Meet authors Admiral Al and Cecily Kelln
Albert Lee Kelln
Born into an immigrant family of Germans from Russia, Albert Lee Kelln grew up in Shattuck, Oklahoma, during the trials of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and World War II. How he got to the U.S. Naval Academy, became a nuclear-trained submariner, and attained the rank of Rear Admiral years before his peers are all part of his memoir “Living the MIRACLES: A Sailor’s Life in the Nuclear Power Age.”
Al’s first book written while a student at the Naval Academy titled “Confederate Submarines” was published by the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography in July 1953 and relates the first successful sinking of a warship by a manned submarine. Writing this book influenced Al’s path to become one of the fifteen initial candidates to graduate from the Navy’s Nuclear Power Plant Operators School under the direct tutelage of Admiral Hyman Rickover.
Al’s twenty-eight years of service in the U.S. Navy encompassed historical firsts, close calls, and demanding leadership assignments, such as nuclear submarine commander, Chief Engineer of the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, and Commodore of a squadron of nuclear submarines. Before retirement, Al served in a key role to develop the new Trident Submarine and Missile program. After retirement, Al became founder of the Naval Submarine League.
He and his wife, Cecily Watson Kelln, also a writer, established several Christian ministries, such as the Tomball (Texas) Pregnancy Center. In 2011, they moved to the Texas Hill Country to create a quiet little ranch farm abounding in solar power, collected rain water, aquaculture gardens, chickens, rabbits, sheep and occasionally a covey of quail. Al has become a teacher of biblical End Times effects and periodically conducts a sixteen-session course on the subject.
Cecily Watson Kelln
Cecily Watson Kelln shares her life testimony with the world. This confessional memoir, Becoming the Admiral’s Wife: A Dual Memoir of a Called Pair, is her first book. Cecily graduated from Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, with a B.A. in English Literature. Her short story, “Little Rowboat,” won second place in the Juvenile Fiction Category at the Nineteenth Annual Chesapeake Writers’ Conference in the year 2000. She is a member of Writers’ League of Texas.
Cecily was born and raised in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania on seven acres the family called “Cackleberry Farm.” Her subsequent prolonged quest to know God, which included divorces and single parenting, led her to meet Jesus and ultimately “the Admiral,” her husband, Albert Kelln. Together they combined their writings in this book. They enjoy initiating Christian ministries, such as the founding of Tomball Pregnancy Center in Tomball, Texas, as well as travel, friends, Bible study, and their little home in West Texas.
Cecily encourages readers to share the impact of her book by communicating with her. She can be reached by email at: info@kellnlegacy.com.
Memorabilia
Al and Cecily's Video Gallery
Playlist
Reviews
Al's Reviews
Living The Miracles: A Sailor’s Life in the Nuclear Power Age
Book review by: David Allen
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
This phrase, characterizing heroes, tough guys, and idealists, certainly suits (Ret.) Admiral Albert Lee Kelln, the author of this remarkable and truly inspiring memoir. Kelln’s memoir serves up a hearty dish composed of history, personal reminiscence, science and technology, and matters of the heart.
He begins at the beginning, tracing his family of origin back to 13th century Germany, to a Royal Knight, then to Russia. He grew up in Oklahoma then tested his mettle at the U.S. Naval Academy. Kelln masterfully documents his time in Korea; his account of U.S. naval and military exploits is fascinating.
His talents as a sailor and leader were recognized early on and he was recruited into the nascent Nuclear Power School. Throughout the book, a portrait of Hyman Rickover – the father of nuclear- powered submarine command – emerges. Rickover, a mentor and confidante of the author, is portrayed as a charismatic, brilliant multi- tasker.
The book is more than history, more than a celebration of heroes – a lot more. Kelln takes the reader into the day- to- day life on board submarines. The narrative is spiced up with reader- friendly explanations of the physics and engineering of extended submarine deployment.
In his time, Admiral Kelln lived and worked on a variety of submarines, including
the Ronquil, the Ray, the Shark, and the Skate. Kelln was the recipient of a truly unique award – for being the first person to stand upon, sail under, and fly over the North Pole. Ice floes, potential deal- breakers in the submariners’ world, also figure largely in the narrative. Kelln’s accounts here too take on the valence and tone of great adventure stories. He was called upon at various times to host dignitaries and celebrities, including the Queen of Greece and President Eisenhower’s son.
Albert Kelln is, in a word, authentic. The book is authentic. His life story and naval
career, marked by dignity, authority, and dedication to service, include marriage,
fatherhood, and very meaningful retirement. Kelln is the founder of the Naval Submarine League, and he has received numerous awards for service to his country and his fellow man.
The final section of the book, consisting of verbatim lessons he gave to schoolchildren on life, science, and enduring values, is particularly touching. In these troubled times, Living the Miracles stands out as a touchstone of spiritual anchors and man’s humanity to man. Readers of all ages and persuasions will relish this book – it is an adventure story, a remarkable life narrative, and it makes a deep spiritual statement.
Living The Miracles: A Sailor’s Life in the Nuclear Power Age
Book review by: Barbara Bamberger Scott
“SKATEs mission was vital. We were ready to take this tremendous knowledge leap for our country.”
