They Don’t Wear the Uniform—But They Serve Too: The Enduring Strength of Military Children

Military children live a life shaped by movement, sacrifice, and resilience. They pack up their rooms with little warning, say goodbye to new friends too often, and adapt to unfamiliar schools in distant cities or foreign countries. They grow up learning how to navigate uncertainty—and they do it with a strength beyond their years.

They are the quiet heroes who wave bravely at deployment ceremonies and know the ache of an empty chair at birthdays, holidays, and graduations. They celebrate milestones with one parent watching through a video call, or sometimes not at all. These children learn to carry the weight of service in a unique and powerful way. They don’t wear the uniform—but they serve, too.

One such child was Jane Hoelscher, who grew up in Michigan during the height of the Vietnam War. Her father, Robert Harrison, served in Vietnam from 1965 to 1966. When he returned, he wasn’t welcomed as a hero—he was met with hostility. Jane remembers a fifth-grade teacher calling her father a "baby killer" in class, and protestors spitting on him at the airport. Her family endured the stigma that many Vietnam veterans and their loved ones quietly carried.

In a particularly traumatic moment, two Army officers mistakenly arrived at their home to deliver a death notice, believing her father had died in Vietnam. In reality, he was at work at the local steel mill. The emotional damage of that false notification stayed with her family for years.

But Jane didn’t let the pain harden her. She followed her father’s example and joined the U.S. Army in 1975. She served honorably until 1981, rising to the rank of sergeant. Later, she turned her focus to education, teaching for more than 30 years—including time as a Department of Defense teacher in Germany, where she witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Jane’s story is not just one of service—it’s a story of generational endurance. She exemplifies what it means to be a military child who not only survives the weight of war at home but chooses to serve in her own right.

This Month of the Military Child, we remember all the Janes out there—those who have moved 10 times before high school, who hold folded flags close to their hearts, and who quietly carry the burdens and pride of military life.