As you know Outlaw ships 3 - 6 packages per week to the soldiers deployed around the world. Each package has 40 - 60 cigars, 10 or so Outlaw Calendars, A 15 count cigar Caddy, Outlaw cutter and lighter. I thought you might enjoy hearing about some of the stories and responses we get from the soldiers. I will also share some of the photo's I get back that we don't put online. Give me your feed back and let me know if you want to hear more of this type of thing.

The first story I want to share:   LTC Clay Daughtry was a regular customer in the Outlaw Lounge a few years ago and then he was promoted to a position in the Pentagon (Big Time Stuff). We still talk to Clay on a regular basis and in fact he is a new daddy and he had us engrave cigars to commemorate his daughters birth. Clay provided me with a name and address of one of his buddies in Iraq. I put together a package, shipped it and then I received an e-mail from LTC Carlos M. Lizardi the soldier I shipped the cigars to . ....and to my surprise he stated in his e-mail that he does not smoke cigars. The e-mail is below:

Mr. Culbertson,

I received the cigars a few days ago. Awesome! I don't smoke cigars, but kept a few to try them out and gave the rest to MAJ James Jackson and crew to enjoy. They'll take pictures with the troops enjoying them and will send to you soonest. I also have something I'll send for you to display at your store. You should get it in the next few weeks.

Again, thanks for the cigars (and the calendars!) and especially for your support of the troops. It really means a lot to them when people go the extra mile to show they care.

Clay,

Thanks! You the man!

Respectfully,

LTC Carlos M. Lizardi

Well what makes this story so cool is that Maj James Jackson is a soldier that I have already sent 2 different packages to and he sent us a flag that is on our lounge wall and some other cool stuff. James is in charge of the Baghdad Cigar Aficionado Club. Here is the e-mail James sent me after he got the package:

ALCON,

I am in receipt of the sticks and will distribute them tonight at the fire place....Kendall thank you sir..........the circle of life has brought me more of your excellent sticks............I will be forwarding some goodies your way as well

Also this e-mail was sent:

From: Kendall Culbertson

Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 5:08 PM

To: Jackson, James E MAJ MNFI STRATOPS; Lizardi, Carlos M LTC DCS SPA

Cc: Daughtry, Clayton M LTC TEMA

Subject: RE: Outlaw Cigar Store

You guys are great .... I look forward to getting all the stuff to hang on my walls ........

What a small world ..... I have sent James 2 other packages ...... I am thrilled that these cigars as well ended up in his care ... You guys are what makes America Awesome ....

Kendall

James Replied:

 

Two excellent shipments too..Will never forget it...(I have a National Shriner's convention in KC in Sept will get by to meet you and bring every cigar smoking Shriner with me)...Kendall you would be proud to know that we called over a lot of Privates that were just visiting the Embassy and shared smokes with them..............will do the same this time........I personally will be smoking the huge INDIOs on the photo that you should receive on tomorrow.

These are a couple of photo's James sent me in the last 2 days:

If you are interested, the next story I would like to share is how it happened that my cigars arrived in the hands of the Commander of the B-2 Stealth Bomber in Guam. I did not ship them to him...He sent us some great photo's. 

-- 2/20/2008 10:23:23 AM: post edited by BULLDOG.

Nice story, can't wait to hear the next one.

I reposed this one over on ar15.com, in their cigar section:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=143&t=677050

I think they might enjoy these stories, hope you don't mind.

"I like smoke more than air. If I could I would smoke in my sleep, and I will smoke even after I am dead." --0x4b435546 --0x00554f59 --Null terminated, little endian, ASCII --You should be offended.

I think it is a great idea to post more of the letters, this will make a good substitute for bigger walls at the Outlaw.

I loved the B2 picture almost as much as the trigger pin from the laser guided bomb.  A lot of people talk about supporting the troops, while at the same time wanting to denigrate their efforts, and declare them losers.  I love the work they do and am actually proud to be somewhere that actually supports them in action and not just words. 

