Military Life
Military Life - Books
The books listed here deal with military life in general. There is a separate listing for books dealing with deployment.
A Cup of Comfort for Military Families
Stories that celebrate heroism on the home front Edited by Colleen SellCopyright @ 2008
It has been said that military life is "not for the faint of heart." But neither is it without its benefits and blessings. One thing is certain: It is an experience like no other--for both the service men and women and their famlies.
In A Cup of Comfort for Military Families, you will experience the familiar pride that wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, siblings, and friends feel when their loved one chooses to put his or her needs aside for the benefit of our country. Featuring stories from the current Iraq war as well as stories of those who have long retired from the service, this timely collection is sure to span generations--and touch your heart.
A Family's Guide to the Military for Dummies
Authors: Sheryl Garrett, Sue Hoppin
Copyright @ 2008
Learn to:
- Understand all aspects of military life
- Manage your family's finances
- Cope with deployment and relocation
- Take advantage of available benefits
A Family's Guide to the Military For Dummies is for the millions of military dependents, family members, and friends who are looking for straightforward guidance to take advantage of the benefits and overcome the challenges unique to life in the military. This comprehensive guide covers such key topics as introducing military life to readers new to the armed forces, financial planning, relocation, deployment, raising kids alone while a partner is away, and taking advantage of the available benefits. It offers tips and advice for dealing with emotions that surround events like deployments, deciphering the acronyms used in daily military life, forming support groups, keeping track of a loved one's whereabouts, and surviving on a military base in a foreign country.
Chicken Soup for the Military Wife's Soul
101 stories to touch the heart and rekindle the spirit Authors: Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Charles Preston and Cindy PedersonCopyright @ 2005
A tribute to the women who uphold the written and unwritten oaths of service and of marriage.
All military personnel swear an oath to uphold the constitution and protect our country, while their spouses take the unwritten oath to live a life of frequent moves, lengthy separations and endless anxieties. Their commitment requires a unique blend of patriotism, dedication, hard work and, most of all, flexibility.
The stories in Chicken Soup for the Military Wife's Soul are written by military famiy members and the courageous women who themselves serve in the military. Each page celebrates the women who unite with kindred spirits to raise families, maintain homes and uphold the most positive attitudes when facing the fears of losing a loved one.
This special volume celebrates the unique bond between military wives and their spouses and thier dedication to home and country.
Confessions of a Military Wife
Author: Mollie Gross, Copyright @ 2009
"I remember when I hit rock bottom. There I was with no make-up on, hadn't showered, eating raw cookie dough out of the tube, hitting on the toothless bagger at the commissary, and ordering jewelry off the TV. And that was just my first day!"
Confessions of a Military Wife is an honest, witty, and often hilarious look at the life of the new generation military wife. Mollie Gross learned the hard way to laugh instead of cry at what she could not control as a military spouse-and as she quickly discovered, nearly everything was out of her control!
A standup comedienne, public speaker, and wife of a Marine Corps officer, Mollie explores everything about the "issued" spouse, from deployment and the stress of having a husband in a combat zone, to the realization that marriage changes when your husband returns home from war. Nothing is taboo or out-of-bounds in Confessions, including the "parties" military wives throw for themselves before hubby returns. (You'll have to read the book to find out about those!)
More than one million American servicemen have deployed to war over the last few years, which means the lives and lifestyles of military wives are now front and center in the public's curiosity. How do they live? What is their day-to-day life like? How do they interact? How do they deal with weeks and months of separation? The answers will surprise (and in some cases, shock) you. Confessions teaches all women, whether civilian or military, that they can learn to find the funny side of anything by embracing the situation and changing their perspective. And now they can do so with humor and levity, and a little wisdom.
Evocative and provocative, Confessions of a Military Wife is a can't-put-down book that will leave you laughing and crying at the same time.
Found Art:
Discovering beauty in foreign placesAuthor: Leeana Tankersley, Copyright @ 2009
Fount Art is a memoir of the year author Leeana Tankersley lived in the Middle East with her Navy SEAL husband during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As her story unfolds, Leeana finds her life and her soul have been changed forever.
With an artist's eye, Tankersley uses each chapter to piece together moments and memories from her journey to create a work of unexpected beauty: a handwritten note from Kuwait, a braid of fringe from a Persian rug, an original poem, a bit of basting thread, a swatch of black silk from a borrowed abaya, a mesquite leaf, a Navy SEAL trident, a receipt from a Russian-Georgian restaurant on Louisana Street.
Found art emerges, a literary collage created from salvaged stories of loss, hope, and belief.
Help! I'm a Military Spouse - I Get a Life Too! (2nd Edition):
How to craft a life for you as you move with the military Authors: Kathie Hightower & Holly Scherer, Copyright @ 2007Make the most of this challenging but extremely rewarding life. Support your spouse and craft a life for you--based on who you are as an individual. You will learn:
- 5 keys to happiness for your life with the military
- How to strengthen your relationship with your spouse
- Ways to make and maintain friends as you move
- How to tap into the richness and possibilities of this lifestyle
- 70 creative and practical ways to follow your own dreams while you follow the military
This book is for you if you are:
- Engaged to someone in the military
- A new military spouse
- A longer-term spouse looking for new tools and resources
Heroes at Home:
Help and hope for America's military families Author: Ellie Kay, Copyright @ 2002An essential guide to military families and those who want to support military families. This book offers practical help and encouragement for the spouses of active duty military personnel who are the heroes that keep the family and home together. Topics include managing holidays, moving, stress busting, volunteering, and living on a budget.
Hope for the Home Front:
Winning the emotional and spiritual battles of a military wife Author: Marshele Carter Waddell, Copyright @ 2003 Military wives are entrenched at home in the battle for their marriages, their children, their faith, and their sanity, which are all caught in the cross fire.
A seasoned military wife, Marshele Carter Waddell arms other military wives
with God's promises of power and protection. In her warm and personable
style, she recounts many of her own family stories: a call to duty interrupting
a romantic dinner, watching her husband disappear into a submarine not to
return home for months, and being far away from family during her father's
illness and death.
For wives serving on the home front, burdens of fear, loneliness, anger,
disappointment, temptation, single parenting, and separation from loved
ones may easily rob them of the joy of following God's calling for their
families. Hope for the Home Front provides Scriptural promises, tested
advice, and compassionate support. "We have a firm anchor," Waddell
reminds readers: "our faith in an unchanging God whose promises never fail."
