Tour of duty

Letters from the troops

April 2, 2003
Dear FLW Outdoors:

It’s been over a year since I e-mailed you the picture of me holding up the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League sticker in front of the just-liberated U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. I find myself once again writing to my friends at FLW Outdoors as my unit and fellow service members find themselves in harm’s way, fighting to liberate the Iraqi people from terror.

My unit is full of individuals who love to enjoy the outdoors, especially fishing. Since deploying after the first of the year, I have been downloading articles, tournament results and pictures from FLWOutdoors.com to help them spend a few minutes out on the water with their favorite professional angler. The Web site is a great break and morale booster for the unit and makes the time away from home a little easier to deal with … it’s a welcome and needed connection.

It is very important for the service members overseas to know that we at home are standing behind them every step of the way. That message is very clear when it comes to our friends at Wal-Mart and FLW Outdoors. The FLW Outdoors banner that was signed by all of the professional anglers is presently in a country near Iraq awaiting a resupply flight to my unit. It has been addressed to my friend Kenny Chapman, who has promised a picture once the banner is received. It will be a welcomed reminder of the support from the people at home.

Frank Flack
U.S. Army

April 16, 2003
Dear FLW Outdoors:

When not loading bombs and missiles while fighting the War on Terrorism, EverStart Series co-anglers Tech. Sgt. Robert Sweeney and Tech. Sgt. Larry Harris from the Maryland Air National Guard take time to keep up to date on all FLW Outdoors happenings in FLW Outdoors Magazine. We hope for a June return to the states, as we are scheduled to fish the EverStart Series Northern Division tournament on Lake Erie in August.

We fished our first EverStart Series tournament last year on Thousand Islands (where I cashed a $500 check), and I must say that your operation is top-notch. I’ve fished many different trails, and nothing has come close to your operation. Hats off to FLW Outdoors.
We figured since we were missing the spring fishing season that we would let you know that we are still getting our fix through FLW Outdoors Magazine.

Robert Sweeney
Air National Guard

April 21, 2003
Dear FLW Outdoors:

I am writing to you from my little part of the desert in the Middle East, where I am currently serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I have started this letter a couple of times, and it seems to keep getting interrupted.

First, a big thanks to FLW Outdoors for taking the time and putting forth the effort to have the Wal-Mart FLW Tour pros sign a banner for our unit and send it over here.

The banner is a visual sign of support for the soldiers and airmen I am working with – not only the ones who recognize the pros, but to guys who follow football, hockey, NASCAR and other sports as well. There is a lot of television coverage on the antiwar protest around the world and very little coverage of war supporters. Things like this banner boost the morale of the service members who look at it each day. It’s hard to believe that something so small can mean so much to those away from home, but it does.

Now let’s move on to my favorite subject, fishing. I would like to be sending a fishing report to you from Lake Thar Thar, a lake west of Baghdad; however, due to the presence of hostile regime forces I haven’t been able to fish it yet. I do, however, get to have access to the Internet, where I get my much-needed fishing fix from FLWOutdoors.com. The articles keep me up to speed on strategies and what is going on in the world of professional fishing.

Following the fish and staying on top of them will make my transition back into the fishing scene almost seamless when I return.

Ken Chapman
U.S. Army