The author Jerry A. Dallape was born in Collinsville, Illinois, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Collinsville, schools, until 1966, when he graduated and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. His training began at San Diego and continued at camp Pendleton, California until departing for Vietnam in December 1966. After 13 months in Vietnam Jerry was then stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina until being honorably discharged in March 1969.
Jerry attended southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois and Belleville area junior-college in Cahokia, Illinois. In 1970, a Marine Corps buddy and Jerry opened a nightclub in Collinsville. For more than 50 years Jerry has been involved in the liquor industry. Jerry and Jerilyn, classmates were married in 1970. They are blessed with three children, two boys and one girl, and many grandchildren.