From Dependents to Interdependence: the Army Wife Ideal and the Making of Army Family Policy, 1942-1983
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FROM DEPENDENTS TO INTERDEPENDENCE: THE ARMY WIFE IDEAL AND THE MAKING OF ARMY FAMILY POLICY, 1942-1983 BY © 2016 MARY A. MCMURRAY Submitted to the graduate degree program in History and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. ________________________________ Chairperson Kim Warren ________________________________ Beth Bailey ________________________________ Miriam Forman-Brunell ________________________________ Brent Metz ________________________________ Ann Schofield Date Defended: December 9, 2016 ii The Dissertation Committee for MARY A. MCMURRAY certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: FROM DEPENDENTS TO INTERDEPENDENCE: THE ARMY WIFE IDEAL AND THE MAKING OF ARMY FAMILY POLICY, 1942-1983 ________________________________ Chairperson Kim Warren Date approved: December 9, 2016 iii Abstract This dissertation examines the cultural concept of the Army wife ideal as it appeared and was negotiated in prescriptive literature, periodicals, and lived experiences from 1942 to 1983. Codified in response to the massive influx of married soldiers entering the Army during WWII, the historically-rooted Army officer’s wife ideal provided a platform for the Army to shape the millions of brides into what military leaders needed for success—devoted morale boosters dedicated to the Army and its mission. In codifying the ideal and altering it after the war to engage soldiers’ wives as advocates for the Army and its mission, purveyors of the ideal also created a platform for wives to shape the Army into what they needed to meet the unique demands associated with life married to service. Actual Army wives, as individuals and as part of national advocacy organizations, modeled the foundational elements of the ideal while simultaneously challenging the Army, Department of Defense, jurists, and national leaders to help them address the realities they faced married to the Army. Their efforts made it clear that the strength of the Army was closely tied to the strength of the Army family. Those who engaged in defining and shaping the meaning and responsibilities of Army wives (and, more broadly, military wives) shaped U.S. Army family policy and transformed the Army from an institution that viewed families as merely dependents to one that embraced them as interdependent partners. iv Dedication To my maternal grandfather, Charles Garland Burns, who sparked my love of history, and who took me to his World War II Army reunion where the idea for this dissertation began. And to the wives of the Lucky Seventh, including my maternal grandmother, Mildred Ansardi Burns, who inspired and informed this study. v Acknowledgments It is fitting that a trip with my maternal grandfather inspired this study of Army wives. All of my life, my grandpa wove stories of the Great Depression and World War II into our time together. A map of the route he and other members of the 7th Armored Division fought through Europe during World War II hung in his office, and copies of books about the war lined a wall of shelves in his den. Each year, he and my grandmother attended reunions of the Lucky Seventh. In 2002, after my grandmother had passed, my grandpa took me with him to Lucky Seventh’s reunion in San Antonio, Texas. While there, I heard stories from the wives of those who had served alongside my grandpa and began to wonder how they knew what to do and why they seemed to think, as an Army wife later told me, that they had “fought the war together.” I remain eternally grateful to my grandpa for all he did to help me discover and nurture a love of history, and to his beloved wife/my dynamic grandma for always encouraging me (and all of her grandchildren) to “remember who you are.” Thank you, Charlie and Mildred. My paternal grandmother, Peggy Igoe McMurray, also nurtured my love of history. Grandma Peggy could (and would) speak for hours on end about all topics of family, local, national, and international history. I am grateful to her for the example she set for our family, especially the women in it. Because of how much she valued education, it seemed natural to me to want to pursue an advanced degree. Because of her strong will, I learned a sense of determination that served me very well during the process of writing this dissertation. And because her ambitions were so often thwarted by the time in which she lived, I have always felt a responsibility to seize opportunities to have my voice heard and to lead. Thank you. Other family members also delighted me with stories of the past, as well as support for this dissertation. First and foremost, to my dad, William Igoe McMurray, thank you for instilling vi a sense of intellectual curiosity in me from an