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Alyssa Askeland
“Mom, tell everybody I’m okay,” is the message Nathan (Nate) Allen asked his mother, art teacher Pat Wiederien to relay to people in Atlantic. Allen, an Army specialist serving in Afghanistan, was shot Tuesday during an ambush of his team.
Wiederien spoke to Allen on Thursday at 4:15 a.m. Allen had arrived at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Allen was first treated in Afghanistan to be stabilized for the transport to Germany.
The ambush that injured Allen two days ago resulted in three fatalities: two young fathers and another man in his twenties. All three of these men were close friends of Nathan’s. Allen’s injuries included bullets wounds in the arm and chest.
Allen told Wiederien about a bullet ruining his tattoo on his right arm. When asked about this, Wiederien responded with a chuckle, “It was so like Nate to make light of a scary situation.”
“Make what these young men are doing worth while,” says Wiederien. “Do the best you can with your life.”
Allen will soon be transported to the United States.
Josh Schorle • Apr 5, 2011 at 8:43 am
I laughed at the tattoo joke as well. But it can be a good way to try to get your mind off a scary situation such as this.