THE SILENT RANKS - Tribute to the Military Wife . . .

[thedrifter]

THE SILENT RANKS - Tribute to the Military Wife . . .


Unknown Author


I wear no uniforms, no blues or army greens.
But I am in the military 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 cannot 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. Patriotism is his life.
But I stand among the silent ranks known as the military wife.

Sempers,

Roger

[fabboss]

GOD BLESS ALL OUR WIVES AND CHILDREN WHO STOOD WITH US

[usmcgirl5]

Thank you for that drifter. That is just what I needed. I got married last month to a Marine that I had been with for 3 years. And I will tell you since we got married it seems that everything has hit the fan. He got orders to Camp Lejeune shortly after we got married. He had told me on the day of our wedding that I was going to have a tough job, and it has been already. But I know that all of his fellow Marines will help him and me out when we need it.

[firstsgtmike]

usmcgirl5,

Lady,

In 1964 I brought my wife, from Okinawa, to Camp Lejeune. 2695 Bouganville Drive, Tarawa Terrace.

My wife has since passed away, but that place was forever etched in our minds as the best of the rest.

On base, off base, get involved with the Marine Corps Community. Learn the meaning of "the Corps takes care of its own".

The first step in having a friend is to be a friend..

So, how about you and he helping another Marine out, BEFORE you need help?

They will be here for YOU.

[usmcgirl5]

Well firstsgt, I am already active in helping out at my husbands current duty station. Over the holidays I take the Marines who are unable to go home on leave a gift basket of cookies and food.
Many of the guys in the barracks consider me as a sister because I help them out in any way that I can. Usually it is just loaning money to them or being there when they need a shoulder.

[firstsgtmike]

usmcgirl5

Welcome to the 'hood.

Also, I bet if you check around, you'll find that the Marine wives have their own website on the base.

This is a good place for me to pay a tribute to a very special lady, the wife of Lt. Col. Ed Danowitz.

In 1965 he was CO of 1/8. Unexpectedly, we were rushed to the Dominican Republic when the shooting started down there. Not much time to pack, not much time for goodbyes. We were NOT he alert battalion.

Mrs. Danowitz, the Colonel's Lady, contacted the wife of every unit member and arranged to have gear shipped to us on a resupply aircraft. And made it a point to keep the wives informed as to what was going on.

Welcome to the 'hood.

[thedrifter]

The Marine Wife's Prayer

Oh, Lord, please keep my Marine tonight,
Close by Your guiding hand of might,
Give him the strength to carry on
When all is dark and hope is gone.
Help him to trust and have no fear
For You are watching, ever near.
Let him know he's not alone;
Your light will always lead him home.
He's rough and tough -- no emotions show --
But, God, he's just a boy, you know.
He claims the title and wears it proud;
Says he's the best and says it loud.
And though someday he'll guard Your heights,
Lord, please bring him safely home tonight.

Author Unknown


Sempers,

Roger

[thedrifter]

WHAT THE EAGLE,GLOBE,and ANCHOR MEANS!


The Marine Corps Hymn has played, The sun is rising high
It was her first parade, since becoming his new bride.
This life is all so different, So much she needs to know
What's eagle, globe and anchor?, Some symbol, just for show?
New orders and new places, She is so much alone
For he must go on training, While she must make a home.
Children born at a new base, While Dad is gone away
He gets a Red Cross message, "You had a child today."
The years have gone by swiftly, And now she knows at last
Of eagle, globe, and anchor, That question from her past.
The eagle, globe and anchor, worn proudly by their men
Might also be the symbol, Of those who married them.
The eagle soars to heights unknown, Undaunted by the stings
Of stormy blasts, and dark of night, She's wind beneath his wings.
The globe denotes the distant port, His duty beckons them
She packs again her treasures, And follows close by him.
The anchor keeps home stable, Though rough the waves may be
She bravely faces tempests, In unfamiliar seas.
The Marine Corps Hymn has played, The sun is sinking low
He stands on the parade field, Aware that he must go.
She holds a dozen roses, Her eyes are misting now
She knows what he is feeling, And wants to help somehow.
Yes, he has won the medals, And all the accolades
But she has loved the man, And cheered through his parades.
This was the final triumph, He knew that it must end
He turns and gazes back to,----- His soulmate and his friend.

