PAPERBACK EDITION

How many Marine wives know the answers to these questions?

• When is the Marine Corps Birthday? (That's an easy one!)
• What is the Marine Corps motto? (Piece of cake!)
• What does the Marine Corps emblem symbolize? (Still no problem.)

Now, how about something a little tougher?

• What is the meaning of "leatherneck," "devil dog" and "esprit de corps"?
• What is a hashmark, a hump, a ninety-six, an SRB, SOP and SGLI?
• How about a wooly-pully, wet down and WO? Or pogey bait, PCS, dining in and DITTY?

Some wives may be very familiar with these terms, particularly if they've been married to a Marine for any length of time. However, for many wives, especially those who have just joined the Marine Corps family, these words and phrases may sound like Greek. Understandably so. Marine terminology is, for the most part, a language of its own. Understanding it is not always easy. In fact, sometimes it can be downright difficult.

And so can being a Marine wife. Life in the Corps is a unique and often overwhelming experience for a lot of young wives. There's so much to learn, so much to comprehend, so much to get straight and straighten out. . . . Where is the commissary, exchange, doctor, dentist? What time is 1800? Who is this "IG" person? Why are you ironing your husband's socks? Sometimes the questions are far more important, perhaps even critical in nature. What about housing and child care, deployments and overseas tours, legal assistance, life insurance, a will?

Roses and Thorns: A Handbook for Marine Corps Enlisted Wives was conceived and written in large part by Yvette Sommers, the wife of Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps David W. Sommers, Roses (as it is affectionately called by its author) is the first handbook written specifically with the Marine enlisted wife in mind. Yvette Sommers writes in her introduction: "There have been numerous handbooks written over the years to assist the Marine Corps wife. However, none have been directed specifically toward the Marine Corps enlisted wife. Therefore, I am pleased to tell you that Roses and Thorns is especially for you, the enlisted wife." Mrs. Sommers and her committee (the nucleus of which consisted of Clara Strzelecki, Charlene Pinto, Alicia Kline and Marian Rooney) set out to give the Marine wife all the information she needed to know-the whos, whats, whens, wheres and whys of Marine (wife) life - in a nutshell, at a glance, and at her fingertips.

Roses and Thorns is divided into nine sections, covering a wide range of subjects from history and traditions to military benefits and social etiquette. There's a chapter on "The Basics: Information That's Good to Know," which includes everything from military abbreviations and lingo to grade structure and uniform articles. It even explains how to tell military time. While past manuals for Marine wives have focused mainly on social etiquette and protocol, Yvette Sommers and her committee wanted to paint the "whole" picture, telling a wife everything she wanted or needed to know about life in the Corps and being married to a Marine.

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