I’ve been a military spouse for almost two years, and I dated my airman for four years before that. I like to think our time dating was a great jump-start into figuring out this lifestyle, but when we got married everything about the military was like diving headfirst into cold water.
In other words: it was a giant wake-up call that I really didn’t know anything about how the military works. Here I am, almost a two-year-old military spouse and I’m still finding things that surprise me! Take, for example, my shock at a military-wide protocol I never knew existed.
Soon after my husband and I arrived to our new OCONUS location, we decided to see a movie since the base theater was just around the corner from our TLF. We got to the movie, picked our seats, and started chatting before the movie started. I noticed an array of people coming in for the flick and marveled at the dozen teenagers who sat in the first two rows. I thought it was wonderful that they had something relatively fun to do on a random Thursday night. In America they could be out anywhere, doing just about anything, but here, they’re all hanging out and seeing a movie together. While I’m sure seeing a movie on base wasn’t their first choice, it was still nice to see.
But I digress. We were people watching and talking, when all of a sudden familiar music started playing. Within milliseconds, the chattering stopped and everyone stood straight up with hands over their hearts. Every person in the theater moved in sync, almost like trained robots. I, not entirely sure what was going on, fumbled to stand up, looked around, and quickly mimicked everyone else in the theater.
And just like that—BAM—the military threw me for another loop.
Of course I know it’s respectful to stand up for the National Anthem, but that was one of the last places I thought I’d hear that familiar tune. A baseball game? Absolutely! But at a movie theater? Now that’s a whole new ball game for me. The thing that surprised me the most was that for everyone else, it was completely normal and even expected to hear it before the movie began.
After we sat down I asked my husband what just happened. He responded by looking at me like I was from another planet and then said, “We stood for the National Anthem…duh.” This was clearly not a surprise for him and he later told me he was sorry for not warning me, but he thought I knew. I didn’t know, and now I’m wondering how many more quirky surprises I’ll discover in the future. Luckily, the next time we saw a movie on base I was more than prepared—and even a little bit excited—to stand for the anthem.
Do you remember the first time the military threw you for a loop with something out of the ordinary?
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Now is the time for me to tell you about the Moose Film. At Lewis-McChord since, well, the beginning of time as far as I know, they've been doing the national anthem in the theater while showing a "patriotic" montage on the screen. Clearly filmed in the 1970s, it showed pictures of a flag, baseball players no one remembers, sea to shining sea, mountain ranges, more sports (because hello sports are super patriotic) and…. then, out of nowhere, a giant moose. It was random. And so surprising that I snorted really and started laughing. I'm sure everyone was looking at me. But it was a moose! And it was really, really funny.
Maybe you had to be there. Best part of most movies though, I tell you, was that moose.
And then they remodeled the theater. And then they made a new montage that actually made me cry with it's emotional awesomeness and true patriotic feelings. And then going to the movies was not nearly as funny as it had been.
I am right there with you. I am a fairly new Air Force wife (married this past March) and had the exact thing happen to me, we went to see movie at our base (Cannon AFB :)) and my husband didn’t warn me alot the national anthem either. Yesterday I went to Commanders call with him and was shocked and digitized all over again, you should try going to one of those if you can.very interesting :) happy tuesday to you
This is one of the great parts of going to a base theater. A nice pause in life and a moment of unifying the community.
The first time the military (Army) threw me for a loop was relatively recently, actually. We PCS'd back to the States from Germany and I happened to be on-post getting groceries near around the 5pm mark. Now, I knew that at 5pm, the Anthem is played over loud speakers and that soldiers stood at attention facing the nearest flag. What I didn't expect was what happened. It had started to rain quite hard when I left the Commissary and I was driving on the road to the gates when I heard the starting strains of the Anthem. The car in front of me pulled over and stopped. The driver – a soldier – got out of his car, turned toward the Command building and stood at attention. I stopped. Looked in my rear view and behind me, every car pulled over. Civilians and soldiers alike all stepping out into the pouring rain. And so did I. I can't tell you the intense feeling of pride and patriotism I felt standing in the rain, hand over my heart, alongside every other civilian and soldier on that road, all of us next to our cars.
Your post jogged a memory of when I was 12 or 13 years old (I'm 56 now). I had a friend whose father was in the Air Force and she and I went to see a movie at our local base. Just before the movie started, they played the National Anthem. I had no idea that they were going to do that, since it was my first time at a base theater. Everyone one stood up and put their hands over their hearts. It moved me to tears. Thank you for reminding me of such a wonderful memory! (I wish that civilian theaters did it! )
You know. Having grown up as a USAF brat and seen many movies at the base theater, I would take paying $1.00 (50 cents when I was a kid in the 70s) for admission and standing for the National Anthem over paying $12 for admission and sitting through 30 minutes of commercials at most multiplexes. I don't mind the movie previews because the base theater at Andersen AFB used to show them and of course, what USAF brat wasn't excited to see a upcoming preview for "The Empire Strikes Back" or "Jaws 2"? But commercials???? I can get that on TV. Personally, I wish movie theaters would do that too. If I had the money to open my own independent theater, I'd certainly would play the National Anthem before the movie.
I haven't seen a movie at a base theater in many years. I do miss seeing the montage of fighter jets, bombers and USAF flight crews during the playing of the National Anthem.
Hello…I am not in the military nor am I married to a man who is in our military however, I do follow Jessica's blog which lead me to this page.
May I just say WOW!
And…
May I just say that this should be what everyone does – everywhere we go.
We are blessed to live in (and under if serving out of the country) the land of the free..we should all live that way in our day to day live.
Bless you all as you serve and stand beside those who are serving our country.
Jenny G.
Ah yes, the base theater. Cheap entertainment and cheap concessions. Some of the greatest memories of my childhood as an Air Force brat were at the base theater. First movie I recall seeing at the base theater was at Eglin AFB (I think) seeing "Jaws." My dad was assigned to go through Water Survival school there and I remember asking him if he met "Jaws" while he was training. He told me no because Sheriff Brody killed the shark at the end of the movie. Anyway, I was too scared to go to the beach for three weeks after seeing that movie.
When we were stationed at Andersen AFB in Guam, we had a cool outdoor movie theater and my little league coach also managed the theater with his wife. When we beat the team from Naval Station Guam, he paid for all of the kids on the team to see "Superman: The Movie" at the base theater and paid for our popcorn and drinks too. Since entertainment and food off base was pretty pricey, nights at the base theater were a nice treat for those of us who lived on base. The Saturday afternoon kid's matinees were cool too with a cheesy Disney movie or other kids flicks.
Standing for the National Anthem was no big deal. We just did it or we caught holy you know what from our parents if we didn't. Besides, you getting to see movies for cheap anyway. It was 50 cents for kids when I was a kid.