(also available - a companion Bible Study)
Household Baggage (2nd Edition):
The moving life of a military wife Author: Marna Krajeski, Copyright @ 2008 Household Baggage is an entertaining collection of funny, poignant, and disarmingly candid essays about today's military family, where marriage and motherhood endure frequent moves, long separations, uncomfortable living quarters, and wartime deployments. Brides new to the service and seasoned military wives will find the light-hearted insights helpful, the more serious issues invaluable. It's the perfect read for any military spouse who welcomes an extended hand, a sympathetic ear, and comic relief.
Household Baggage Handlers:
56 stories from the hearts and lives of military wivesAuthor: Marna Krajeski, Copyright @ 2008 In this deeply personal collection of stories, 48 wives share their total embarrassments, tragic experiences, and tender emotions as they tackle the daily dramas of military life. By turns touching and hilarious, Household Baggage Handlers opens the door on an often overlooked world, one which requires the independence and survival skills to: Move overseas while six months pregnant; Manage labor, delivery, and a newborn.without a spouse; Nurse a critically injured husband back to health; Confront the sight of someone in uniform at the front door; Shelter five children alone during a tornado; Cope with bats, blizzards, and broken cars during deployments. Read all about it in their own words. With anecdotes from WWII to the present, these compelling stories capture a sisterhood forged by extraordinary circumstances.
I'm Just Saying...
A collection of essays Author: Sarah Smiley, Copyright @ 2008Learn the military's phonetic alphabet if you wish, but I prefer to irritate my husband by making up my own instead...this is only slightly less efficient but much more Fabio-Underpants-Naked. - Sarah Smiley in I'm Just Saying...
For nearly five years, Sarah Smiley has been entertaining readers of her syndicated newspaper column "Shore Duty" with tales of being a military wife and mother of three young boys. Now Smiley's best work is gathered in one collection.
The 288-page paperback book includes forewords by Carol Leifer (former writer for "Saturday Night Live" and "Seinfeld," the basis for the character Elaine on "Seinfeld," and screenwriter for Paramount Television's proposed adaptation of Smiley's columns for a half-hour sitcom) and Ward Carroll (author, former Navy pilot, and current managing editor of Military.com).
With commentary on everything from husbands who leave their lunch on top of their car to Amish Friendship Bread and why children are always bumping heads, Smiley's writing will "put a grin on your face," says Time Bete, Director of the Erma Bombeck Writer's Workshop. "Even those with no connection to the military will relate," writes Bernie Grimm, Fox News Analyst.
Jobs and the Military Spouse, 2nd Edition:
Married, Mobile, and Motivated for Employment Author: Janet I. Farley, Copyright @ 2003This book reveals the secrets of job search success for military spouses, who face special career challenges because of their mobility.
Married to the Military:
A survival guide for military wives, girlfriends, and women in uniform Author: Meredith Leyva, Copyright @ 2003
Whether your dating, engaged or married to an active military servicemember or reservist--or you've just signed up yourself--you may feel as if you've somehow married the United States military! While there are plenty of orientation books for him, there are almost no handy, user-friendly resources for you. Meredith Leyva, a military wife and founder of cinchouse.com, the Internet's largest community for military wives, girlfriends, and women in uniform, details everything you need to know to manage day-to-day issues and get on with the adventure of military life. From relocation to deployment protocol to finances, and career to kids, Leyva offers time-tested advice about:
- keeping your love life together during deployments
- relocating yourself and your family around the world
- maintaining your own career when you're expected to move every three years
- understanding what pay and benefits you're entitled to--and how to maximize them
- translating those odd acroynyms and jargon
Written by a seasoned military wife, this smart and savvy guide will help you take control at every point of your servicemember's career--from filing marriage papers as newlyweds to choosing prenatal and child care when you start a family to figuring out his pension when he's ready to retire.
Medals Above My Heart:
The rewards of being a military wife Authors: Brenda Pace, Carol McGlothlin, Copyright @ 2004"But a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned." Although their husbands wear their medals on their uniforms, the wives of servicemen have medals they wear over their hearts too.
Like the wives of great military leaders of the past, present-day military wives experience challenges that stretch their physical, emotional, and spiritual resources. While it is an honor to serve her soldier, airman, marine, or sailor as he defends the freedom of America, it is not without sacrifice. They receive no medals from their country but receive a reward greater than any medal. They reap the benefits of personal character and leadership development, adventure, relationships, and opportunities for service.
More Leisure than Money:
Tales of a Military Wife in Virginia Author: Ruth Pennington Paget , Copyright @ 2005More Leisure than Money: Tales of a Military Wife in Virginia shares secrets for creating roots wherever the global economy may take you at the same time that it evokes Virginia’s colonial and civil war history.
As a Navy wife, author Ruth Pennington Paget created roots for her family by keeping family journals, visiting museums and historic sites, and frequenting the library among other activities. Paget’s series of global era memoirs beginning with The Edible Tao enliven history and encourage readers to write their own life stories.
Navy Spouses Guide Author: Laura Hall Stavridis, Copyright @ 2002
Author: Laura Hall Stavridis, Copyright @ 2002Naval officers and enlisted personnel undergo extensive training to cope with the special demands of their duties at sea and ashore, but what about their spouses and children? This practical, one-of-a-kind guide fills the gap by helping families navigate the unique challenges of Navy life. Personal, friendly, and easy to use, this updated edition of the original 1997 guide is based on interviews with Navy spouses and a lifetime of lessons learned by the author as a Navy junior and wife of a career naval officer. Using an array of hard-to-find diagrams, charts, facts, and figures from a wide variety of sources, Laura Stavridis explains every aspect of Navy life in a frank, open discussion.
The particulars of pay, living expenses, travel, children, emergencies, support groups, and social life, as well as medical, legal, and educational issues are described in an interesting, spouse-to-spouse format. Readers learn what to expect with regard to separation, homecomings, life overseas, shore duty, marital dynamics, and divorce. Also covered are such vital topics as military careers, spousal careers, reenlistment, retirement, and transition to civilian life. Useful phone numbers, checklists, glossary, and an up-to-date primer on the Navy's organization, ships and aircraft, and chain of command complete this unique reference. New to this second edition are discussions of e-mail communication, Internet resources, and spouse leadership roles within the Navy. For anyone starting out or contemplating life with a mate in the sea services this one-volume source of user-friendly information will prove invaluable.
