Mrs. Lieutenant: A Women's Friendship Novel by Phyllis Zimbler Miller

Author:Phyllis Zimbler Miller [Miller, Phyllis Zimbler]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Jewish fiction, women's friendship, historical fiction, army wives, military spouses, military fiction, military wives
Publisher: Miller Mosaic, LLC
Published: 2014-01-12T05:00:00+00:00

Senate Foreign Relations Committee

chairman William Fulbright

issues staff report denying

enemy was massing for strike

from Cambodia into Vietnam as

President Nixon charged …

May 21, 1970

SHARON — IX — June 9

“The thoughtful wife will keep a record of courtesies extended to her and her husband and make some kind of repayment.” Mrs. Lieutenant booklet

The sun slants across their backs as Sharon and Kim settle down for another afternoon by the pool at the Country Club. Since Memorial Day they have taken advantage of the open pool each afternoon. Sharon now sports a beautiful tan although Kim's skin remains pale thanks to the generous slathering of suntan oil.

Sharon looks around the pool at the other women and some men. How many of them truly want to be here and how many simply accept army service as a temporary way station on their life's journey?

Sharon flashes on what she learned when last Friday night she and Robert attended the post's religious services for Jewish personnel. She and Robert had arrived a few minutes late at the army chapel, a frame building whose interior barrenness trumpeted its use for the services of different denominations. The Friday night service to greet the start of Shabbat — the Jewish Sabbath — had already begun.

"They obviously start on military time, not Jewish time," Robert said.

They took two small prayer books from a stack of books — "Look, Robert, an official army Jewish prayer book." On his head Robert placed one of the provided black satin yarmulkes.

"I'm the only woman here," Sharon whispered to Robert as they sat down.

Sharon had a decent Jewish religion background. She attended Sunday School from kindergarten age, started Hebrew School in third grade, had a Bat Mitzvah at age 13 (a Friday night chanting of the week's Haftorah followed by an Oneg Shabbat dessert kiddish; not the Saturday morning Torah reading service followed by a sit-down luncheon that her brother had), and continued religious school education through Confirmation in 10th grade. She could read along in the Hebrew although she couldn't translate what she read.

During the brief army Friday night service, shorter than the Friday night service to which Sharon was accustomed, all but the most important prayers were recited in English rather than Hebrew. Most of the men wore fatigues and their olive drab uniform "baseball caps." A few wore suntans and their uniform green garrison caps. Robert was the only one in civilian clothes and the satin yarmulke.

The Jewish army chaplain, a young rabbi in suntans with a blue-and-white crocheted yarmulke on his head, said a few words on the Bible portion of the week. At the conclusion of the service he invited everyone into the social hall for cookies and soda pop.

The chaplain came up to them. "I'm Chaplain Daniel Levin." Robert shook his hand while Sharon smiled. "Lieutenant Robert Gold and my wife Sharon."

"Welcome," Chaplain Levin said. "Please join us for refreshments."

The chaplain turned towards the social hall. Sharon touched his arm. "Excuse me, but why are there no women here?"

"You mean why aren't there any wives?" He smiled.

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