This file is dedicated to the wives, husbands, parents and friends who serve on the home front while their loved ones serve in the military. Also to the children who are without a parent at times so we can live in a free country. Also see Military, Veterans Day, Air Force, Army and Navy.
If only all the winds, could wait,
And the songs remain unsung,
The laughter stop
The crying cease
The loving remain still until
I come home.
If the children would stop growing,
And I stop aging;
The birds nest.
The fish sleep on the bottom of the streams
The clouds withhold their rain until
I come home.
If all the world was silent
Except this small corner where we war
Then when we come home, awaken
So that we had not missed a heartbeat
Of our real lives.
I am a small and precious child
my dad's been sent to fight
The only place I'll see his face
is in my dream at night.
He will be gone too many days
for my young mind to keep track
I may be sad, but I am proud.
My daddy's got your back.
I am a caring mother
my son has gone to war
My mind is filled with worries
that I have never known before.
Everyday I try to keep
my thoughts from turning black
I may be scared, but I am proud.
My son has got your back.
I am a strong and loving wife
with a husband who had to go
There are times I'm terrified
in a way most never know.
I bite my lip and force a smile
as I watch my husband pack
My heart may break, but I am proud.
My husband's got your back.
I am a soldier
serving proudly, standing tall
I fight for freedom, yours and mine
by answering this call.
I do my job while knowing
the thanks it sometimes lacks.
Say a prayer that I'll come home
It's me who's got your back.
He's almost home,
the time grows near,
He's coming home,
He's almost here.
When first he left,
You felt alone.
But you hung in,
Now he's almost home.
You managed the kids,
The bills, the cars.
You kept your sanity,
With hardly a scar.
You made some friends,
They helped so much.
Remember to thank them,
And keep in touch.
You survived the broken bones,
The sleepless nights, bloody noses.
And just when you thought
You couldn't go on,
You looked at the calendar . . .
HE'S ALMOST HOME !!!!!
See Military Moms, Military Spouse, The Price They Pay, They Pay and Pay and Pay and other great poems by Del 'Abe' Jones.
I am an Army Spouse--a member of that sisterhood of women who have had the courage to watch their men march into battle and the strength to survive until their return. Our sorority knows no rank, for we earn our membership with a marriage license, traveling over miles or over nations to begin a new life with our soldier husband.
Within days we turn a barren, echoing building into a home and though our quarters are inevitably white-walled and unpapered, we decorate with the treasures of our travels, for we shop the markets of the globe.
Using hammer and nails we tack our pictures to the wall and our roots to the floor as firmly as if we had lived there a lifetime. We hold a family together by the bootstraps and raise the best of the "brats", instilling into them the motto: "Home is Togetherness" whether motel, guest house, apartment or duplex.
As Army spouses, we soon realize that the only good in "Good-bye" is the "Hello again". For as salesmen for freedom, our husbands are often on the road, leaving us behind for a week, a month, an assignment. During the separation we guard the home front, existing until the homecoming.
Unlike our civilian counterparts, we measure time not by age, but by tours-married at Knox, a baby born on Bliss, a promotion in Missouri. We plant trees and never see them grow tall, work on projects completed long after our departure and enhance our community for the betterment of those who come after us. We leave a part of ourselves at every stop.
Through experience we have learned to pack a suitcase, a car or haul baggage and live indefinitely from the contents within. And though our fingers are sore from the patches we have sewn and silver we have shined, our hands are always ready to help those around us.
Women of peace, we pray for a world in harmony. For the flag that leads our men in battle will also blanket them in death. Yet we are an optimistic group, thinking of the good and forgetting the bad, cherishing yesterday while anticipating tomorrow.
Never rich by monetary standards, our hearts are overflowing with a wealth of experience common only to those united by the special tradition of military life. We pass on the legacy to every Army bride, welcoming her with outstretched arms, with love and friendship, from one sister to another, sharing in the bounty of our unique, fulfilling Army way of life.
Give me greatness of heart to see,
The difference between duty and love for me.
Give me understanding so that I may know,
When duty calls him, he must go.
Give me a task to do each day,
To fill the time when he's away.
When he's in a foreign land,
Keep him safe in your loving hand.
