A Serviceman’s Wife
A serviceman’s wife is mostly a girl. But there are times, such as when her husband is away and she is mowing the lawn or fixing a flat tire on a youngster’s bike, that she begins to suspect that she is also a boy.
She usually comes in three sizes: petite, plump or pregnant. During the first years of her marriage it is often hard to determine which size is her normal one.
She has babies all over the world and measures time in terms of places as other women do in years.
It was in Goose Bay that we all had the mumps..... In Germany, Dan was promoted....
Bill was born in Comox...
At least one of the babies was born or a move was accomplished while she was alone.
This causes her to suspect a secret pact between her husband and the CF providing for a man to be overseas or on temporary duty at times such as these.
A serviceman’s wife is international. She may be a prairie farm girl, an Indian princess, a French mademoiselle or a Maritime nurse. When discussing forces problems, they all speak the same language.
She can be a great actress. To the heartbroken children at posting time, she gives an Academy Award Performance: "Alberta is going to be such fun. I heard they have Indian reserves.... and gophers.... and more gophers..." But her heart is breaking with theirs. She wonders if the forces is worth the sacrifice.
An ideal serviceman’s wife has the patience of an angel, the flexibility of putty, the wisdom of Solomon and the stamina of a horse.
She dislikes money, it helps.
She is sentimental, carrying her memories with her in a old barrack box.
She often cries at parades without knowing why!
She is a dreamer when she vows: "We’ll never move again."
An optimist:" The next place will be better."
One may says she is married to a bigamist sharing her husband with a demanding entity called "duty". When duty calls, she becomes No 2 wife. Until she accepts this fact, her life can be miserable.
She is above all, a woman who married a serviceman who offered her the permanency of a gypsy, the miseries of her loneliness, the frustration of conformity and the security of love.
Sitting among her packing boxes with squabbling children nearby, she is sometimes willing to chuck it all... until she hears the firm steps and cheerful voice of that lug who gave her all of this. Than she is happy to be a serviceman’s wife.
This anonymous article was submitted by Eleanor Bernier taken from Der Kanadier October 1992
It originated in the CFB Chilliwack Mountaineer in 1976 and again in the CFB Montreal Parapet in the early 80's