101 Military Living Tips
Author: Beth Mahoney, Copyright @ 2008
It's a fact! Military living is not an easy life. Military relocation issues such as enrolling the kids in new schools or finding a new place to live, can become burdensome and easily confusing. Deployments are frustrating and a growing cause of spousal mental health issues. Healthcare is ever changing for the veteran spouse and new spouses are rarely informed. Military housing is a common news feature these days with it's ghetto appearances and pest infestations. Military spouses undergo severe changes in jobs, employment, and parenthood that escalate stress and panic related disorders. But there is a way to cope, to make military life a little easier, in fact, there are 101 ways! 101 Military Living Tips provides quick and useful advice, resources, and important information at your fingertips made especially for military spouses by Beth Mahoney, a military brat turned wife and mother with over 30+ years of military life.
On the Frontline:
A Personal Guidebook for the Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Challenges of Military Life Author: Tom Neven, Copyright @ 2006
The struggles and temptations our service men and women encounter are unique and beyond what civilians might ever face. Written from someone who's been there, this book addresses head-on the issues prevalent in military life: loneliness, fidelity, debt, fear and much more. It's a must-read handbook with uncompromising biblical guidance that will encourage and inspire both men and women in military service.
The Army Wife Handbook:
A complete social guide Author: Ann Crossley, Copyright @ 2007The Complete Idiot's Guide to Life as a Military Spouse
Survive-and-thrive tips for every military spouse Author: Lissa McGrath, Copyright @ 2008Today's military has changed dramatically—and spouses need to be prepared. Approximately half of our 1.4 million fighting men and women are married. And for a military spouse, information and support are not easy to find. Included here is:
- How to enroll in the Child Development Homes program
- What to do before a permanent change of station (PCS)
- How to prepare for the deployment—and the return—of a spouse
- Easy ways to calculate benefits, allowances, and special pays
The Fighter Pilot's Wife:
A Military Family's Story Author: Gilbertha Guth, Copyright @ 2005Offering an inside look at military family life spanning WWII through the Korean and Vietnam Wars, this memoir not only chronicles the heroism of those in combat but that of the wives and families at home as they live under the constant shadow of potential loss. Married at the age of 22 to a dashing young jet pilot, young bride Gilberta Guth embarked on what was for many years a global journey, following her husband all over the world as he pursued his career. From their honeymoon in Las Vegas to an Ichibon sayonara and a St. Gobain au revoir to his final assignment in civilian life, she stood by his side and raised their four children. In the process she learned to cope with the tragic death of young pilots and how the other wives and family members comforted the widows and helped them pack up their children and leave the familial embrace of the military. Reproductions of letters, photos, and newspaper clippings further enrich this moving account of the challenges faced by a military family in both wartime and peacetime.
The Five Star Life of a Military Wife
Author: Karin Jarrett, Copyright @ 2009Older military spouses can recall similar experiences. Newer military spouses can look forward to them. Non-military readers can enjoy a twenty-eight year tour of active duty through The Five Star Life of a Military Wife without the actual need for moving vans, passports and change-of-address forms. Enjoy an amusing travelogue from post to post in the United States, plus travels twice around the world including tours of duty in Germany, Israel, Iran and Egypt's Sinai Desert.
The Homefront Club:
The hardheaded woman's guide to raising a military family Author: Jacey Eckhart, Copyright @ 2005As anyone with a spouse in uniform knows, the military offers families neither geographical stability nor guarantees of life under one roof. Those conditions make it tough to keep a marriage together, raise good kids, and maintain some semblance of normalcy, but help is on the way. Jacey Eckhart’s new guide navigates readers through military life on the homefront. Aiming her advice at the wife—male spouses, she says, need their own book—she covers issues from the first day in the "fortress" to the last day the husband is piped ashore with humor and encouragement. An Air Force brat herself, Eckhart swore she would never enter the military, but married the first Navy man she dated and over the past seventeen years has raised three children, moved thirteen times, and tackled five deployments. She argues that being able to manage military life is not a secret some wives know and others don’t, but rather a set of skills to be acquired.
Eckhart presents the realities and then offers some solutions for the married-but-single parent, starting out on the bottom rung of the career ladder with each move, and worrying if military life is hurting the kids. She helps newlyweds and long-marrieds alike better understand the people who are drawn to military service and find ways to fit into the military community without losing a sense of self. Her guide offers helpful ideas about managing the demands of a teenager during a move, finding playmates for toddlers in new neighborhoods, and even telling mothers-in-law why they shouldn’t be at the homecoming. She also lists methods of finding full and part-time work. From pre-deployment work-ups through Christmas blues and post-deployment problems, Eckhart and her guide are at the homefront ready to help.
The Life of a Navy Wife Author: Jasa L. Bowser-Shaw, Copyright @ 2004
Author: Jasa L. Bowser-Shaw, Copyright @ 2004Jasa Shaw was a young married Navy wife at the tender age of 18, learning about the Navy via day-to-day experiences. Some of the experiences were positive, some werent. But these experiences helped her to realize that Navy wives are a special breed. The old saying about Navy wives, It is the toughest job in the Navy, seemed so cliché before, but it now rings so true. Navy wives do have a tough job and give up so much for their husbands careers. This book tells some of the good, the bad, and the ugly, though not necessarily in that order. It also contains some good information and ideas for living the Navy lifestyle. Read and laugh along with Jasa as she tells her experiences, which are relatable to every military wifes life, and know that you arent alone!
The Military Spouse:
Supporting and Caring for the Home Front Authors: Patricia Gerecht and CSM Mark Gerecht, Copyright @ 2009The military lifestyle can be draining. With over two million men and women serving across our military services, many families know this all too well. In The Military Spouse, Patricia and CSM (Retired) Mark Gerecht share with you a number of resources that can be essential to running an effective and healthy military family. After all, the hardest job in the military is being a Military Spouse. "Every Military Spouse can learn something from this book, those new to the military way of life as well as the experienced spouse. After 32 years of being a military spouse, I was still taking notes as I read!"
The Mocha Manual to Military Life:
A Savvy Guide for Wives, Girlfriends, and Female Service Members Authors: Kimberly Seals-Allers withPamela M. McBride, Copyright @ 2009From Kimberly Seals-Allers, the creator of the Mocha Manual™ series, and coauthor Pamela McBride, a seasoned military wife, comes the ultimate guide to life, love, and logistics for military spouses, girlfriends, and female service members. Whether you're just beginning to date a military man and pondering the ins and outs of a long-distance relationship as he moves from base to base or you're a newly wed military wife, The Mocha Manual to Military Life has a host of tips for optimizing your romance. Beyond matters of the heart, the book also offers advice on everything from how to thrive during deployment to how to master military protocol to how to best build friendships among military wives. Accessible and witty, The Mocha Manual to Military Life is a fresh and timely must-read for all women—but particularly African American and Latina women—affected by military service. Written in the same informative tone as the other books in the Mocha Manual™ series, with sidebars and testimony from women who have experience navigating military life, this book is sure to be essential reading for all women engaged in some form or fashion with the military.
