Once A Brat, Always A Brat

New Book by Marilyn Celeste Morris

It was a real Treat last night to see an email from my publisher that Once a Brat, Always a Brat, is now "live" on Amazon.com.

Brat: Def: (1) An unruly child Def: (2) A child of the military. We wear the Brat name with pride. Those who argue that the term is demeaning simply don t understand. Once a Brat, Always a Brat is not intended to be a serious study of children of the military. It is neither an apology nor a rallying cry for our unique experiences. While some of my fellow Military Brats, missionary kids, children of the diplomatic corps, oil company employees offspring and others raised outside their home country may find similarities in my narrative, I must emphasize that the first part of this book is based solely on events transpiring between 1938 and 1958, with comments on how the Military Brat experience affected my life. Other Military Brats have contributed to this book, writing about their experiences in their own words. A Resources section is included for those who are seeking information about the various organizations who can offer advice and counsel to our current Military Brats and their families.

About the Author
As one of the first dependents to be sent overseas at the end of WWII, eight-year old Marilyn Celeste Morris received her very own orders from The War Department. From Seoul, Korea to Linz, Austria, she traversed the globe from 1938 to 1958 with her Army Officer father, mother and younger brothers. Between assignments in the primitive world of the Far East, to the sublime luxury of exploring castles in Bavaria, the family shuttled between the various Stateside Forts: Bragg, Bliss, Hood and Sill. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes gut-wrenchingly sad, her narrative is part travelogue, part therapy session. She still cries at Taps and stands tall when the colors pass; yet she realizes she carries an odd mixture of pride and resentment over her nomadic way of life. Her conclusion, however, is that she wouldn't have had it any other way. Once a Brat, Always a Brat.

90 year old veteran tells his story

90 year old WWII veteran tells a great story!

This is a very unique way to tell an extremely interesting story. Only 2.25 minutes long...watch it!

Latta Introduces Bill to Honor Military Children

WASHINGTON- Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) has introduced H.R. 5333, a bill to honor the children of active duty soldiers and veterans of the United States armed forces. H.R. 5333, if passed, will create a program to make available a lapel pin to the children of active duty and veterans of active military duty for them to display and honor their parents’ service to our nation. These pins will be purchased by the recipients.

"I feel it is important to honor these children whose parent(s) currently serve or have served on active duty while these children were growing up. It is important we recognize these military children for their contribution to the military through their parent(s), whether it is the children of military service members from WWI or Afghanistan and Iraq. These children and families tend to be shaped by frequent moves, long and short-term absence of a parent, strong patriarchal or matriarchal authority, threats of parental loss in war, and a military family unit."
H.R. 5333 has been referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

American Military Families in the Occupation of Japan

After many years trying, I’ve finally succeeded in securing a publisher (a regular, nationally-respected one, not a vanity house or strictly e-book type) for my book on the role of American military families in the occupation of Japan. Our family was one of them; we lived in Yokohama in 1949-‘50, when I was 10 and 11 years old. I use my memories to flesh out and provide examples supporting the books’ thesis, which is that the families provided the model the Japanese observed and emulated in rebuilding their society, and also the paradigm upon which they fashioned their postwar industrial colossus. I am seeking the experiences of my contemporaries to flesh out my story by providing more and more varied examples. If you would like to participate in this project, kindly write me at: jimlam1@comcast.net. Please have your email include a brief sketch of your time in Japan: when/where you lived, highlights, lowlights, notable routines, how the experience affected your life, etc. What you tell me in your email(s) likely will trigger back-and-forth dialogue in which I might elicit more (and possibly more revealing) data. I once was a working journalist, so know how the process works. I hope to get many contributions, all of which will be cited and, in part at least, quoted. Thank you. James Lamont, Deerfield, Illinois.

YouTube - Military Brat: Travis

This video was posted a year ago on YouTube.

What is a military brat? A series in which different Military Brats answer that question.

Military Brat: Travis

The Mad Redhead Blog

Sometimes you stumble across interesting people online. Check out "About Me" on Alice's blog, "Assume Nothing" and her most recent post: Fresh Eggs.

Here's a little from the post...
"I was born in California, but was only there for about four years before my family moved overseas. Therefore, all of my formidable years were spent in the Far East, South Pacific, and Europe. We came back to the mainland or the states when I was a teenager. I was not a happy camper to say the least and try my best to get out of the country whenever the opportunity presents itself.

My upbringing was different then most kids of my generation. My mother always worked and we were never allowed to talk about what my father really did. Actually, I didn’t find out the truth until a few years ago, yes I was duly impressed. I was basically raised by my sister and a string of live in housekeepers. This helped in my language acquisition… I had four different languages under my belt by the time I reached eleven."

