Joseph Arthur Berry was a native of Indianapolis and attended Butler University for two years (1940-41 and 1941-42), presumedly when he wrote these poems and letters. While at Butler, Berry was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity; Kappa Kappa Psi, a national honorary fraternity for college bandsmen; and Phi Eta Sigma, a national honorary scholastic fraternity for male first-year students. Berry earned a full scholarship from the University of Chicago and attended there for at least one semester before enlisting as a soldier on February 6, 1943, in Indianapolis. During World War II, he served as a private first class in the 99th Infantry Division. Berry was killed in action on January 14, 1945, in Germany. Buried in the American War Cemetery, Henri-Chapelle, Belgium, Berry received a Purple Heart.