10 Print Home 20 Print Sweet 30 GOTO 10

Kendall,

Thanks for sharing the story with us.  I know that I look forward to hearing more.

                    Skrumer

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've got a great cigar collection - it's actually not a collection, because that would imply I wasn't going to smoke every last one of 'em.       -- Ron White --

I was going to post the B-2 Stealth Story next, but I received some great photo’s today from SMSgt Kevin Nies in Iraq. The photo’s were actually taken Today in Iraq……since they are so fresh I thought I would post this story first. Kevin contacted me via e-mail after one of our calendars from a different package found its way to him. On Feb. 6^th 2008 he sent me this e-mail and photo: 

To whom it may concern,
        My name is Kevin Nies, I am the Superintendent here at the largest Theater Hospital in all of Iraq.  We received a couple of your calendars in the mail recently and I want to thank you.  I am also going out on a limb here by asking if you wouldn't mind sending me a couple cigars.  I have attached a couple pictures to show life in Iraq and sometimes we get to enjoy a cigar.  We are currently out of our supply.  Your calendars had this e-mail so I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask.  If you are able to send some we would love it and we would take a photos for you to hang on your wall.

SMSgt Kevin Nies

Of course we will send cigars  and we shipped the cigars 2 day later…… Then on Feb. 17^th 2008 he sent me this e-mail saying he had received the cigars:

 

Kendall, got your cigars today!!!  You are the BOMB.  It's people like you that make us enjoy kicking ass and taking names!!!  We love fighting for freedom for folks like yourself.  I will be sure to have all of the regulars lock and load with your banner and cigars in hand.  We recently built a wooden shack on top of the hospital where we enjoy a cigar and wait for more helicopters.  It's like modern day M.A.S.H. 4077

 

You will have your photo by the end of the week.  If you send me your mailing address I will fly a US Flag over our hospital and send it to you!!!!  You can hand it proudly with the banner.  Last thing, do you want us to sign the banner for you????

 

GOD BLESS YOU, OUTLAW CIGARS, AND GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Kevin R. Nies, SMSgt, USAF

Superintendent

332nd Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron Air Force Theater Hospital, Balad AB, Iraq

 

It is amazing how fast this came full circle. Because as you know today I received an e-mail with photo’s ….Check out the photo’s.

 

Thank You to all my loyal customers that buy Outlaw products that make it possible to send these cigars. We have another great group of soldiers smoking cigars!

US Troops Kick Ass!!

 

-- 2/20/2008 9:06:46 PM: post edited by BULLDOG.

-- 2/20/2008 9:08:51 PM: post edited by BULLDOG.

Kendall,

Has there ever been any thought of doing the events live (via the internet) so the troops could join us vicariously (or for that matter others who were unable to make it to the event)? 

Maybe have 4 cameras that could be available for viewing via the internet along with the opportunity to ask questions of the guest via email or IM would be interesting.  Just a thought.

                     Skrumer

-- 2/21/2008 1:04:12 PM: post edited by skrumer.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've got a great cigar collection - it's actually not a collection, because that would imply I wasn't going to smoke every last one of 'em.       -- Ron White --

Attached are a couple of photo's that LTC Carlos Lizardi sent me after he read the the forum above. Carlos also sent me the text below describing the photo's. Thanks Carlos we really appreciate you taking the time to give us these photo's.

Carlos Wrote: Attached are a couple of cool pictures for you to hang in the forum. One is an aerial view of the Palace where the US Embassy currently resides in the International Zone (Green Zone) and where I work. Across the Tigris river you can see the city of Baghdad proper. The other is of a sandstorm that hit a few years ago.

My friend has been on leave the past 2 weeks and now he's heading back to Iraq. I'm gonna get his info to ya guys up there because while they can get Cubans, they cant get them that often as they want with so many missions.

My one friend who made it back might come with me up to the store within the next few weeks

The young hotshot round these here parts!

i heard about this from over on ar15.com, but is there any way we could sign a unit up for this? i know a bunch of people that would really appreciate this...

jon