The Ultimate Military Spouse Survival Guide - Navy Edition Author: Chloe Adams, Copyright @ 2009
Author: Chloe Adams, Copyright @ 2009The Ultimate Military Spouse Survival Guide - Navy Edition was made by Military Wives for Military Wives. This is the all-you-need-to-know guide to military life as a Navy Spouse.
Extensive details are given from military customs to mobile career options. Not a topic went uncovered as we sought to TRUELY represent 'Ultimate' when it comes to our 'Survival Guide'.
Pass Base Housing Inspections, get a breakdown on important documents and how to file them, what to do in emergencies and how to plan for deployments. We want to make military life a little easier. This is for the Silent Ranks, the Navy wives that just need a little help and guidance in tough times. We cover it all.
Today's Military Wife - 5th Edition:
Meeting the challenges of service life Author: Lydia Sloan Cline, Copyright @ 2003Marrying a servicemember means more than marrying the man--it means marrying into the military family and its way of life. Today's Military Wife has been thoroughly revised to include up-to-date information essential for making the most of service life as the nation and the armed forces confront the new challnges facing America.
Spouses of active and reserve personnel will find information on:
- benefits of military service
- health and family services
- housing
- socials and protocol
- managing one's own career
- moving
- living overseas
- separations
- leaving the service
PLUS lists of Internet resources and a glossary of common military terms.
Under the Sabers:
The unwritten code of army wives Author: Tanya Biank, Copyright @ 2006Under the Sabers is a groundbreaking narrative detailing the complex personal challenges Army wives face and presenting a provocative new look at Army life. Tanya Biank goes beyond the sound bites and photo ops of military life and shows what it is really like to be an Army wife. From hauling furniture off the rental truck by yourself at a new duty station when your husband is in the field to comforting your son who wants his dad home from Afghanistan for his fifth birthday, she takes readers into the hearts and homes of today's military wives.
We Band of Sisters Author: Gwen C. Rollings, Copyright @ 2007
Author: Gwen C. Rollings, Copyright @ 2007She fell in love with her brother's drill instructor and stuck by his side through their rollercoaster military life and his retirement as a major general. Gwen Rollings tells with humor and honesty the heartfelt story of her life as a Marine wife, one that will resonate with any military wife today.
When Will My Ship Come In?
The misadventures of a Navy wife Author: L.A. Krueger, Copyright @ 2006What’s a girl to do? Her husband ships out on an aircraft carrier for months on end leaving this naïve newlywed to deal not only with boredom and loneliness, but with psychotic house cats and uppity appliances as well! When Will My Ship Come In? The Misadventures of a Navy Wife is a hilarious romp through one woman’s encounter with the United States Navy and how she lived to tell about it.
Wives of the Warriors:
Living confidently in Christ Author: Ronda Sturgill, Copyright @ 2003The wife of an active duty USAF Chaplain, Bible Study leader and Retreat/Seminar speaker, Ronda Sturgill has been a paraplegic as the result of a horseback riding accident in 1972. From a world class arch on the United States Wheelchair Athletic Team to a Christian communicator, Ronda ministers to both Military and Civilian audiences, motivating and encouraging them to apply Biblical principles to their lives.
"Wives of the Warriors, Living Confidently in Christ" is a ten-week Bible study that applies Biblical principles to the following circumstances:
- Moving frequently
- Deployments
- Single parenting, yet happily married
- Loneliness, anger, frustration
Participation in this study encourages interaction with Scripture for the purpose of changing attitudes and actions. Each week a new principle is presented which enables us to face each challenge with greater faith and confidence in God. Through in-depth study of His Word, we learn God's plans, purposes, and promises for our lives!
Your Military Family Network:
Your connection to military friendly businesses, resources, benefits, information and adviceThe Military Family Network, www.emilitary.orgCopyright @ 2008
Your Military Family Network is a friendly, complete, need-to-know overview to all the resources available to you and your family to be all you can be in your military and community life. This valuable insiders resource guide provides you with detailed information on how to manage life issues--from shopping the Exchange to handling deployment, from getting physically fit to getting financially fit, from finding schools to taking a family vacation, and much more. The book also includes a section providing handy worksheets to help you succeed and keep a record of your own vital statistics for handy reference. The guide will save you hours, days, and weeks of hunting down the facts on your own and provide you with timely information to help you make informed decisions when you need them most.
Military Poems & Essays Resource
Welcome to SGT Mom's Place - Military Life explained by a Military Wife! Here you will find poems and essays sent in to Sgt. Mom's Place. Many have been written by visitors of this site, some mean something to site visitors and they want to share them with others. She hopes you will find something of interest or maybe send in one of your own.
Military Poems
Site has information and support for military family and friends. Includes military poems.
Military Poems
Site has a poetry corner.
The Military Wife - A poem
Airforce Love Prayers, Poems, & Tributes Author: R.L. Winters, Copyright @ 2009
Author: R.L. Winters, Copyright @ 2009Coast Guard Love Prayers, Poems, & Tributes Author: R.L. Winters, Copyright @ 2009
Author: R.L. Winters, Copyright @ 2009Confessions of the Military Wife Author: Jocelyn Corbin, Copyright @ 2009
Author: Jocelyn Corbin, Copyright @ 2009A book of heartfelt poetry written by an Army wife and veteran. Sharing a story of deployment, struggle, and separation, Jocelyn Corbin's poetry will touch the soul of anyone who has ever loved a service member.
Here are a few poems submitted by our site visitors:
Military Wives
Each one may look different and each is wonderfully unique, But this is what they have in common:
Lots of moving...
Moving...
Moving...
Moving far from home...
Moving two cars, three kids and one dog...
all riding with HER of course.
Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house; Moving curtains that won't fit;
Moving jobs
Moving away from friends;
Moving toward new friends;
Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.
Often waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting for housing.
Waiting for orders.
Waiting for deployments.
Waiting for phone calls.
Waiting for reunions.
Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.
Waiting for him to come home, For dinner...AGAIN!
They call her 'Military Dependent', but she knows better:
She is fiercely In-Dependent.
She can balance a check book;
Handle the yard work;
Fix a noisy toilet;
Bury the family pet...
She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes;
Sell a house;
Buy a car;
Or set up a move...
....all with ONE Power of Attorney.
She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.
She reinvents her career with every move; Locates a house in the east, west or out of country.
And learns to call them all 'home'.
She MAKES them all home.
Military Wives are somewhat hasty...
They leap into:
Decorating,
Leadership,
Volunteering,
Career alternatives,
Churches,
And friendships.