And Lord, when duty is in the field,
Please protect him and be his shield.
And Lord, when deployment is so long,
Please stay with me and keep me strong.
I wear no uniforms, no blues or army greens
But I am in the Army in the ranks rarely seen
I have no rank upon my shoulders--salutes I do not give
But the military world is the place where I live
I'm not in the chain of command, orders I do not get
But my husband is the one who does, this I can not forget
I'm not the one who fires the weapon, who puts my life on the line
But my job is just as tough. I'm the one that's left behind
My husband is a patriot, a brave and prideful man
And the call to serve his country not all can understand
Behind the lines I see the things needed to keep this country free
My husband makes the sacrifice, but so do our kids and me
I love the man I married, Soldiering is his life
But I stand among the silent ranks known as the
Army Wife
A Soldier by title--A Soldier all day and night.
When will you have time to be a husband to your wife?
You will be there for her in spirit and always in her thoughts.
You try to make her happy, but the Army twists your plans in knots!
An Army Wife by title--Called a privilege by the few.
She'll Stick by her husband, that's what she will do.
He may be at home or a million miles away,
But in her heart he will always stay.
(Alexandra Benakis)
The military wife has so much to bear,
She's everything at once, no one could compare,
When God made her, he had perfection in mind,
For nowhere on Earth is another of her kind,
She leads a life not many choose to,
For her job is the hardest in the military to do,
She is very courageous and strong as steel,
But way deep down is a heart that can feel,
She stands by her husband, so proud and so tall,
And waits many night by the phone for a call,
She's Mommy and Daddy all rolled into one,
She'll never rest easy until her job's done,
She sits all alone and in silence she weeps,
Did I do a good job, is my family okay?
But deep in her heart she knows that it's true,
God is right beside her helping her through . . .
I've noticed in my present job there is this tiny quirk
There is no respect at all, and it's not considered work.
Well I am here to show you another point of view
Just to give you an idea, of what WE really do.
Here is my job description, and to better understand
I've written it in the lingo of my Military Man.
I am the IG complaints come to me
I am the MEDIC, I bandage skinned knees
I am the JAG and COURT MARITAL too . . .
I decide the punishments, how much and on who!
I am SAFETY, inspecting all the junk
I am the FIRST SHIRT checking the bunk
I am SUPPLY in charge of food and clothes
households goods and heaven only knows . . .
I am the SP who secures the door
I am FINANCE, but giving out more
I am SERVICES who cooks all the meals
I am TRANS in charge of the wheels
I am MWR planning all the fun
I am the BUGLER announcing the 'Day is Done'
I am the CQ and Fire Department too,
there isn't much that I don't do . . .
I am the Instructor, also you see
Because everything that is learned is taught by me
I am the Flight Leader who knows his troops well
Sometimes the T.I. who really can yell
I am the 0-10 and the E-9 you see
cause everything must come through me
I'll never go to combat, but certain battles I will face
But rest assure when you deploy, count on me to guard the base
I am always on duty, I never take leave,
No Holidays off, It's hard to believe
I can never ETS, I signed on for life
My Primary AFSC is Mother, my secondary is AF Wife
For all my devotion to duty, my LES says NO PAY DUE
Because I am not paid in money, but in the words "I Love You"
Lord, grant me the greatness of heart to see,
The difference in duty and his love for me.
Give me the understanding to know,
That when duty calls he must go.
Give me a task to do each day,
To fill the time when he is away.
And Lord when duty is far away,
Please protect him, this I pray.
A military wife is mostly girl. But there are times, such as when her husband is away and she is mowing the lawn or fixing a youngster's bike, that she begins to suspect she is also boy.
She usually comes in three sizes: petite, plump and pregnant. During the early years of her marriage it is often hard to determine which size is her normal one. She has babies all over the world and measures time in terms of places as other women do in years. "It was in England that the children had the chicken pox . . .It was in Texas, Paul was promoted . . . " At least one of her babies was born or a transfer was accomplished while she was alone. This causes her to suspect a secret pact between her husband and the military providing for a man to be overseas or on temporary duty at times such as these.
