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Photo courtesy Lucas Tomlinson |
But only one of you, so far as I know, contacted me from Afghanistan.
Here's an email I received from loyal reader Lucas Tomlinson. (As you can tell by the reference to the Braves series, it's a week old.)...
Mark,
Love your work.
I am operating out of a Patrol Base in the Zhari desert of Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan.
Despite being in the middle of nowhere, we have a nice wireless connection which keeps me glued to your blog. I was like, "What happened? Zuckerman go subscription on me?" I was back on the next day without missing a beat.
Hope you enjoy the photo of a Nationals hat I put on a young Afghan boy and one of my team having tea with some locals.
All the best from Afghanistan. Keep up the great work. Wish we could have swept those Braves!
Lucas
Whenever I hear from readers who access Nats Insider from every corner of the globe (we're now up to 157 countries who have visited the site since it first launched) I'm both astounded and humbled. And when I hear from a reader stationed in Afghanistan, using this blog as one means of staying connected to his life back home in Washington ... well, how cool is that?
I checked back with Lucas to get permission to share his email and photos with all of you, and he couldn't have been happier to oblige. I hope you'll all join me in thanking him for his service, thanking him for keeping NatsTown alive on the other side of the world and -- most importantly -- wishing for him to return home safely soon.
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Photo courtesy Lucas Tomlinson Loyal reader Lucas Tomlinson (center) is currently stationed in Afghanistan. |
36 comments:
Lucas...thank you and your fellow service men and women for your continual service to our country. Please be safe and come home soon.
Lucas,
Thank you for your service and sacrifice for our country. I think I speak for NatsTown and the U.S. when I say we're proud of the work you and you're team are doing over there. Please come home safe, and I hope you get over to Nats Park soon.
Good luck and God bless.
P.S. Thanks for expanding the Nats fan base while you're over there too! The more the merrier.
Go Nats! hoooaaah!
Great photo of the kid Lucas. Glad you can be part of the group from Afghanistan. Do not worry Mark going subscription on you, we got your back there.
Stay safe, and if your faimly needs anything, just let us know.
Lucas, we honor you for your service! Keep your head down, do your job and come home safely. Good to see the curly W making inroads in the unlikeliest of places :)
Thank you Mark for sharing and the opportunity to communicate with Lucas.
Lucas,
Thank you for all you do and your service to our country. May God bless you, protect you and send you home safe.
All the best Lucas.
GO NATS!
After a week during which we whined excessively over a game -- it's all about perspective.
What a great posting. Thank you both.
And thanks to the bloggers, who help make this my most viewed site.
Thank you for all you do, Lucas. Hope you come back soon (not intended to be a political statement!) and enjoy a couple of Nationals games. By the way, we need to find a way to send unsold jerseys and hats to Afghanistan. I'd love to see thousands of people wear Vidro and Wilkerson t-shirts...
Thank You, Lucas, and God bless you and your fellow service members, as well as your families!!
Very touching! Lucas thank you for your service. Love my fellow Nats fans!!!
Lucas... tell the Afghan kid if he sees a strange man on a Segway, with yellow hair and bloodshot eyes, offering "bonus money," run!
Hey Lucas,
More than the Nats winning, we want you and your platoon to win!
Hope you get back safe and sound.
Thanks for your message Lucas, you made my day.
Lucas, we are grateful for what you and your team do for all of us back home and look forward to your return. Perhaps MZ can arrange with the nats to have you throw out the first pitch in a game upon your arrival back in the states!! JTinSC
Lucas,
Thank you for your service. Get back safely!
Love it! Glad you graced us with this wonderful story!
Lucas
Thanks for this story, photos and mostly your service. Stay safe.
Mark,
It is really nice for us DC ex-pats to be able to log on site and read about the Nationals. Where I am, we only get Premier League soccer, cricket and rugby. I check in at least three times a day and feel right at home.
Asante
Where's the "like" button? Great post, Mark!
And thank you for spreading the cult (and hats) of the curly-W world-wide!
Lucas,
Do you think that the little fellow in the curly W hat can play CF?
Maybe we could give him a tryout??
Lucas, great story and a here's hoping you get home soon...a cold one is waiting for you at the Red Porch
God bless you my friend and many thanks for your service. Be safe and here's to hoping for your return soon. Go Nats!
Hey Lucas. Be safe and careful over there (even though it appears you are an Army guy)
USAF MSgt Ret.
Lucas,
You're not the Neg-Anon are you?
Just kidding...
Thanks for serving! You're now added to my prayer list!
Lucas - My young son and I thank you for you service to our country. Please tell all the other guys thanks as well. We think of you guys often. Now that your pic is posted, I'll keep an eye out for you at Nats Park - if we see you, you'll get free beers and Ben's Chili Bowl from this Nats Fan!!
Lucas -- Thank you to you and all the other soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and civilian (especially our intel guys) over there and worldwide for your sacrifice and dedication.
Get home safely! Beers and dogs on us!
Thank you!
Lucas, thank you so much for your service, and thanks to Mark for posting this. Stay safe and hope to see you throwing out the first pitch (and hoisting a cold one) at Nats Park one day!
In the mean time, as others have noted, maybe we could arrange a supply route to get you something you may be in need of or missing. Take care!
Lucas,
With much gratitude, thank you for your service. Let us know when you are safely back. I've got two tickets to a Nats game for you and I suspect Mark would help pass them along.
God bless.
You rock, dude!
Lucas - Repeating what many here have said, but is true for each of us. You and your fellow soldiers are heroes to us. Words don't adequately relay our appreciation. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Lucas,
Thank you and your buddies for your service. Stay safe. And as others have said, you let us know when you are back and going to your first Nats game after this tour and I'll be there! I have to at least buy you a couple beers and dogs or anything else you want!
Mark,
Thank you for sharing. My son is studying abroad in Wellington, New Zealand and checks this blog often. So we know you have fans around the world!
Gary, Bowie, MD and Jack, Wellington, NZ
OK, I work with Lucas' brother and he sends me a link to this blog, I look at the picture without reading the post and I say, "Wow, this guy looks just like YOU." LOL. PLEASE STAY SAFE!
Lucas, I join all my NI brethren and sisters in thanking you and your compatriots for service to our country. You are the genuine heroes. Thanks for holding the fort for all of us. Come home quickly and safely. No chance the little kid in the Nats cap can play first base, is there? Best,
Hey Lucas, I was thinking about this as I was riding my motorcycle into work today (Dulles Airport Area to DC) passing Nats Park, past the monuments, etc.....Please share with your team....
I really love being able to Ride into work every morning. What a great country we live in! Those in the Military sacrifice so much for such little freedoms like that.
Thank you for Serving.
I hope you and your team can make it in for a game soon.
Thanks, Lucas! Many, many if us think of you guys everyday, and count you among our blessings.
Great post! ;)
Stay safe, Lucas.
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