Jan 10 2008
A Final Post
I found this sad entry courtesy of Jennster:
Major Andrew Olmsted, a major in the U.S. Army, died in Iraq on January 3rd. A sniper killed Olmsted as he was trying to talk three suspected insurgents into surrendering. Andrew, a blogger, had left a final post with a friend and asked her to post it in the event he was killed in Iraq. You can read his Final Post HERE.
I’m posting some excerpts here, but please go to the post and read the whole thing. There’s much more to it.
What I don’t want this to be is a chance for me, or anyone else, to be maudlin. I’m dead. That sucks, at least for me and my family and friends. But all the tears in the world aren’t going to bring me back, so I would prefer that people remember the good things about me rather than mourning my loss. (If it turns out a specific number of tears will, in fact, bring me back to life, then by all means, break out the onions.)
I suppose I should speak to the circumstances of my death. It would be nice to believe that I died leading men in battle, preferably saving their lives at the cost of my own. More likely I was caught by a marksman or an IED. But if there is an afterlife, I’m telling anyone who asks that I went down surrounded by hundreds of insurgents defending a village composed solely of innocent women and children. It’ll be our little secret, ok?
I do ask (not that I’m in a position to enforce this) that no one try to use my death to further their political purposes. I went to Iraq and did what I did for my reasons, not yours. My life isn’t a chit to be used to bludgeon people to silence on either side. If you think the U.S. should stay in Iraq, don’t drag me into it by claiming that somehow my death demands us staying in Iraq. If you think the U.S. ought to get out tomorrow, don’t cite my name as an example of someone’s life who was wasted by our mission in Iraq.
But for those who knew me and feel this pain, I think it’s a good thing to realize that this pain has been felt by thousands and thousands (probably millions, actually) of other people all over the world. That is part of the cost of war, any war, no matter how justified. If everyone who feels this pain keeps that in mind the next time we have to decide whether or not war is a good idea, perhaps it will help us to make a more informed decision.
omg didnt that tear at your heart strings? so sad
wow…this is so tragic…I’m heading over to the original post too..thanks DD
Ok…back. That was an incredible entry…I’m speechless. Crying, and speechless.
Becky: Very sad. He was a very thoughtful, articulate guy.
Sandy: Can you imagine being one of his friends or family members and reading that. Especially the part where he talks about his wife. Very moving.
I found this on someone’s blog a few days ago, and it was really saddening and touching to read. In the end, I realized that when he wrote this, he injected so much life and love and perspective into this post, that it’s a beautiful way for him to continue to live and breathe through it.
Romi: He did put a lot of thought into what he wrote. What a loss.
Thank you for sharing this. I am going to read the post in its entirety right now. I would hope that if I were to die my family and friends would be able to know what I was thinking and how I would like to be remembered. Very powerful. My prayers go out to his family and to the families that have also lost loved ones.
Myla: It would be nice, but it would be very difficult to write something like that, especially as well as he wrote it.
We wish and hope for his family and friends to be strong and know that Major John Olmsted was a worthwhile human being who did his best for eveyone ! He will live on by all who knew him and read his blog and those he served with him , as well ! God Bless : Everyone !