Author Unknown


Sempers,

Roger

[thedrifter]

Definition of a Marine
Marines come in all shapes, shades, weights, sizes, and states of sobriety, misery, and confusion. He is sly as a fox, has the nerve of a dope addict, the stories of an old sailor, the sincerity of a politician, and the subtly of Mt. Saint Helen. He is extremely irresistible, totally irrational and completely indestructible. A Marine is a Marine all his life. He is a magical creature. You can kick him out of your house but not out of your heart. You can take him off your mailing list but not off your mind.

Marines are found everywhere... in love...in battle... in lust... in trouble...in debt...in bars and ... behind them. No one can write so seldom and yet think so much of you. No one else can get so much enjoyment out of a letter or clean clothes or a six pack. A Marine is a genius with a deck of cards. A millionaire without a cent and brave without a grain of sense.

He is the PROTECTOR OF AMERICA, with the latest copy of playboy in his back pocket. When he wants something it's usually 30 days leave, music that hurts the ears, or a five dollar bill.. or a woman he can count on. Girls love them, mothers tolerate them, fathers brag about them, the government pays them, the police watch out for them and somehow they all work together. You can beat their bodies but not their minds. You can tame their hearts but not their souls. He likes girls, females, women, ladies, and the opposite sex. He dislikes small checks, working weekends answering letters, eating chow, waking up, maintaining a uniform, cutting his hair, and the day before payday.

You may as well give in. He is your long distance lover... he is your steel eyed, warm smiling, blank minded, hyperactive, over reacting, curious, passive, talented spontaneous, physically fit, good for nothing bundle of worry..... He shatters all your dreams and fantasies when he drunkenly crawls into bed with you at 3:00am kisses you for 5 minutes, tells you how much he loves you, checks the clock and falls asleep with his head on your breasts, his hand between your legs...... and his mind on both.



Unknown Author...........

Sempers,

Roger

[thedrifter]

I AM A MILITARY WIFE


I am a military wife -- a member of that sisterhood of women who have had the courage to watch their men go 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 military husbands.

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 nail, we tack our pictures to the wall, and our roots to the floor as firmly as if we had lived there for a lifetime. We hold a family together by the bootstraps, and raise the best of "brats," instilling in them the motto, "Home is togetherness," whether motel, or guest house, apartment or duplex.

As military wives 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, at sea, or in the sky, leaving us behind for a week, a month, an assignment. During separations we guard the home front, existing until the homecoming. Unlike our civilian counterparts, we measure time, not by years, but by tours -- married at Knox, a baby born at Portsmouth, a special anniversary at Yorktown, a promotion in McDill.

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 hold baggage, and live indefinitely from the contents within: and though our fingers are sore from the patches we have sewn, and the 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 into 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 experiences common only to those united by the special tradition of military life.

We pass on this legacy to every military bride, welcoming her with outstretched arms, with love and friendship, from one sister to another, sharing in the bounty of our unique, fulfilling military way of life.



Author Unknown


Sempers,

Roger

[thedrifter]

The good Lord was creating a model for military wives and was into his sixth
day of overtime when an angel appeared. She said, "Lord, you seem to be
having a lot of trouble with this one. What's wrong with the standard model?
The Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order?" She has to be
completely independent, possess the qualities of both father and mother. Be a
perfect hostess to four to 40 with an hour's notice, run on black coffee,
handle every emergency imaginable without a manual, be able to carry on
cheerfully, even if she is pregnant and has the flu, and she must be willing
to move to a new location 10 times in 17 years. And oh, yes, she must have
six pairs of hands.

