Whether you love or hate the Redskins, this is a pretty cool story. After the announcement was made that DeSean Jackson signed with the Redskins, the team tweeted out a pic of DeSean signing his new 3-year deal. Many fans noticed the picture in the background of the photo (see above) and wanted to know the meaning behind it. Well it’s been revealed and it’s an incredible story. Hit the jump for the report…
*PHOTO ABOVE IN GALLERY*
The photo was taken in 2012 by a 22-year-old corporal named Reece Lodder. Here’s more info on it, via the Marines:
Lodder shot this photo following a squad patrol to clear houses of insurgent activity as part of Operation Tageer Shamal in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. After five hours, the squad stopped to rest in an abandoned compound. All of the Marines and Afghan soldiers were exhausted, as were the IED detection dogs, so this trio decided to catch a quick nap. Even though he was tired, Lodder grabbed his camera and captured the moment. “I liked that the Redskins blanket was in the photo because it was an unusual slice of reality back home in the midst of a long operation and a drab desert. I think our fans like this photo because it’s an unusual, interesting image that visually, physically and emotionally gets to the core of what the Marines and the dog were feeling at this moment in time. It helps them feel, even if only in a small way, what we felt.”
One month after the picture was taken, Blue (the dog in the pic) sniffed out a 40-pound IED that was placed under a bridge just minutes before a dozen men were to cross it.