A military wife is international. She may be a Kansas farm girl, a French mademoiselle, a Japanese doll, or a German Fraulein. When discussing service problems, they all speak the same language.
She can be a great actress. To heartbroken children at transfer time, she gives an Academy Award performance: "New Mexico is going to be such fun! I hear they have Indian reservations . . . and tarantulas . . . and rattlesnakes." But her heart is breaking with theirs.
She wonders if this is worth the sacrifice.
An ideal military wife has the patience of an angel, the flexibility of putty, the wisdom of a scholar and the stamina of a horse. If she dislikes money, it helps. She is sentimental, carrying her memories with her in an old footlocker. One might say she is a bigamist, sharing her husband with a demanding entity called "duty." When duty calls, she becomes No. 2 wife.
Until she accepts this fact, her life can be miserable.
She is above all a woman who married a man who offered her the permanency of a gypsy, the miseries of loneliness, the frustration of conformity and the security of love. Sitting among her packing boxes with squabbling children nearby, she is sometimes willing to chuck it all in until she hears the firm step and cheerful voice of the lug who gave her all this. Then she is happy to be . . . his military wife.
Dear Lord, Give me the greatness of heart to see
The difference between duty and his love for me.
Give me understanding so that I may know
That when duty calls he must go.
Give me a task to do each day
To fill the time he is away.
And, Lord, when he goes out to sea
Bring him safely home to me.
We are sisters--bound not by blood but by unity of spirit. We share many of the same experiences, hopes and fears. You carry some of my thoughts and I, some of yours.
You understand that I have a chest labeled "special memories" that grows heavier as it's moved from assignment to assignment. I understand your box marked "curtains" which contains seven different sets, each of which will only fit one window in all of the US and Europe. You know what it's like to plant a tree, realizing that someone else will sample its fruit and enjoy its shade. I know that you pause while hanging a picture in base housing to hear for a moment the echoing footsteps of the families that preceded you. (I also know that you never write in your address book in ink!)
To us, home is not so much a geographic location as it is a place in our hearts. At the same time, the evening news is more than a thirty minute blitz of information; it is often the compass that directs our lives. I have stood in your shoes and you in mine on docks, piers, flight lines and in terminals of every description around the world, waving goodbye and whispering a silent prayer. To us the words "Support Our Troops" are more than a t-shirt or bumper sticker logo. We wear a yellow ribbon around our hearts EVERY DAY, because we know that every day a military family is separated by time and distance while the military member stands watch at Freedom's door.
We come from all walks of life. We are homemakers, workers, professionals and in our numbers are those who also serve our country on active duty or in the reserves. We are different, and yet we are the same. Sometimes I see your face in my mirror. Sometime you dream my dreams. I am honored to count myself among you!
1 1/4 c. Patience
1 tsp. Courage
1 lb. Adaptability
3/4 c. Tolerance
Dash of Adventure
Splash of Humor
With the above ingredients add 2 tablespoons elbow grease, leave alone for six months. Marinate with salty tears. Pour off excess fat. Sprinkle every so often with money. "Knead" dough until payday. Season with international spices. Bake for twenty years or until done. Serve with PRIDE!
(Diane Renay, words and music by Bob Crewe, Eddie Rambeau, and Bud Rehak)
Blue, navy blue, I'm as blue as I can be
'cause my steady boy said "Ship ahoy"
And joined the Nay-ee-ay-vee
He said he wanted to settle down
And let me be his girl
But first he had to do a little travelin' around
And see the whole wide world
That's why I'm . . .
Blue, navy blue, I'm as blue as I can be
'cause my steady boy said "Ship ahoy"
And joined the Nay-ee-ay-vee
I got a letter yesterday from Tokyo
And a souvenir
A walky-talky wind-up little China doll
That says "Wish you were here"
Blue, navy blue, I'm as blue as I can be
'cause my steady boy said "Ship ahoy"
And joined the Nay-ee-ay-vee
He's comin' home to see me on a weekend pass
A forty-eight hour day-ate
That boat he's sailin' on just better get here fast
'cause I can hardly wait
Till then I'm . . .
Blue, navy blue, I'm as blue as I can be
'cause my steady boy said "Ship ahoy"
And joined the Nay-ee-ay-vee
A soldier by day, he stands the watch alone.