The angel shook her head. "Six pairs of hands?" No way. "The Lord continued,
"Don't worry, we will make the other military wives to help her. And we will
give her an unusually strong heart so it can swell with pride in her
husband's achievements, sustain the pain of separations, beat soundly when it
is overworked and tired, and be large enough to say, "I understand," when she
doesn't, and say, "I love you' regardless."

"Lord," said the angel, touching his arm gently, "Go to bed and get some
rest. You can finish this tomorrow. "I can't stop now," the Lord said. "I am
so close to creating something unique." Already this model heals herself when
sick, can put up with six unexpected guests for the weekend, wave good-bye to
her husband from a pier, a runway or depot, and understand why it's important
that he leave." The angel circled the model of the military wife, looked
closely and sighed, "It looks fine, but it's too soft." She might look soft,"
replied the Lord. "But she has the strength of a lion. You would not believe
what she can endure."

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the
Lord's creation. "There's a leak," she announced. "Something is wrong with
the construction. I am not surprised that it has cracked. You are trying to
put too much into this. "The Lord replied. "It's for joy, sadness, pain,
disappointment, loneliness, pride and a dedication to all the values that she
and her husband hold dear." Lord looked puzzled and replied, "I didn't put it
there.


Unknown Author



Sempers,

Roger

[firstsgtmike]

WHEN GOD CREATED FATHERS

By Erma Bombeck

When the good Lord was creating fathers, He started
with a tall frame.

And a female angel nearby said, "What kind of father is
that? If you're going to make children so close to the
ground, why have you put fathers up so high? He
won't be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck
a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child
without a lot of stooping."

And God smiled and said, "Yes, but if I make him child
size, who would children have to look up to?"

And when God made a father's hands, they were large
and sinewy.

And the angel shook her head sadly and said, "Do You
know what You're doing? Large hands are clumsy. They
can't manage diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands
on pony tails or even remove splinters caused by
baseball bats."

God smiled and said, "I know, but they're large enough
to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets at
the end of a day, yet small enough to cup a child's face."

Then God molded long, slim legs and broad shoulders.

The angel nearly had a heart attack. "Boy, this is
end of the week, all right," she clucked. "Do You realize
You just made a father without a lap? How is he going to
pull a child close to him without the kid falling between
his legs?"

God smiled and said, "A mother needs a lap. A father
needs strong shoulders to pull a sled, balance a boy on a
bicycle or hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus."

God was in the middle of creating two of the largest
feet anyone had ever seen when the angel could contain
herself no longer. "That's not fair. Do You honestly think
those large boats are going to dig out of bed early in the
morning when the baby cries? Or walk through a small birthday
party without crushing at least three of the guests?"

And God smiled and said, "They'll work. You'll see.
They'll support a small child who wants to "ride a
horse to Banbury Cross" or scare off mice at the summer
cabin, or display shoes that will be a challenge to fill."

God worked throughout the night, giving the father few
words, but a firm authoritative voice; eyes that see
everything, but remain calm and tolerant.

Finally, almost as an afterthought, He added tears.
Then He turned to the angel and said, "Now are you satisfied
that he can love as much as a mother?"

And the angel shutteth up!

[cherrysupernerd]

Often I wonder, why can’t he stay?
Why is it my love must go away?

I speak for so many this thing that I ask,
Why must our loved ones complete this great task?

I thought long and hard, about our beloved men
And the battle they are about to begin.

Why must they go why, can’t they stay?
They must go and fight for the American way.

For what is it that these brave men fight?
For everything that we know is good and is right.

They fight for our freedom, today and tomorrow
For justice and peace, an end to man’s sorrow.

How can he go and fight this great war?
He must go and make good on the oath that he swore.

But of the many why is it these few?
Because it is only America’s BEST that will do.

Why must they leave us with rings, babies, and lives?
We must serve with them too, as their women, their wives.

We must have courage, be pillars of strength,
It is for us that these men go the length.

Why are we left waiting as they answer the call?
Cause we’re married to MARINES, the strongest of ‘em all!!



The first to go, the last to know, live or die, Semper Fi