Author Biography

John R. Oreskovich was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. He received his bachelor and master’s degree in history from Portland State University with an emphasis on American-Yugoslav relations from 1941-1946.  He later earned a Juris Doctorate from Gonzaga University School of Law.

John is a second generation Croatian-American with a strong familial connection to Lika, Croatia and the Old World. He lived and studied in Zagreb as a Fulbright Scholar in the Former Yugoslavia, and traveled extensively in Europe and the Balkans doing research under the Fulbright.

John has the distinct honor of serving in the United States Army for 26 years. He was promoted to Colonel in 1997. He served in Korea, Fiji, Haïti, Germany, and Skopje, Macedonia and was among the first American soldiers to enter Sarajevo following the signing of the Dayton Accords.

He has extensive military training including the United States Army Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses and the Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. He attended multiple courses at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His last thirteen years in the military were spent on active duty and the reserves with the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) and its subcommand the United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (USACAPOC). 

Inspiration for his work comes from the stories passed down to him from his father about the Old Country and from research conducted over the years on the history of the World Wars. When John is not writing, he enjoys traveling, reading the Economist, driving his Porsche and spending time with his six grandchildren.  He lives with his beautiful wife, Kelly in Portland, Oregon.