To Be Unconquered is Our Battle Cry
He was the epitome of the all-American boy and unbeknownst to him, James P. Kelly Sr. would become a symbol of the Greatest Generation. James was the seventh of thirteen children from a poor, immigrant Irish Catholic family that lived in Brookline, Massachusetts. After losing their father at a young age all the kids did their part to support the family and James was no exception.
He dedicated his life to God, country, and believed in the innate goodness of others. His devotion and optimism never wavered – not even after witnessing the atrocities of WWII as an enlisted US Marine or after losing his youngest brother during the Korean War. James persevered in spite of poverty and loss and rebuked adversity. Rather, he chose to be unconquered in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds and drew upon the wisdom of his favorite poem, Invictus.