundaries that service members routinely see. I also hope they gain a better understanding of the role that military spouses and families play in enabling their soldiers to serve, by providing the support, understanding and love that sustains them. Beyond that, my hope is that readers understand the service by my family is not unique. Many other families, especially those not from majority groups, have made lasting contributions, and have vital stories to hear and understand.
— LTG Larry R. Jordan, U.S. Army (Retired), Author of A Route of Surprises: A Soldier’s Story of Strength, Service, and Discovery
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A Route of Surprises traces LTG Larry R. Jordan’s journey from one of the few African American cadets at West Point in the 1960s to three-star general, weaving military service, family life, and a six-generation legacy of African American duty.
A Route of Surprises is an AUSA Book Program title.
Order your copy of LTG Jordan’s book at the UNG Press Bookstore today.
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