Military brats are veterans at coping

Military brats are veterans at coping
By BJ Gallagher, Special to Stars and Stripes

On this Veterans Day all across the country, patriotic music is being played, speeches are being given, flowers and flags festoon military graves, and we pause to honor those who have served their country so valiantly. But there are others who have also served bravely — the children of soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines. We call them “military brats” — they are the children of warriors.

There are millions of military brats today — from the tiniest tykes whose dads and moms are serving overseas in Iraq or other hot spots (as well as at military bases in the States) to middle-aged baby boomers whose dads (and a few moms in those days) fought in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. These military brats were drafted at birth — they had no choice about whether they wanted to live a military lifestyle. And they, like their warrior fathers and mothers, have paid an enormous price to protect the freedoms and privileges that most of us take for granted.

I am one of those military brats. I was born in Orange, Calif., and my mom and I sailed to Japan when I was 9 months old to join my dad, who was fighting overseas. I didn’t see U.S. soil again until I was almost 3.

I spent my formative years moving from base to base — from Texas to Montana, from California to Virginia, from Germany to Illinois, from Dover, Del., to Puerto Rico. I was at home nowhere — and I was at home everywhere. I learned to make friends quickly, because I knew I would lose them quickly. We were like traveling gypsies, moving from place to place, packing and unpacking — only to do it all over again six months or two years later.

Such a lifestyle has its advantages, of course. I was able to see the world, live in Europe, learn a foreign language at an early age, taste exotic foods and see interesting places that many people only dream of. I had exciting adventures and enjoyed wonderful experiences — all courtesy of the U.S. government.

But there was a price I paid, too — like all military brats. Loneliness, wrenching departures from beloved friends, having to change school umpteen times, and sometimes living in places I didn’t like.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=50196

and if I may say, they turned out very diverse and able to cope with many different experiences and all very liberal. :-)