The son of German immigrants, the author was born in Oklahoma just before the Great Depression and the devastation of the Dust Bowl. Poor but resourceful, young Kelln took every opportunity to work, earn, and survive. He was accepted at the U.S. Naval Academy and assigned to a destroyer during the Korean War. His service on a submarine undertaking spy missions spotlighted his technical and leadership skills, leading him to the Arctic on an early nuclear-powered submarine, the SKATE. Kelln became the first person to fly over, go under and stand upon the North Pole. Further distinction entailed working directly with the esteemed Admiral Rickover. Kelln attained the rank of commander, then rear admiral, and aided in constructing Trident submarines. After retiring, he supported the Navy in private endeavors. He met Cecily Watson at a local square dance club. They married and now work together in Christian-based initiatives.
Kelln’s memoir is remarkable for its depiction of the excitement and constant peril of work as a submariner in wartime. Through his assignments, the reader will see the progression of technological advancement that the U.S. Navy has devised for worldwide protection and preparation, if ever needed, for warfare. His book is centered more on his professional than personal life. However, it is clear that he regards his wife Cecily as an ideal life partner whose shared Christian convictions have allowed him the chance to expand his talent for ministry. Kelln’s devotion to military duty afforded him the fulfillment of his earliest purpose: to give back in significant ways to the nation that willingly offers shelter to so many. His accurate, modest, detailed account will fascinate anyone who has ever wondered what it is like to spend days underwater, with a sense of readiness for danger matched by confidence in the machinery’s power.
Cecily's Reviews
Becoming the Admiral’s Wife: A Dual Memoir of a Called Pair
Book review by: Margie Przybylski
“One of the most interesting memoirs I have ever read”
Becoming the Admiral’s Wife is the story of Cecily Watson Kelln’s life and her journey in love and marriage to her husband. What is interesting is the couple both wrote memoirs at the same time; Kelln’s husband won the race and she included excerpts of his memoir in hers – creating a masterpiece of love.
I love the voice of Kelln’s storytelling – especially when she talks about her childhood. It feels young and innocent, and makes for a fun read. The childhood memories she shares paint a picture of the past without making it boring or stuffy. It truly feels like listening to someone tell their stories in a conversation. I found myself laughing throughout the book. It was very enjoyable and lighthearted.
Kelln’s husband’s excerpts sound much different from hers. I love how they found
parallel moments in both of their lives to include in the book. While they did not know each other from a young age, their experiences were very similar. These parallel scenes make it seem as if the stars truly aligned just for them, and continued to do so throughout their married life together.
It is rare to see such a close bond between husband and wife – everywhere on social media wives complain about their husbands. Media makes them look bad on television. They get a bad reputation in the world! How refreshing to see a beautiful bond and friendship between husband and wife, Kelln’s inclusion of her husband in her book shows how important humility and kindness are in a marriage. What a success story to discover.
I recommend this book to all history and memoir enthusiasts. It is a fun window to the past with vivid depictions of childhood in the 1940’s and 50’s. The post war era is very interesting to study – as a millennial I always found this point in history so interesting because it seemed so foreign and far away.
This work is an excellent source to use in a history project or just to learn about the
past. I found it very refreshing and interesting to read a joyful depiction of childhood and marriage. Kelln is truly a talented storyteller and her writing makes for a great way to learn, read and travel through time.
Becoming the Admiral’s Wife: A Dual Memoir of a Called Pair
Book review by: Barbara Bamberger Scott
“I was being groomed to understand and conclude that this life has its highs and lows, its victories and defeats, its beginnings and its ends.”
Growing up in a tightly knit, loving American family, the author grew from a curious and sometimes incautious child to a vibrant young woman of the 1960s. The first step on her remarkable life journey was joining the newly organized Peace Corps and working in Peru, helping the underprivileged as a teacher and companion and later recruiting new volunteers. After an unsustainable first marriage, she became entranced with a bearded free spirit, Levi. The two hitchhiked across the U.S., had three beautiful children, and experimented with everything from communal living to marijuana to yoga. They parted soon after Kelln had a sudden, powerful Christian conversion. Later returning to her family, Kelln was caring for her aging mother when she met a retired U.S. Navy Admiral, who, like her, enjoyed dancing at a local club. He was older, brought her flowers, and they shared a strong religious faith. Married since 2001, they have settled in West Texas, where they enjoy farming, family, and Christian outreach.
Kelln, who has a degree in English literature, clearly enjoys the challenge of recalling and recording the events of her extraordinary life in which she disdained conformity and conventional security in favor of personal growth and adventure. She writes with humor and verve, unhesitatingly criticizing herself for her occasional foibles while praising those who have favorably influenced her along the way. She has spiced her writing with old family photos and some excerpts from her husband Al’s memoir. Her story concludes with the couple designing their shared tombstone, with no plans for the future except, as Al predicts, “to be even funner.” Kelln’s is the kind of off-the-beaten-path success story that will appeal to those, Christian and otherwise, who reject the generally accepted norms and cheerfully accept what life has to offer.
28th Annual Writer’s Digest
Self-Published Book Awards
“Becoming the Admiral’s Wife” was submitted to the 28th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards.
The Judge who read the book evaluated it as OUTSTANDING in:
- structure
- organization
- pacing
- spelling
- punctuation
- grammar
- production quality
- voice and
- writing style
Judge’s remarks:
The author encouraged the reader to trust the Lord’s plan for their lives, which is a great message. All in all, a fantastic book with a tremendous overarching message, written by an author with a loving heart.
Reader’s comments
“Becoming the Admiral’s Wife”