A man by night, dreaming of his wife at home.
At home she waits, as hours give way to days.
Sometimes she cries, as alone in the night she prays.
He thinks a lot of freedom, that's why he joined the Corps.
He wanted to be all he could be, and then a little more.
She married the man she loves, committed to him for life.
Knowing it wouldn't be easy, being a soldier's wife.
The days in the field were long, the nights were longer still.
But he was born to serve, duty is his will.
Steadfast by his side, though thousands of miles away.
Unconditional support, she gave him each day.
He loved her with a passion, for her he would gladly die.
He'd sell his soul in a moment, just to look inside her eyes.
She lived her life for him, each and every day.
Waiting for his return, her soldier far away.
(Richard Lovelace)
Tell me not, Sweet, I am unkind,
That from the nunnery
Of thy chaste breasts, and quiet mind,
To war and arms I fly.
True, a new mistress now I chase,
The first foe in the field;
And with a stronger faith embrace
A sword, a horse, a shield.
Yet this inconstancy is such,
As you too shall adore;
I could not love thee, Dear, so much,
Loved I not honour more.
I am an Army 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--with no dependence on the dwelling.
Mobility is my way of life . . . Some would wonder about my roots, yet they are as deep and strong as a mighty oak. I sink them in 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 . . . And if when I leave one place I feel that half of my world has been left behind, I know that the other half is still 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 . . . It's inevitable that paths do part, there is a constant hope that we will meet again . . .
Love of country, respect, and pride fill my being when Old Glory passes in review. As I stand to honor that flag, so also I stand in honor of all soldiers, most especially to the one that created me. Because of this soldier I have shared in the rich heritage of Army life.
I would not clip his wings,
I would not tie him to the earth
where I must stand with leaden feet
Eyes straining heavenward.
I yield him to the sky where he is king.
And I would rather
Tease him from that farthest cloud
And ride beside him; proud and free,
Oh, I would rather wave as he flies by
Than have him here by me,
An eagle chained by silken threads of love.
You probably didn't realize who was sitting next to you. You rattled on about how silly this anti-terrorist war is, and that it's just a political ploy. You complained about America being the world's police. You said you'd never let your son run off to fight, and you'd throw a fit if they just sent your husband off. At that point, I almost turned around and told you who I am.
I am a military spouse.
Life in the military has never been easy. It means low pay with no overtime, watching your husband go to work with a fever because the doctor didn't deem him sick enough for the day off. It means years of rules and protocol that wear on you like a dripping faucet late at night. Don't even get me going on the weekly inspection of our yards.
We live with Terms like "Exercise" which means 12-18 hour shifts.
And "TDY," which means your spouse is gone for up to 180 days.
And "Remotes," which means your spouse is gone for longer than 180 days.
And finally, "PCS," which means your whole family is going on this ride.
Don't get me wrong, whining is not my intent here.
While the road we've been down in the military hasn't always been paved; it's been a good life. My kids know you don't wait to make friends because you never know how long they'll be here. We know how precious good friends are even when miles separate us. We go to live in other countries where the locals despise us. It wasn't always in vogue to be patriotic. Sept. 11 helped turn that tide, but flags are fading around here again.
My husband is TDY (temporary duty) right now. I'm not allowed to tell you where. I'm 26 days into a 109-day TDY. There have been too many times I have needed him here. Forget the running of the home fort-there are kisses and hugs that should be taking place. I lie in bed and try to recall what his breathing sounds like next to me--or I hear the door open and try to envision him walking in from work. What I would give to hear his clear voice without telephone static and worrying about how much the phone call will cost us. Then the deep fear--what if this separation becomes permanent? Distance is a horrible thief of what is precious, because it only reminds us of how precious it is.
You kept on talking for a while.
I then realized I was picking up your tab.
You could sit there freely and give your opinion because of the military families like ours.
We are paying the price for your freedom.
I've heard it said that soldiers of the past, present and future pay for the flag.
Nah, we're the threads it's woven with.
A military man makes a good husband--he can cook, sew, make beds, is in good health, and he's already used to taking orders.
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