early age, for always encouraging me to push to see what is beyond the horizon, for the incredible example you set for your daughters, and for every pep talk you ever gave me. Special thanks also for creating the Peggy Igoe McMurray Scholarship to help me when I needed it. Thanks also to my sisters and cousins who feel like siblings (Carie Detter Levar, Maggie McMurray Parisoff, Maureen Maeve McMurray, Betsy Jobes Croom, Molly McMurray Gordon, and Brian William Jobes) for their encouragement, love, and support, as well as the example each of them set in the many ways in which they are uniquely amazing. I am also grateful to my aunt, Meg McMurray, for sharing many stories of our family’s history with me, as well as for her willingness to edit my work. My aunt and uncle, Sandy and Carl Detter, also deserve thanks for their valuable insights, efforts to help me understand the past and the present, unconditional love and support, and for being a source of great comfort to me and those they love. Thanks also to my paternal great grandmother, Anna Marie Igoe. Although I only knew her for a few short years, stories of her life, sacrifices, resilience, love, and strength fortified me while writing this dissertation and inspire me in life. Finally, to the next generation of the McMurray and Burns family—Jaycie, Cal, and Jack Levar; Clair Jobes; Mia and Nylah Parisoff; Ignatius and Graham Gordon; and Henry Hargens—thank you for putting everything into perspective. This work would not have been possible without the support, guidance, example, feedback, and assistance of my dissertation committee. Thank you to Dr. Kim Warren, for her support, keeping me focused on completion, and the many hours she spent on my work. The arc of this study became clear in a class Dr. Ann Schofield taught. I will always appreciate her for pushing me to deepen my analysis of parts of U.S. Lady magazine and for reading and commenting on two versions of the same research paper that helped me understand the direction vii of this dissertation. Dr. Brent Metz and Dr. Beth Bailey’s comments will help me immensely as I work to make this dissertation into a publishable book. Thank you. None of my scholarly work would have been possible without the influence, guidance, support, editing, mentoring, love, and friendship of Dr. Miriam Forman-Brunell. There are not enough words to thank her for all she has done for me as a scholar and as a person. I doubt I would have had the thought or courage to pursue a doctorate in history without her, and I know I would not have been able to get through the program without her. I am eternally grateful that she took me under her wing. A number of other faculty members, students, and staff at the University of Kansas also helped me during my graduate work. During my first two semesters as a graduate student, I had the privilege of serving as a teaching assistant for two of the most phenomenal and effective teachers I have ever seen in a classroom. Thank you to Dr. Leslie Tuttle and Dr. Jonathan Earle for setting an incredible example, mentoring me as a teacher, and supporting me as a friend. Thanks also to Dr. Jeffrey Moran for his helpful feedback and all of the opportunities to laugh while learning, and to Dr. Jenny Weber for making me a better writer and encouraging me throughout the program. Thanks to Dr. Marta Vicente and my classmates in WGSS 801 (Cammie Brennan, Katy Cook, Jenny Guthrie, Mary M’Ba, Bryce Myers, Sho Ogawa, Chris Robinson, Lisa Stockton, Stephanie Stillo, and Sherry Warren) who helped me grapple with feminist theory and prepared me with the tools necessary to more deeply understand the power of discourse, militarization, and marginalization. The wonderful librarians at the University of Kansas, especially Tami Albin, Sara Morris, and Carmen Orth-Alfie, also deserve thanks for providing much-needed assistance on various parts of this study. Kathy Buker at the U.S. Army Combined Arms Research Library helped me viii access the Army Family Oral History Project and went above and beyond in answering any of my requests. Thank you. I am also grateful for the wonderful staff in the History Department, especially Ellen Garber, Amanda Conteras, Ashlee Durkee, and Sandee Kennedy, who provided administrative and personal support to me during my time at KU. Thanks to Bobby Kizer, who helped me learn how to grapple with the stresses of graduate work and life. Thanks also to my students, especially Rachel Alexander and Taylor Hersh, who taught me the most memorable lessons, which I will carry with me forever. Conversations in classes and in between classes helped me understand the big picture and often boosted my spirits. My wonderful officemates—Will Hickox, Lee Kruger, Neil Schomaker, and Jared Taber—provided many moments of levity and much help to me as we negotiated life as graduate students.