Excerpt of Once a Brat, Always a Brat by Marilyn Celeste Morris

My mom was a WWII Vintage, hauling kids from one end of the
earth to the other, birthing children overseas, in dusty,
remote duty stations, jungles and frozen tundra. Enduring
seasickness, inoculations for God knows how many exotic
diseases, keeping our shot records, school records, silk
kimonos, pets, bicycles, treasured toys (despite household
goods weight restrictions - some of her stuff had to be left
behind; it wasn't nearly as important as her kids' stuff).

Taking us, unescorted, into the foreign countryside,
determined we absorb the foreign culture as fully as we
could; enforcing ""the rules"" in Dad's frequent absences,
with almost as firm a hand as his, but seasoned with just a
pinch of understanding what we were going through. Ordering
from the Sears, Roebuck catalog and sweating the exquisite
timing for a special outfit for an important occasion, such
as graduation from 6th grade, being chosen May Queen, or
playing the part of the Princess in the school play, and
when the parcel didn't arrive in time, sacrificing one of
her very own ""ball gowns."

A West Texas farm girl training a houseboy and house girl in
the Orient one year, in Pidgin English, no less; doing her
own housecleaning and laundry the next, and handling both
with amazing aplomb. The next year, she begins all over
again, training in garbled German-Austrian dialect with
voluminous hand gestures, a giant woman refugee from
Yugoslavia as maid, cook and baby sitter, in quarters
appropriated from Nazi sympathizers, while keeping in mind
that packed suitcases under the beds and Russians across the
Danube meant evacuation could be implemented at any moment.

Keeping her own grief in check while her kids cry over
leaving yet another batch of friends, knowing she might
never see her own circle of friends again.

Packing, unpacking, making a home with "make do, and do
without.” Keeping in touch with family back in the Zone of
the Interior by letter, written at times by dim lantern
light when the Russians in their Zone of Occupation decided
to deprive us of electricity at any given time.

Myriads more sacrifices made on our behalf. Ordinary women
in extraordinary circumstances. God bless her, and all the
Military Wives, past, present and future. ..

Well done, Ladies.