They don't have 15 years to get to know people.
Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves
and perennials for those who come after them.
Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:
They connect over coffee,
Rely on the spouse network,
Accept offers of friendship and favors.
Record addresses in pencil...
Military Wives have a common bond:
The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands; his commitment is unique.
He doesn't have a 'JOB'
He has a 'MISSION' that he can't just decide to quit...
He's on-call for his country 24/7.
But for her, he's the most unreliable guy in town!
His language is foreign
NOK, PCS, OPR, SOS, ACC, BDU, ACU, BAR, CIB, BDF And so, a Military Wife is
a translator for her family and his.
She is the long- distance link to keep them informed; the glue that holds them together.
A Military Wife has her moments:
She wants to wring his neck;
Dye his uniform pink;
Refuse to move to Siberia;
But she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days,
A travel brochure,
A long hot bath,
A wedding picture,
And she goes.
She packs.
She moves.
She follows.
Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has lost her heart .
It was stolen from her by a man,
Who puts duty first,
Who longs to deploy,
Who salutes the flag,
And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military Husband, she will remain his military wife.
And would have it no other way.
Author Unknown
(Untitled) - A poem about the military brat:
My hometown is nowhere, my friends are everywhere.
I grew up with the knowledge that home is where the heart is
and the family....
Mobility is my way of life.
Some would wonder about roots, yet they are as deep and strong
as the mighty oak. I sink them quickly, absorbing all an area offers
and hopefully, giving enrichment in return.
Travel has taught me to be open.
Shaking hands with the universe, I find brotherhood in all men.
Farewells are never easy.
Yet, even in sorrow comes strength and ability to face tomorrow
with anticipation....if when we leave one place,
I feel that half my world is left behind. I also know that
the other half is waiting to be met.
Friendships are formed in hours and kept for decades.
I will never grow up with someone, but I will mature with many.
Be it inevitable that paths part, there is constant hope
that they will meet again.
Love of country, respect and pride
fill my being when Old Glory passes in review.
When I stand to honor that flag, so also do I stand in honor of all
soldiers, and most especially, to the parents whose life created mine
Because of this, I have shared in the rich heritage of Military life.
Anonymous
Military Poems/Essays
Air Force Wives
For those that just arrived, Welcome home! For those that have been here before welcome back. We are your hosts, BJ 'n Cindy. As a retired Marine couple, we know just how new and puzzling, and sometimes how lonely or difficult it can be to find what you need. That is why we created this network and filled it with all kinds of resources to help you find whatever you may need... and to find one another.
Catholics in the Military - Serving personnel, chaplains and families of those in the US Military
CatholicMil.org serves those who serve, offering U.S. Armed Forces personnel spiritual truths of military life in light of the Catholic Faith. The three-fold mission of CatholicMil.Org is
1.to spiritually edify military families who have an immediate member currently serving active duty;
2.to promote vocations to the Archdiocese for Military Services, USA
3.to work towards the canonization of Fr. Vincent Robert Capodanno, the heroic military chaplain who was killed in action administering Last Rites to the wounded and dying on the battlefields of Vietnam
Christian Military Fellowship - Christian Report, Coast Guard News
We publish two monthly newsletters with articles that are pertinent to living the Christian life in the military society. We endeavor to ask and answer the questions that cross everyone's mind as they face the challenges of military service, family separation, and combat. Our newsletter is available in printed or digital versions and is delivered via the postal service, e-mail or download from the website.
Coast Guard Wives
For those that just arrived, Welcome home! For those that have been here before welcome back. We are your hosts, BJ 'n Cindy. As a retired Marine couple, we know just how new and puzzling, and sometimes how lonely or difficult it can be to find what you need. That is why we created this network and filled it with all kinds of resources to help you find whatever you may need... and to find one another.
Do It Yourself - Home repair projects and how to articles
DoItYourself.com is the leading independent home improvement and home repair website. It has been repeatedly honored among the Best on the Web, and was named "One of the Top 50 Sites in the World" by Time Magazine. In addition to its extraordinarily broad list of topics, it operates the most active home improvement forums on the Internet, enabling consumers to get personalized advice from professionals in over 100 subjects
E-Magazine (Military Community and Family Policy)
A quarterly edition eMagazine of the Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP). Each quarter, we will feature the exciting work being done by the program offices within MC&FP to support our military personnel and their families.
Field Problems - Your Questions Answered by Military Spouses
Field Problems TM is a self-syndicated column by authors and military spouses, Tara Crooks & Starlett “Star” Henderson. It is a question and answer column geared toward empowering Army, National Guard, and Reserve spouses and families by providing real answers to common issues.
Crooks’ & Henderson’s desire to help military families by catering to individual needs, offering advice, and providing real-life, researched solutions to the issues many families face in today’s military (aka “Field Problems“), is a genuine effort to change the lives of our warriors!
Homefront Online
Operation Homefront provides emergency assistance and morale to our troops, to the families they leave behind and to wounded warriors when they return home. Operation Homefront leads more than 4,500 volunteers in 30 chapters nationwide and has provided critical assistance to more than 45,000 military families in need. Operation Homefront also operates an online magazine for military wives and women in uniform. Through this community, we reach the newest and youngest military families, instantly alerting them about our programs and other information to help them succeed in military life.
How We Help:
Operation Homefront provides aid to families struggling not only with emergencies, but also with the problems of everydaylife. Existing programs include: Emergency Aid — Provides food, baby care items, vehicle donation and repair. Computer Program — Allows children and spouses to stay in touch with their loved ones. Financial Assistance Program — Addresses crises such as illness, homelessness and death. Furniture Program — Donates household and baby furniture; working-order appliances. Moving — Provides physical labor for families when a service member is deployed. Social Outreach — Offers Adopt-a-family opportunities, Thanksgiving/holiday baskets, back-to-school supplies. Community — Rebuilds the challenged social network of the military community by bringing it to our online magazinewhere it isICE - Interactive Customer Evaluation (DOD website)
ICE allows DoD customers to rate products and services provided by DoD offices and facilities worldwide. Your comment card ratings are used to improve the products and services available to you. This service applies to all branches of service.
Jenny the Military Spouse - Military spouse comics
Jenny comics are free for use in military newspapers and military spouses' club newsletters. See Terms of Use page for legal info. Check out the other papers that already offer Jenny to their readers. Jenny appears in over 50 military newspapers and newsletters around the globe.
Marine Wives
For those that just arrived, Welcome home! For those that have been here before welcome back. We are your hosts, BJ 'n Cindy. As a retired Marine couple, we know just how new and puzzling, and sometimes how lonely or difficult it can be to find what you need. That is why we created this network and filled it with all kinds of resources to help you find whatever you may need... and to find one another.
