Friday, January 4, 2008

RIP Major Andrew Olmsted

Each day, many good men and women die. Yesterday was no different, except that one of those deaths was a man who was tragically plucked from this earth while making my life a safer one to live.

Andrew Olmsted was a husband, a son, a writer, a soldier, a friend to many...the list goes on and on. Today, people all over the world are celebrating his life and mourning his death.

Death was no stranger to Andrew. He was an American Soldier in Iraq.

Andrew enjoyed blogging and also wrote for the Rocky Mountain News here in Colorado. You can find his blog posts on countless blogs all over the Internet including Obsidian Wings, All Things Conservative, and of course, his own blog Andrew Olmsted.

Andrew's final blog post was posted today by his friend Hilzoy. This was a final goodbye that he wrote several months ago in anticipation of his own death, of course hoping that Hilzoy would never have the need to post it.

Read it here Final Post.

In his final post, Andrew asks that his death not be used to further any political agenda. I respect that.

And I say, thank you Andrew, for I am living because you were willing to die.

23 comments:

Damama T said...

Thank you for sharing that. I read the whole thing, and I'm sorry he's been taking from his family, and the world, because he does truly sound amazing.

hugz.
http://damama2all.blogspot.com/

Rick said...

We owe so much to him and so many like him.

Juliana said...

This is sad :(( Thanks for sharing with me this story.

Sweets said...

phew... may he indeed rest in peace

Anonymous said...

wow
And to think those guys are used as a political issue by some, and abandoned and hated by one whole party. A party and a people who's lifestyle and rights they protect with their life.
SS

roentare said...

This is really sad to read and I am so lucky to be enjoying eveyrthing I have because of the heros that fight for us.

Haylzc5 said...

Arrrrrrr it was so sad to read it. May his family and friends find peace...

Thanks for sharing it with me.

Love Hayley

Michelle Hix said...

Southern Sage

You have a right to your anger/sadness/frustration...emtotion is difficult to read in writing an clearly you are feeling overwhelmed with something...but your overgeneralizing is incorrect. I can't even imgaine how some soldiers feel, and quite possibly many feel the way you do. That is sad, but I can't agree with your statements.

Anonymous said...

Southern Sage - I agree - the Republican Party hates the soldiers - I mean look at last week when Bush vetos the defense bill that gave the soldiers a 5% raise - saying it was excessive andf they should only get 3%. I mean, sending them off without equipment to save their lives, not providing medical care...yep, the GOP hates them- it is aone thing to say "I support the troops" but quite another to not act like it. Shame on the Adminstration for using them as a pawn...

Damama T said...

It would appear that not everyone read the whole post. Michelle, I'm sorry that it appears you got dragged into the middle of a political hoohaa.

Regardless of who believes what, Andrew specifically asked that his death not be used as a political bludgeoning tool.

I applaud your attempt to honor his wishes.

Peace and Blessings.

Kat Mortensen said...

It is certainly a sad thing when someone dies, but I can't help but envy the legacy that is left behind. What kind of legacy can I leave that would even compare to that?
Wonderful post Michelle! We, in Canada are overwhelmed with tragic news from Afghanistan almost daily in our papers. My neighbour and friend down the street is the mother of Canadian UN peacekeeper who lost his life in Lebanon in the summer of 2006 when Israelis fired on their observation post on the border. You are correct in calling attention to the fact that our freedom is down to those who fight our battles. It has ever been so.
Kat

Cindy Breninger said...

How sad, but it was nice he was able to write what he felt to let others know. Thanks for posting the link.
Cindy
www.adayinthelifeofcindy.blogspot.com

Cocaine Princess said...

Thank you for informing me about this post. It is always disturbing and tragic when someone close to us dies.
My thoughts and prayers are not only with his family but to all those who have loved ones fighting abroad.

XOXOXOXO,
Cocaine Princess

Anonymous said...

So sad and so inspiring! I always wonder what it is like for the family to still be able to "hear" the voice of a loved one who died. I hope the final post brings them peace.

Anonymous said...

MH: I know what happened when we pulled out of Vietnam, as does everyone who has ever read a history book. It is frustrating when the uninformed march and yell without thinking of the consequenses. It does sadden me that people who reap the rewards of the troops in security are against them. It is hard to understand. I curently have 2 cousins there, one 19 and one that just re-upped and equested grond duty in Iraq. The 19 year olds father just retired from the Navy after 25 years, the last 10 spent in Navel Inel. The first time he ever voted for anyone other than a Democrat was for Bush in 04, after hearing all the democrats "sell them out" in the media. His words not mine.
Just relaying the facts.
SS

Michelle Hix said...

