Pride, sacrifice and freedom

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BEECH CREEK - To many, the Fourth of July means fireworks, hot dogs, hamburgers, swimming and other outdoor activities.

But one high-ranking Army officer originally from this area says Independence Day represents the freedoms we enjoy as Americans, and should conjure memories of those who fight and die every day to keep us free.

For this Independence Day holiday, Army Maj. Terry Nihart is spending some time with his family at his parents' house in Beech Creek, and preparing for a job in the Pentagon, helping to oversee the Army's security operations.

"People are proud to be Americans, and it's probably the only day of the year when people think about what it means to be free," he said. "I've gotten to see other countries that don't have the rights and the freedoms we have, and unless you see that, you're not going to truly appreciate or understand how good we have it."

That sense of freedom, he said, was reinforced during his year-long stint in Iraq, where they "live in fear every day."

"We have all these things that other people don't have. That's what makes America so great," Nihart said. "If it wasn't so great, why does everybody- even from advanced countries - want to come live here? Because everybody wants what America has... There are those of us who ensure we maintain that right and we take pride in doing that so everybody doesn't have to."

He said the public's response to those in the military has been overwhelming, especially in this community.

"It never fails that every time I'm home here in Pennsylvania, everywhere I go people want to talk to me about what's going on, and to say thanks," he said. "Then to drive around downtown Lock Haven and to see those banners of veterans who are from the area ... it gives me a sense of pride.

"I like to tell people that I come from a town that is very patriotic and I come from an area that has that small-town feel and is family-oriented. I'm proud of that," Nihart continued. "I like to feel where I come from is what America is all about... To come from this area and to have the support from the people here gives me a sense of pride that I can't describe. There's no other job that would give me that sense of pride."

The road to the military's headquarters in Arlington, Va., has been a long and storied one for the 14-year veteran, with stops in Iraq, Panama and Fort Leavenworth, Kan., among many other places.

Now, he is going to work later this month in The Pentagon's Office of Army Operations, Plans and Policy, helping to develop strategy, plans, and current and future operations of the Army.

"Basically, running the Army," said Nihart, who hopes to find out later this month if he will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

He plans on working in The Pentagon for two years: The first year in the Provost Marshal General's Office, the Army's highest Military Police office. After that stint, Terry hopes to be assigned as a battalion commander.

"The biggest benefit to this job is I know I'll come home every night and (have) the weekends to my family," Nihart said. "I've always been the guy executing the plans on the ground level, now I'll be the guy developing those plans for a couple of years."

Nihart, a 1990 graduate of the former Bald Eagle-Nittany High School, graduated from Lock Haven University's ROTC program in December 1994 and promptly went to Fort McClellan, Ala., in the Military Police program before becoming a platoon leader at Fort. Lewis, Wash., and being deployed to Panama for Operation Sustain Liberty to help with law enforcement and security in that country.

Other stops included Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and Ft. Bragg, N.C., before he and his company were assigned to The Pentagon for eight months to help with security after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

"At that time, the big fear was follow-up attempts, because that was the motive of Osama bin Laden to finish what he started... the World Trade Center is a prime example of that," he said.

It was during that job when Terry, now 36, met his wife, Vivan, who was an Army Mortuary Affairs specialist, helping to process the remains and personal effects of the over 180 people killed in the attack.

Terry was then selected as one of a select few of the over 3,000 Military Police personnel to be accepted for advanced civil schooling, paid for by the Army, at the Universi-ty of South Florida, Tampa, Fla., where he received a master's degree in criminology.

Terry and his family then moved to Fort Campbell, Ky., where he was a training and executive officer in the Criminal Investigative Division, which deals with "high-profile crimes" from "extremely high ranking officers."

"It was a pretty eye-opening experience to deal with that level of crime," he said. "It was murderers, rapists and drug dealers."

Terry was promoted one year early to his current rank of major before going to the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., for about nine months, where he was in charge of developing the prison's execution procedures.

"I worked with the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Terre Haute, Ind., and the surgeon general and judge advocate general... to help Fort Leavenworth work out a plan to execute inmates if necessary.

"That is still the hardest job, the most mentally-demanding and family-straining job that I've had since being in the Army," he said, noting his daughter Taisha was 3 and that Vivan was pregnant at the time with their second daughter, Tiara, now 3.

"I was often the president of the Parole and Clemency Board and had to sit close to convicted child sex offenders trying to explain to me why they think they should be let out of prison early. Then I would have to go out and look at my wife and children... It was really hard for me."

Terry then left to go to Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth before becoming a training officer for a battalion in Hawaii, and later being deployed in November 2007 to a 15-month tour in Iraq with the 728th Military Police Battalion.

"We were in charge of training the Iraqi police north of Baghdad, which is about the size of Pennsylvania," Terry said. "In addition to being second in command, I was also in charge of all the maintenance, personnel and administrative duties."

Terry said he was scared while he was over there, but noted the threats diminished significantly during his stay.

"It was a direct result of our training of the Iraqi police and the Sons of Iraq, which was a non-paid police force," he said. "It was hard being away from my wife and my children."

Vivan said the first six months of her husband's tour was the "worst time of my life," but was able to pull through with the support of family and friends at her base in Hawaii.

"It was hard for the three of us. I missed him like crazy, but they realized their dad was coming back," she said.

Terry noted he was one of a group of about 15 soldiers who were able to buy a Web cam and a satellite dish for Internet service to allow them to keep in touch with their families on a nearly daily basis.

"It was pretty brief, maybe five minutes here, a couple minutes there, but it was just enough to see your family and get that piece of mind before going out on a mission," he said.

Terry's tour, however, ended after only 12 months after Vivan, 33, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

"This was probably the hardest time of my life, to see your wife and mother of your children have a disease you have no control over and we have no idea where it came from," Terry said.

Vivan said she has responded well to surgery and therapy and will go back for a check up next month.

"I'll either go back for more therapy or it will be gone," she said.

At the same time as Vivan's cancer scare, Tiara also had surgery to her eyes, which were misaligned.

Terry said he is taking the month-long leave to spend the first extended vacation in years with his father and mother, Richard and Darla Nihart.

"I'm proud of him. Any young man or woman to go to war to protect us... I'm very proud of him" Darla said, noting her father Roy Young Sr. was a World War II veteran and brother Roy Young Jr. served in Vietnam.

Richard also has a military background with step-father Walter Dullen serving in the Korean War.

"I'm very proud of him," Richard said, noting he and his wife have seen many parts of the world visiting Terry at all of his assignments, except for Panama and Iraq.

Terry said he believes the sacrifices are greater for those at home.

"These guys have it a lot worse. The thought of not knowing what's happening to your child or your spouse or mom or dad... You're living your life wondering... Not knowing is always worse than knowing."

Terry will leave Monday to spend a few weeks with his wife's family in Puerto Rico before starting his job at The Pentagon.