The day Pearl Harbor was attacked..I was there

Trubee Wetterau Jones talks about living in Hawaii when Pearl Harbor was attacked. December 7, 1941 is a day that will be remembered forever. On that day, 14 year old Trubee Wetterau lived at Schofield Barracks near Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In this podcast, Trubee shares her experience as a Military Brat when America was attacked.

A Pittance of Time

Veteran's Day video from Terry Kelly.

The Price of Peace

Deployment Ceremonies are never easy. Emotions can be overwhelming as families and friends gather together for their good-byes.

Twelve-year-old Alyssa Gaddis and her sixteen-year-old sister Cassy, of Springfield, IL, know this firsthand. They've been to so many such events because their father, CW5 Jim Gaddis, is the command chief warrant officer of the Illinois Army National Guard. They've felt the power of families being torn apart.

These experience insipired Alyssa to write a song -- a song to lift the spirits of those enduring deployment, a song to inspire courage and hope. Alyssa titled her song "The Price of Peace."

Watch the video here. (tissues recommended)

New law makes changing schools easier for children of military parents

Associated Press

Published: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 11:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 11:14 a.m.

MONTGOMERY - Military brats understand the hassles associated with transferring to a new school especially in the middle of a school year.

A law signed today by Gov. Bob Riley is designed to ease the transition.

Alabama becomes the 19th state to join the Interstate Commission on Educational Opportunities for Military Children.

The legislation sponsored by Democratic Rep. Craig Ford of Gadsden and Democratic Sen. Ted Little of Auburn would allow Alabama to work with other states to reconcile variations in graduation requirements and other school issues.

Air Force Lt. General Al Peck, commander of Air University, said the new law would assist school-age children transition into and out of Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base every year.

Death By Innocence

New fiction novel by Military Brat author, Thomas Slagle

In 1969, at the height of the Viet Nam War, four American military and State Department brats spend their last year of high school on an American military base in Ankara, Turkey. Rampant drug use and innocent lapses of judgment combine to produce emotional scars that will last their lifetimes.

Available now in the Brat Store!

The Wanderer: Life as Military Child

By Debra Lu Kaiser

I was born in Biloxi, Mississippi. My father was an Army man of just a year at that time. The next few years of my life we lived in Prum, Germany. Then it was back to the U.S. My mother was pregnant with my brother at the time we flew back. It was illegal for a pregnant military wife to fly, so my brother flew home illegally before he was even born!

My father then enlisted in the Air Force when his Army duty ended. As we visited my grandmother in Nebraska, she was charmed with the way I said “Auf Wiedersehen.” That simple German word for goodbye defined much of my life from then on. We went to California to get settled, then to Wichita Falls, Texas for my dad’s training; then back to California for his assignment.

The very first clear memory I have is wandering lost among the Texas weeds that were taller than my three year old body. My next memory was getting lost trying to find my way home from school the first day of Kindergarten. Interestingly, these earliest memories formed a metaphor for my childhood.

The full story is available at Nancy Gonzalez's Blog

I'm a Military Brat

For many years the "I am a Military Brat" poem has been floating around the internet with an "Anonymous" signature. The original was published in 1975 in a military magazine with the title "Brat is Beautiful." Obviously, someone wrote it!

After a recent newsletter, one member of the Military Brats Registry sent me an email and said "Hey, that's not anonymous! I have a framed version of the original article that was given to me in 1977." He gave me the name of the author and within an hour I had tracked her down and called her. She was amazed that the very first article she ever had published in 1975 had touched the lives of so many Military Brats.

We talked for about 30 minutes..it would have been much longer but she was on a deadline for her latest book! Soon we will do a podcast so she can tell her story of growing up military, and being a military wife. We have also created a beautiful 11x17 parchment (and a framed version) that is available in the Brat Store. For the first time in over 40 years, Debby will receive royalties for this inspiration to us all.

Here is a portion of the original...

I am a Military Brat

I am an Army Brat. My hometown is nowhere, my friends are everywhere, and if I haven't been someplace yesterday, I am sure to go there tomorrow. I grew up with bugle calls and artillery salutes and the knowledge that home is where the heart is and the family--with no dependence on the dwelling.

Mobility is my way of life. I have found security and happiness in motels and guest houses, in duplexes and apartments around the world. Some would wonder about my roots, yet they are as deep and strong as the mighty oak's. I sink them quickly, absorbing all an area offers and hopefully giving enrichment in return.

Like all Army dependents, I can say "Hello," "Good-bye," and count to 20 in five languages. I can tell of the shores of Maine, the marketplaces of Mexico, the Buddhas of Japan; and my knickknack shelves look like those of an import shop, for my memories span the globe.

The full copyrighted article continues exclusively by permission at http://www.MilitaryBrat.com/bratpoem.cfm

--
Marc Curtis
Military Brats Registry

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