Commentary
My Life as an Army Wife
When growing up in the 1950s in rural North Carolina, I never had any association with the military, having never spent time around military bases or having much contact with military people or their families. In early 1963, I had my first real exposure to military life, when I went with my sister to the train station in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to pick up a cousin. There, on the train platform were two sergeants from the 82nd Airborne. They were sharply dressed in their uniforms, keeping a watchful eye out while they performed what was known in those days as “Courtesy Patrol.” The two approached us and we struck up a conversation. One, in particular, caught my eye, he was originally from Germany, and between his accent and the uniform, I was smitten. Over the course of a couple of months, we began dating. One thing led to another, and within a year, we were married. I had no idea what marrying a soldier would be like, what an adventure I was about to experience.
The author's husband in Spring Lake, North Carolina. Courtesy of Elaine Jones
