RAYTOWN, Mo.- As they got their four month old son ready for church, LaTeasha and Willie Van Housen reminisced about Father's Day one year ago. That's when LaTeasha called from Germany, where she was stationed, and wished Willie a Happy Father's Day. He soon realized they were expected a baby.
"That's a father's day he'll never forget. That was a shocker," laughed La Teasha.
The two are in the Army National Guard. LaTeasha is stationed in Kansas City, while Willie is stationed out of Fort Leonard Wood and returned from Iraq last May. The day LaTeasha was supposed to be deployed from Germany to Kosovo, she learned she was pregnant. Her deployment would have to wait.
Until that point, their deployments would have separated the couple for the next two years. It was the impending birth of their son that brought them back together. Now Willie is determined to make the most out of being a dad.
"We're getting to do all the first things together as our first year together," said Willie.
He was there for the birth and he's been there for the first diaper change and Alex's first ride in the stroller. LaTeasha is grateful that Willie has been there to help her out. They both work full time but try and spend as much time as they can with Alex and don't take a moment for granted. That's because at any time either one could be called up for deployment.
"Every opportunity that we get, we like to give it to him, because at any given point we could be gone from anywhere from ten months to 15 months," said Willie.
LaTeasha knows it will be difficult to leave her son behind but what puts her mind at ease would be knowing that Alex will be left in the capable hands of her husband. That is unless he is called up to duty. Willie has been in the Army National Guard for 8 years. La Teasha has been in the guard for three years. The two met at a local armory.