Southern Sage,

When I read that your cousin just went back for ground duty, my heart sank. Your family must be so proud of him.

Anonymous said...

Southern Sage - You can have your opinion, I have mine but you can NEVER, EVER claim that I do not support the troops or love what my country stands for...
Having relatives in combat or the military does not give you superiority on what is right or wrong in this war -its just an excuse you use. I have two sons, one on his third tour in Iraq. This does not mean I know any better than you what should be done. My son says it so much more eloquently than I can repeat it here but I will try: We had Al Qaeda on the run in Afghanistan and pulled resources to go into Iraq, which was not an imminent threat militarily or terroristically - regardless of what Bush put out there. Any military man worth his salt would have recognized this (military man not being politically motivated). This is evidenced by the sheer number of generals replaced when they disagreed with the administration. My son told me he feels like a target only, that his whole job is to stay alive, not to accomplish anything else. He says he spends his days protecting the guys from Halliburton etc who make 8 times his wages. He said the soldiers are not loyal to being over there to save america, as the politicians believe, being heroes for their country, but instead are now just working to save each other. He said if he dies over there, to make his feelings public (yes, he has a last letter written to be opened at that time) and to have his wife and son let the world know how wrong this war is.

My other son is a military historian who has taught at military academies as well as Georgetown. I discussed your Vietnam comment with him and his response was verbatim: "You say you saw the consequences of withdrawal in Vietnam but you list none. I have to believe you are ignorant of the actual truth. The truth is, there were very few if any negative consequences. Our withdrawal from Vietnam had no significant effect on America, other than giving us a viable trading partner. The politicians used the fear of a "domino effect" of Communism throughout Asia as the reason for intervening in Vietnam. History shows this did not happen. The atrocities in Cambodia were started long before America pulled out and were not caused by that action. Simply put, Americas trip into Vietnam was ill advised, ignorantly planned and the only result was the huge profits generated by Defense contractors and 58000 soldiers killed. My current classes have done side by side comparisons of the Iraq war and Vietnam and the same strategies have been used in both with the same result. Significantly, the same people seem to have been involved in both. I am a conservative, a republican and an educator and am shocked to see pseudo conservatives use the reliance on a failed policy as a justification for trying it again. I view it as simply giving America a guilt trip to justify their position. Your comments are your opinion and I respect that, however, I believe on problem with America today, is the habit of just proclaiming a position, usually on an emotional basis, not backing it up with facts or figures and then claiming to be morally superior to others who disagree. Our country cannot survive if that is how we teach our children to think."

My own thoughts - I know of no one, politician, democrat, republican, black, white or other who does not support our troops. NO ONE wants to see them killed, to say they are sold out by the people who want to bring them home is simple minded at best, unpatriotic at worst. This country was founded on the principle of dissent, and to claim a sell out because I disagree with the war shows ignorance and a lack of respect for America. Go ahead and put forth your opinion, just don't try and claim it is anything more than that, an opinion...


I cannot put my name on this due to my son's active duty status

Anonymous said...

Southern Sage - Do you really approve of the war and support the troops? PROVE IT!

I'll make it easy -
http://www.goarmy.com/ArmyCareerExplorer.do?page=applyOnline

Join up. Or shut up.

Don't go waving your fake patriotism over here - it demeans America - if you believe so strongly, then get off your lazy butt and demonstrate by action and join up, just regurgitate Bush and Fox News slogans is sad (not quite pathetic but sad).

By the way, just a note of advice for your blogger profile...I have always found those who feel the need to constantly brag about sex, really only have sex in their mind (or hand so to speak) - your 36 years old for god's sake...grow up..

Michelle Hix said...

Down boys! (or I'll have to get out my whip)

Anonymous said...

MH - watch out with that whip - SS may put you in his mind (or hand)...

Elise said...

Its so sad. I'm sure his family are very proud of him and my prayers are with them xx

Gary Farber said...

Olmsted. Not "Olmstead."

For more on Andrew, see here, here, and here.

Michelle Hix said...

Gary
Thank you for the correction!