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NHRA USO tour promises to 'give thanks' to our troops
A group of NHRA drivers are poised to travel overseas and spread some nitro-flavored holiday cheer to U.S. soldiers, airmen, sailors, and Marines serving our country.
Top Fuel professionals Morgan Lucas, Shawn Langdon, and Spencer Massey, along with Pro Stock favorite Erica Enders and Pro Stock Motorcycle rising star Doug Horne are set to depart on a week-long USO Tour of Germany where they greet servicemen and women at various locations around the country.
Scheduled stops for the NHRA party include the BOSS Warrior Zone and USAG Fitness and Rehabilitation Center in Wiesbaden, the 21st Operational Weather Squadron -Sembach, the PAX Terminal and KMCC at Ramstein, the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and the USO Wounded Warrior Center.
"I can't wait to get there," said Lucas, driver of the GEICO Powersports/Lucas Oil dragster. "There's been a lot of planning to get this thing together and now it's finally here and the excitement level has definitely been ramped up.
"It will be so cool to meet these men and women and let them know how much we appreciate what they're doing for all of us. For them to sacrifice their time, especially over the holidays, shows a huge level of commitment on their part. I'm hoping we can make them feel special with this visit."
Langdon, a two-time world champion who now drives the Lucas Oil/Speedco dragster, has one particular stop in mind.
"I think going to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center is going to be extra special," Langdon said. "From what I understand, all of the soldiers that are wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan are taken to Landstuhl so this will be a memorable stop for sure.
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Morgan is on the Board of Directors at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital here in Indy and we've made quite a few visits over there so I know how much it means to the patients that are recovering from various issues. Of course with the military folks it's going to have a very different feeling. We're going to do our best to brighten their day."
A veteran of two USO tours, Enders has seen first-hand the impact a visit from "folks from back home" can have on the overall morale of the troops.
"It changes your life," said Enders, driver of the Dragstar Apparel Ford Mustang. "We think we're going over there to make the troops feel better but in the end it's all of us that are going to feel good. They are all so happy to see us and ask about stuff going on back home. They just want to talk and hang out and we're going to do as much of that as possible while we're there. This is for them."
The group plans to file daily reports from their trip so drag racing fans in the USA can keep up with their activities.
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