Let’s face it, times have changed, especially in the Navy Spouse ranks. And it’s easy to see the changes when flips through an ancient copy of Welcome Aboard—A Service Manual for the Naval Officer’s Wife by Florence Ridgely Johnson (an Admiral’s wife, so she knows of what she speaks.) Published in 1951, it gives a great perspective on what spouse life was like back in the day when the Navy’s unofficial motto was, “If we wanted sailors to have a wife we’d have issued them one in their sea bag.” Some of the stuff is absolutely hysterical and horrifying at the same time. Here are some excerpts, followed by a few editorial comments about Navy Spouses life in 2012. Enjoy!