Married to the Army - Army lifestyle helps
Whether you're an Army wife, Army husband, Army fiancée, Army girlfriend or Army family member, this is the place for you. We welcome your stories or questions. We will do our best to help you navigate the Army lifestyle.
Mil Health Directory - Compilation of health information resources
Milhealth’s Directory is a compilation of carefully selected and evaluated military health information resources. Some of the resources are 'consumer health' appropriate, others are clinical research such as what your physician or health care provider would view.
Carefully researched and evaluated, resources and materials are summarized and arranged in easy to understand subject topics (easy to use), organized (easy access) and maintained (currency).
Military.com - Discussion Boards/Forums
Has a great discussion board/forum for a variety of topis regarding support and general military life information.
Military.com - Family Support
Deployment, relocation, employment, healthcare/TriCare, adult education, childcare and youth programs, personal finance, K-12 education, branch support for families. Has a great discussion board/forum for a variety of topics regarding support and general military life information.
Military Family Program
Providing Information to Military Families Worldwide. Features over 460 links to information and assistance web sites. Has Printable Directory of Resources.
Military Mental Health - Military Pathways
Military life, especially deployments or mobilizations, can present challenges to service members and their families that are both unique and difficult. Some are manageable, some are not. Many times we can successfully deal with them on our own. In some instances matters get worse and one problem can trigger other more serious issues. At such times it is wise to check things out and see what is really happening. That’s the purpose of these totally anonymous and voluntary self-assessments.
These questions are designed so you can review your situation with regard to some of the more common mental health issues. The screening will not provide a diagnosis – for that you need to see a professional. But, it will tell you whether or not you have symptoms that are consistent with a condition or concern that would benefit from further evaluation or treatment. It will also give you guidance as to where you might seek assistance.
Military One Source - Your ONE STOP Resource - USE IT!!
Military OneSource (MOS) supplements existing family programs by providing a website and a worldwide, 24 hour, seven-day-a-week information and referral telephone service to ALL active, Guard and Reserve Soldiers, deployed civilians and their families. MOS services are provided at no-cost.This site is designed to help military families deal with life's issues. Call 1-800-342-9647 for confidential, compassionate support.
Military OneSource can provide information on topics such as parenting and child care, education, relocation, financial and legal matters, emotional issues, well-being, grief and loss, addiction, and deployment and reunion issues. Need to file a state or federal tax return? You can do both online through Military OneSource. Also, you can ask for free educational materials in many subject areas. Booklets, CDs, or articles will be sent free of charge if you want information on such things as buying your first car, relationship issues, or many other topics.
Military Resource
www.nmfa.org (National Military Family Organization)
Our goal is to educate military families concerning their rights, benefits and services available to them and to inform them regarding the issues that affect their lives and... to promote and protect the interests of military families by influencing the development and implementation of legislation and policies affecting them. Addresses deployment, education, family life, family member benefits, government, healthcare, money, resources.
Military Rideshare
The concept for this site came to me each time I would hop on the highway for a long weekend and I would look around and see so many vehicles with DOD stickers getting on the highway too. I would think, 'how many of these people are heading in the same direction I am and why can't we find a way to hook up and ride together?' Now, finally, 10 years later I am making that thought a reality with MilitaryRideShare.com. It is my hope that Marines, Sailors, AirMen, Soldiers and their dependent families will be able to utilize this site to find other military members who are going in the same direction, ride together, and hopefully save some green.
Military Spouse Resource
The Military Spouse Resource Center (MilSpouse.org) is designed to assist the spouses of U.S. total force military personnel.
Our mission is to provide easy access to information, resources and opportunities related to education, training, and employment for Military spouses. MilSpouse.org will be extending services to military spouses directly through this site, through partnerships with other organizations, installation family service centers and the U.S. Department of Labor's local One-Stop Career Centers
Mil Trader - The Military's Market Place
MilTrader.com is the premier free classified ad site for the US Military.
My Army Life Too/Army One Source
Army family topics and links. MyArmyLifeToo serves as the web site of choice for Army Families. It is sponsored by the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command (FMWRC) Family Programs Directorate whose mission is to maintain the readiness of individuals, Families and communities within America's Army by developing, coordinating and delivering services which promote resiliency and stability during war and peace.
National Military Appreciation Month - (May)
National Military Appreciation Month (May 2008) includes Loyalty Day (1st), VE Day(8th), Military Spouse Appreciation Day (9th), Armed Forces Day (17th), and Memorial Day (26th). This very important month honors, remembers, recognizes and appreciates all military personnel; those men and women who have served throughout our history and all who now serve in uniform and their families as well as those Americans who have given their lives in defense of our freedoms we all enjoy today.
National Military Personnel Records Center
The National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records (NPRC-MPR) is the repository of millions of military personnel, health, and medical records of discharged and deceased veterans of all services during the 20th century. (Records prior to WWI are in Washington, DC.) NPRC (MPR) also stores medical treatment records of retirees from all services, as well as records for dependent and other persons treated at naval medical facilities. Information from the records is made available upon written request (with signature and date) to the extent allowed by law.
This site is provided for those seeking information regarding military personnel, health and medical records stored at NPRC (MPR).
Navy Wives
For those that just arrived, Welcome home! For those that have been here before welcome back. We are your hosts, BJ 'n Cindy. As a retired Marine couple, we know just how new and puzzling, and sometimes how lonely or difficult it can be to find what you need. That is why we created this network and filled it with all kinds of resources to help you find whatever you may need... and to find one another.
Navy Wives Club of America
NWCA is the Navy Wives Clubs of America, Inc. , the country's only National Federation of Sea Services Spouses. NWCA was chartered in 1936 with a Federal charter being granted in 1984. It is represented on the Navy Wifeline Association Advisory Board and is a member of the Navy/Marine Corps Council. Composed of thirteen Navy oriented volunteer organizations, the Council is dedicated to improving life in the Naval Services.
What Is The Purpose Of NWCA?
- To promote a friendly, sympathetic relationship among the spouses of ENLISTED personnel.
- To extend relief assistance to members in need and other families of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel.
- To foster a spirit of fellowship among its members and the civilian community.
- To promote the organization, its aims and purposes.
Sarah Smiley - Military spouse club ideas
To make members feel more connected, and to create a fun environment where everyone is working toward the same goal, many spouse clubs have employed ice breakers, theme parties and yearly fundraising. Below are reader-submitted suggestions from military spouses across the country. Try one of these at your next meeting, or create something new.
