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“What is obvious is not always known, and what is known is not always present.”— Samuel Johnson (1755)

Jump right in — history waits for no one.

Homefront Archives: Behind the Uniform explores the evolution of military spouse life as an integral part of American military history — revealing how families, partners, and homefronts shaped military outcomes from the 18th through 21st centuries.

What Is Obvious Is Not Always Known: Rethinking Military History’s Hidden Front

Military history often marches forward with tales of strategy, valor, and battlefield heroism—but what about the voices left behind? “Military History’s Hidden Front” (my favorite quote) explores the unseen contributions of individuals who sustained and even fought alongside soldiers, only to be overlooked in the official record. Their stories challenge us to rethink what is remembered, and more importantly, what is forgotten.

Welcome

Warning: this might provoke strong opinions and trigger an immediate urge to share a quote or conversation with someone.

My Library: My Bookshelf

Where sass meets source material. Welcome to my military library bookshelf—a curated collection of gritty memoirs, overlooked histories, and the stories traditional textbooks forgot. From bourbon-stained war journals to deep-dive academic works, this is where service, sacrifice, and sharp commentary collide. If you're looking for truth with bite, perspective with heart, and a few footnotes that hit like gut punches—you’re in the right place.

Welcome

This selfie marks the moment it all began

Welcome to My Life After the Military

After 25+ years of global moves, deployments, and duct-taped boxes labeled “Misc,” I finally unpacked—not just the stuff, but the stories. My military life has been shaped by resilience, laughter, and the quiet strength of those who serve and stand beside the uniform. From my time in the U.S. Air Force to life as a military spouse and now as a curator of military history, this is my space to explore the grit, grace, and unforgettable moments in military history that deserve t

Welcome

How a military wife turned the Revolutionary War upside down — with a pen, a plan, and a whole lot of linen.

Esther De Berdt Reed: The Revolutionary Woman Who Didn’t Wait for Permission

Esther de Berdt Reed wasn’t just a military wife—she was a Revolutionary force. After fleeing British-occupied Philadelphia as a refugee, she returned determined to act. Her bold broadside, The Sentiments of an American Woman, launched an 18th-century fundraising movement that equipped soldiers and inspired women across the colonies. Her story proves women helped shape America’s Revolution.

American Revolution

Sentiments of an American Woman: Revolutionary Wives and the Birth of Political Organizing

Before they had the right to vote, Revolutionary wives were organizing, protesting, and redefining patriotism—one spinning wheel and tea boycott at a time.

American Revolution

Part II: A Revolution Within a Revolution — Women, War, and the Birth of the Military Wife

As men marched to war, women redefined what it meant to fight for freedom. From camp followers to civic leaders, military wives held the Revolution together—proving that liberty was forged not only on the battlefield, but in the resilience of those who stayed beside them.

American History

About Mel

Homefront Archives: Behind the Uniform

~The Homefront as America’s Unseen Campaign~

For every battle fought abroad, another unfolded quietly at home.

Homefront Archives: Behind the Uniform explores the home front as its own theater of war — revealing how military spouses and families have shaped, sustained, and endured America’s conflicts from the Revolution to the present day.

Through letters, diaries, and archival records, this project uncovers the logistical, emotional, and cultural frameworks that made military life possible. From the camp followers at Valley Forge to modern spouses navigating deployments, these stories show that the home front has always been a vital part of the armed forces — and of military history itself.

Created by Melissa, a military historian, museum curator, and military spouse of 26 years, Homefront Archives bridges scholarship and storytelling to bring military spouses into the analytical framework of the military’s own history — of organization, morale, and readiness — where they’ve too often been overlooked.

Because military history is also family history.

Discover the stories behind the uniform.