The other half of this duo would be ME! I am LaNita and outside of my name being spelled with a capital "N", I am not too particular. I will answer to anything sounding reasonably close to it! I am the Proud Widow of SFC Bryant A. Herlem and the very proud mommy of two adorable fur babies... my Chihuahua Belly-Bud and my Pomeranian Foxie-Jean.
As for my background, I was raised in a small town located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains called Bassett, Virginia. Unlike Deb, I am from "western" Virginia! South-Western to be exact! Bassett is known for its wood furniture and the biggest claim to fame for that area is the Martinsville Speedway. I spent the first 18 years of my life there before moving to the metropolis of Buies Creek, NC as a freshman at Campbell University. After my freshman year, I dropped out and eventually ended up in the office of an army recruiter (the 3rd best decision I ever made in my life). Within a year of going into the army I met Bryant. We literally had a whirlwind romance and were married on January 20, 1990 (that would be the BEST decision I ever made! ;).
Not quite a year after we were married, I received a medical discharge and became a military wife while working at a variety of jobs, usually clerical. Bryant decided to get out in 1992. He served out his IRR with the Virginia National Guard and then joined the Army Reserves. After 5 years, he returned to active duty. In January 1998, we packed up our bags and moved to Fort Hood, TX. Prior to our move, Bry and I were living in separate households, everything but divorced. When he got his orders, he asked me to start over with him and I did (tied for the best decision I ever made). The next 8 years were AMAZING and I could not have asked for anything more... but we'll save those years for the show!
Bryant and his gunner, SGT Jose Gomez, were killed by an IED in Baghdad, Iraq, on April 28, 2006. On that day, my life as I knew it ended with Bryant's. The next morning I woke up to a new reality... life as a military widow. One of the first things I did was what I know Bryant wanted... and on what would have been his 39th birthday, August 6, 2007, I walked across a stage in a cap and gown to receive my Bachelor's Degree in History. Two years later, I received my Master's Degree. I know Bryant is very proud of me. It has been almost 4 long years, most of it shrouded with pain. I have learned harsh lessons, survived more than I believed possible, and (yes) been blessed more than I think I deserve.
After (pretty much) 11 years at Ft. Hood, I moved to Kannapolis, North Carolina and am now building a life for myself here. It is new and exciting, but as all widows know, tinged in sadness and what it might have been. But I continue to put one foot in front of the other.
I look forward to sharing my journey and what it means to me to be a "Real Widow..." with you!
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