The Military Family Network
To support military families and increase their readiness and well-being by connecting them with their communities and the organizations that provide the best service and value.
Together We Served
Together We Served has produced a series of US Military community heritage websites specially created to enable current or former serving US Servicemen and women to reconnect with old friends, create a lasting legacy of their service, and share in the camaraderie of others who served.
VetFriends.com - Connect with military friends
Vet Friends.com helps you to reunite with friends and family who are veterans of or are currently serving in the US Army, USN, USAF, USMC and USCG. Includes military structure chart, military pay chart, military rank and insignia chart, veteran's day parade schedules, etc.
Military Life - Websites
History - Memoir - Cookbooks
Veterans History Project
The Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.
Army Wives:
Veterans without glory Author: Louise Lawrence Fuller, Copyright @ 2001This is a book about relationships, responsibility and resolve. The true story of my twenty years as the wife of a regular Army Officer, who had assignments in Japan, Germany and Korea.
A story about the relationships and experiences of a group of Army wives during the historic period of World War II and the Korean conflict.
The untold truth of how these courageous women resolved thier responsibilities, enhanced the lives of family and friends and endured through the years.
Army Wives on the American Frontier
Living within the sound of bugles Author: Anne Bruner Eales, Copyright @ 1996Moving from the restrictive chrysalis of "civilized" tradition and Victorian viewpoints in the East, the women who followed their Army husbands to forts in the West made an excursion into a freedom of throught and action that most of them had never experienced or even imagined.
Campfollowing:
A history of the military wife Authors: Betty Sowers Alt, Bonnie Domrose Stone, Copyright @ 1991"We know that a supportive family is the key to a person's success. It is fascinating to read a history of military wives that begins to give them the credit they deserve for service to their country and their families." Patricia Schroeder U.S. Representative, Colorado "Campfollowing opens an important page in history for the military and for the role of women in the military. The women described in this book were not only devoted wives and mothers who brought a few of the comforts of home to forlorn military outposts, but they were also nurses who cared for the sick and wounded, as well as soldiers who fought bravely next to their soldier-husbands. They served their country with great love, dignity, and honor, and they deserve this long overdue recognition. I believe this book will be both an inspiration and a model for present military spouses as they follow their loved ones throughout the world or wait patiently at home for them when they are apart." Timothy E. Wirth U.S. Senator, Colorado "Campfollowers" themselves, the authors of this volume have collected published and unpublished memoirs, diaries, and letters, and have conducted personal interviews to present a comprehensive history of the military wife from the Revolutionary War through the post-Vietnam years. Second in line to their husband's career and often the object of indifference from the military establishment, these women demonstrate the strength of their commitment in this unique book.
Dear Catharine, Dear Taylor:
The Civil War Letters of a Union Soldier and His Wife (Modern War Studies) Authors: Taylor Peirce, Richard L. Kiper, Catherine L. Peirce, Donna Vaughn, Copyright @ 2002
Taylor Peirce was 40 years old when he left his wife and family to enlist in the 22nd Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He served for three long years and saw action in both theaters of the Civil War-—ranging thousands of miles from the siege of Vicksburg through engagements in Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, both Carolinas, and the Shenandoah Valley. During that time he saw his wife only twice on furlough, but still stayed in close contact with her through their intimate and dedicated exchange of letters.
Both ardent Unionists who hated slavery and revered Lincoln, the Peirces wrote nearly every week over their long separation—-letters that reveal a deep and abiding love for each other, as well as their strong-willed allegiance to the Union cause. Taylor’s letters tell of battles and camp life, drilling and training, brave and cowardly commanders, troop morale, raucous amusements like music and gambling, delinquent paymasters, and his own moral code and motivation for fighting. They include graphic descriptions of the battles around Vicksburg, including vivid details about burning plantation houses, digging canals and trenches, and enduring constant rifle and artillery fire.
Catharine, for her part, reported on family and relatives, the demands of being a single mother with three young children, business affairs, household concerns, weather and crops, events in Des Moines, and national politics, filling gaps in our knowledge of Northern life during the war. Most of all, her letters convey her frustration and aching loneliness in Taylor’s absence, as well as her fears for his life, even as other women were becoming widowed by the war.
The letters paint an engrossing portrait of a soldier and husband who was trying to do his patriotic and familial duty, and of a wife trying to cope with loneliness and responsibility while longing for her husband’s safe return. Beautifully edited and annotated by prize-winning Civil War historian Richard Kiper, they bring to life a nation under siege and provide a rare look at the war’s impact on both the common soldier and his family.
Devil Dog Chow Cookbook:
A Collection of Recipes from Marine Corps Families From Marine Corps FamiliesDevil Dog Chow™ is an amazing collection of recipes and inspiration. Families and friends from around the United States have contributed the favorite recipes of our Marines and recruits, honoring them in our own small way. Our love for our Marines and recruits can be found throughout this cookbook as it is found in our everyday lives.
The finely illustrated and professionally finished 3-ring binder cookbook is a perfect addition to any collection of cookbooks or Marine Corps memorabilia. The laminated cover will assure years of use and show beautifully in any collection.
The Marines and the Marine Corps way inspires us to be better people. With that thought in mind, we have included inspirational quotes mixed throughout the recipes in this unique cookbook. The quotes from famous people, Marines, moms and dads and even a child of a Marine all stem from the enormous amount of pride we have in our Marines, who so heroically serve our country and defend our freedom.
Dinner with Warriors Cookbook:
A collection of favorite recipes and inspirational stories from heroes that were injured or fell duringthe war on terrorCopyright @ 2010
Dinner with Warriors is a unique collection of recipes and inspirational stories from heroes of the War on Terror. The purposes of the book are first, to raise funds for some of the organizations out there that help today’s American Warrior and their families, and second to introduce America to a few of her heroes. All of the net proceeds from the sale of this cookbook will be donated to a few hand selected organizations that assist the heroes, and their families, that were wounded or fell during OIF and OEF.
As you go through this recipe book and enjoy some incredible recipes, you will find that next to each recipe is a picture and a story of a hero who has either fallen or has been wounded in the War on Terror. They’d like their stories to help people see that these warriors are fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, neighbors and friends. Their sacrifice for our country runs much deeper than just their lives. And we have a responsibility to remember them and care for them as they cared for us!
This collection of recipes and inspirational stories is only possible because of the love and camaraderie these warriors and their families have for each other. As difficult as it is to share these stories, these brave men and women have opened up about their experiences in an attempt to help others in the same position. They know and understand the difficulties that face a returning hero who has been injured; they understand the pain of losing a loved one and the hardships that follow. They are committed to helping others who are going through the same things they have gone through.
