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.

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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"Once a Brat, Always a Brat" by Marilyn Morris

Please enjoy the following interview with Brat author Marilyn Morris about her book "Once a Brat, Always a Brat"

Q: Why the title, "Once a Brat, Always a Brat?"
A: When I was in Linz, Austria, from 1948-1952 as a middle-schooler, we were told over and over "never cross the Danube River" which lay right outside our back yard. The Russian Zone of Occupation was across the bridge. This admonition was ingrained in my memory banks. In 1995, when my daughter and I took a trip to Europe and most importantly, to Linz, we ended up taking a wrong turn and much to my horror, we were on the bridge, crossing the Danube River.
"Stop," I yelled in knee-jerk reaction. "We can't cross the river! It's the Russian Zone."
My companions looked at me like I was crazy.
I managed to mumble something like, "Well, sorry. When we lived here, we were never supposed to cross the Danube. It was the Russian Zone, then."
We proceeded into the Forbidden Zone (in my mind) until we found a spot to turn around, much to my relief.
"So, Mom, do you feel better now?" my daughter teased.
"Sorry I scared you," I apologized. "But Once a Brat, Always a Brat…."

Q: What is your favorite memory of growing up military?
A: My parents told me at an early age that I was very fortunate to travel all over the world. Some kids never had the opportunity, as I discovered when I was in the 5th grade in Junction City, KS (Ft. Riley). I had been to the Far East and some kids hadn't been out of the county.

Q. How did growing up military affect your life long-term?
A. I found after two failed marriages that I was unable to sustain a long-term relationship. The constant meeting and leaving friends left me with a feeling of "This, too, will end, so don't get too close to anybody." It was easier to keep relationships on a superficial level.

Q: Would you want to change anything about your childhood – such as having one place to call home?
A: I was very fortunate in that I was able to spend all three high school years in one place, Lawton OK, a place that I still call "home." I was accepted by the civilian kids as well as those from nearby Fort Sill OK. I will always be very grateful to my parents for buying the house we were renting when my Dad was ordered back to Korea so we would be assured of staying in one place while I was in high school.

Q: Have you returned to places you lived around the world? Did they feel the same?
A: I went to Germany, Austria and France while my dad was stationed in Europe, and when my daughter and I went overseas, I returned to those places. At the first house we occupied, #10 Donatusgasse, everything looked as I remembered; other housing areas had long been torn down in a modernization of the city; a trip up to Eagle's Nest, or Hitler's Tea House, was a jolt, in that it is now called Kehlstein Haus and all references to Adolph Hitler have been erased.
The most surprising thing I noticed, though, was when we boarded a train for Paris and a German woman seated in our compartment struck up a conversation with us. In German. And amazingly, I understood her questions and I believe she understood my answers in my middle school, long-unused German.

Q. Is there another book to follow?
A. I've been thinking of a follow-up book to Once a Brat, titled Always a Brat, which focuses more in depth on how my military upbringing has affected my adult life, and have been making notes to follow up at some later time. Right now, I'm following up on several novels in various stages of progress.
My next book, loosely based on my mother's experiences as a young army wife in the military compound of Camp Sobingo, Seoul Korea, is due out soon as an ebook at Mardi Gras Publications.

Thanks, Marc for this opportunity to share my experiences here on your blog. Military Brats share such a unique heritage; it's fun to compare notes with a fellow Brat!

Marilyn