In Germany they have a newspaper called "Stars and Stipes". My Mom cut this out,
and later on passed it down to me. This is a clip out of that nawspaper dated,
October 31, 1968.
What is a Army brat? Well, an Army brat comes in two sexes, boy and girl.
Sometimes they come in pairs and in other cases more. Usually they are
found traveling in family packs, for as Army brats belong to a breed noted
for its productiveness.
An Army brat can be a source of delight-or in many cases-dispair. He is the
acrobat who breaks his arm on the packing boxes the day his parents start
preparing for a new assignment. She is the tubby little invalid who just
recovered from the mumps on the backseat of a station wagon without feeling
sorry for herself. He is the toughest kid in the neighberhood, that is until
he has proven himself. She is the shy little miss timidly trying to explain her
Japanese robe and European-type shoes to the folks back home. He is the boy
who-when the teacher says "Our geography lesson today will be about
Germany"-raises his hand to inform her he was born there.
An Army brat sometimes looks frail, but he isn't. These kids are made of
pretty stern stuff. His life is plagued by a shot needle and he gets
immunizations for diseases other kids have never heard of. When he starts
school, he has travel more miles than most do in a lifetime.
He accepts changes in stride because he knows that his home is where his
Mommy and Daddy are, and as long as Daddy is with the family, he is content.
Places change, friends depart, and houses are different, but the Army brat
grows up secure knowing God and the family remains constantly his. Early in
his life he learns that soldiers don't cry so that when Daddy is shipped
overseas, this is the lad who bravely tries to take over the head of the
house hold.
She is the tender little lady who crawls into her Mother's bed and says, "A
year isn't so long, Mommy." This same little lady stubbornly refuses to
sleep in her own bed when Daddy comes home.
At retreat you can spot an Army brat a mile away because he is the five-year
old who solemnly places his right hand over his heart as the flag comes down
on. On Memorial Day she is the brownie who places a flag on a military grave
with persoanl knowledge of a family friend who never came back. These brats
are all over the world, playing with children of different lands. Language
is no barrier and children-well, childhood is their bond. They are often
arrayed in bits of Army clothing and Mother's high heels. He is the general
with the stripe on his sleeve and she is the angel of mercy striking pins in
her dolls. To create an Army brat, God combined the courage of a soldier,
the love of a mother, and the faith of a child. To this he added the humor
of a puppy, the refreshment of a breeze and the cussedness of the first sergeant.
But in life's low moments when Mommy's back is aching from unpacking boxes,
who is the dirty faced angel who sets the example with a grin? Well you've guessed
it by now, that ARMY BRAT of course!
GOD BLESS THEM ALL
-Robert D. Lee
Frankfort, Germany