Home Is Where the Navy Is:
A collection of recipes compiled by Yokosuka Officers' Spouses Club - Yokosuka, Japan Publisher: Morris Press, Copyright @ 2000
How to Feed an Army:
Recipes and lore from the front lines Authors: Jim Lewin, P.J. Huff, Copyright @ 2006
For more than 200 years, the American military has been doing its best to figure out How to Feed an Army. What they've managed to concoct along the way is a rich history of culinary successes, and some rather interesting side trips into the realm of experimentation. This is part cookbook and part history, and a full measure of fun. Inside you will find:
- More than 125 authentic military recipes from the American Revolution through Operation Iraqi Freedom
- How a fish fry ended the Civil War
- The best method for baking bread (it begins with a shovel)
- How to determine an oven's temperature without using a thermometer
- Recipes you can try at home, including Caribbean Catfish, hard tack, and English muffin french toast.
You will want to read this book if you have an interest in cooking. Or in eating. Or in history. Or in the military's version of any of the above.
Naval Wives and Mistresses
Author: Margarette Lincoln, Copyright @ 2007An innovative study of naval women who stayed at home while their men went to sea, this book focuses on the second half of the 18th century—a period when Britain was almost continuously at war—and looks at different social groups, from the aristocratic elite to the laboring and criminal poor, from prostitutes to petty thieves. Drawing on a range of material that includes personal letters, trial reports, popular prints, and love tokens, it exposes the personal cost of warfare and imperial ambition. It also reveals the opportunities for greater self-determination that some women were able to grasp, as the responsibility for maintaining the home and bringing up children fell squarely on them in their husbands’ absence. The text includes many voices from the past and throws fresh light on an under-researched aspect of women’s history.
Sam Houston's Wife:
A Biography of Margaret Lea Houston Author: William Seale, Copyright @ 1992Unofficial Ambassadors:
American Military Families Overseas and the Cold War, 1946-1965 Author: Donna Alvah, Copyright @ 2007As thousands of wives and children joined American servicemen stationed at overseas bases in the years following World War II, the military family represented a friendlier, more humane side of the United States' campaign for dominance in the Cold War. Wives in particular were encouraged to use their feminine influence to forge ties with residents of occupied and host nations. In this untold story of Cold War diplomacy, Donna Alvah describes how these "unofficial ambassadors" spread the United States' perception of itself and its image of world order in the communities where husbands and fathers were stationed, cultivating relationships with both local people and other military families in private homes, churches, schools, women's clubs, shops, and other places.
Unofficial Ambassadors reminds us that, in addition to soldiers and world leaders, ordinary people make vital contributions to a nation's military engagements. Alvah broadens the scope of the history of the Cold War by analyzing how ideas about gender, family, race, and culture shaped the U.S. military presence abroad.
Reminiscences of a Soldier's Wife
Author: Ellen McGowan Biddle, Copyright @ 2009Stackpole is proud to introduce the Frontier Classics, a new series that aims to resurrect long out-of-print gems of frontier history. Antiquarian and rare book dealers have previously been the only source for these books, providing first editions for premium prices. Now, these books are available in affordable, quality paperback editions, with new historical introductions written by a leading expert in the field. Ellen McGowan Biddle was the wife of James Biddle, a U.S. Army officer who saw wide service on the frontier. Reminiscences of a Soldier's Wife is a collection of her articulate, astute observations about life in the Army. From Macon, Georgia, to Fort Robinson, Nebraska, Ellen McGowan Biddle followed her husband throughout his career. Throughout her "reminiscences" she relates not only the day-to-day events of her life as an Army wife, but also the excitement, uncertainty, and sacrifice of life on the frontier.
The Military Wives' Cookbook:
200 Years of Traditions, Recipes, and Remembrances Author: Carolyn Quick Tillery, Copyright @ 2008The Military Wives' Cookbook is a collection of recipes, anecdotal stories, and vintage photographs tracing the history and unique contributions of American military wives. Beginning with an Independence Tea Party featuring the foods served by the women of Edenton, North Carolina, at a party on October 25, 1774, it recreates the scenes and foods that recount the stories of the commitments and sacrifice that military wives have given the nation for more than two hundred years.
Presented in menu format, each chapter includes a story that relates to a group of recipes evocative of the period in which the story is set. Some chapters recreate recipes from a historic account, such as "A Colonial Thanksgiving" and "Christmas in the Confederate White House," both of which describe holidays celebrated under wartime conditions. Others are of the international foods they have learned to enjoy from such places as Morocco, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Japan, and Korea. The book is divided into six large sections: Teas and Coffees; Buffets, Brunches, and Lunches; A Taste of Home: Dinner Family Style; Alfresco Dining; Over There: An International Affair; Home for the Holidays and Other Celebrations.
The women, through whose eyes these stories are told and whose recipes are shared, are truly remarkable. They often balanced the responsibilities of maintaining home and hearth, raising a family, managing a business, and supporting a war effort. In addition, they found time to extend themselves in friendship and hospitality to one another and to women in the places where they were stationed, earning them a well-respected reputation that continues to this day.
Waiting:
One Wife's Year of the Vietnam War Author: Linda Moore-Lanning, Copyright @ 2009In April 1969, Linda Moore-Lanning watched her husband, Lt. Michael Lee Lanning, board a Greyhound bus that would take him to a military flight scheduled to deposit him in Vietnam. As he boarded the bus, Lee told her, "It’s only for a year." Moore-Lanning struggled to believe her husband’s words.
Waiting: One Wife’s Year of the Vietnam War is the deeply personal account of Moore-Lanning’s year as a waiting wife. The first-ever book from the perspective of a wife on the home front during the Vietnam War, Moore-Lanning’s telling is both unflinching in its honesty and universal in its evocation of the price exacted from those who were left behind. During her "waiting year," Moore-Lanning traveled far, in both distance and perspective, from the small West Texas town of Roby where she had grown up and met her husband.
Through her eyes, we experience the agony of waiting for the next letter from Lee; the exhilaration of learning of her pregnancy; the frustration of dealing with friends and family members who didn’t understand her struggles; and the solace of companionship with Susan Hargrove, another waiting wife.
Because of her insistence that Lee give her an honest account of his experiences, Moore-Lanning also affords readers a gut-wrenching view of Vietnam as narrated by an infantry commander in the field.
Unfolding with the gripping narrative of a novel, Waiting will captivate general readers, while those interested in military history and home front perspectives—especially from the Vietnam War—will deeply appreciate this impressive addition to the literature.
Copyright Benita Koeman 2008 - 2010
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