Top Military Blogger Dies In Iraq; Read His Final Post

Andrew Olmsted, who also posted here as G'Kar, was killed yesterday in Iraq. Andy gave me a post to publish in the event of his death; the last revisions to it were made in July.

Andy was a wonderful person: decent, honorable, generous, principled, courageous, sweet, and very funny. The world has a horrible hole in it that nothing can fill. I'm glad Andy -- generous as always -- wrote something for me to publish now, since I have no words at all. Beyond: Andy, I will miss you.

My thoughts are with his wife, his parents, and his brother and sister.

What follows is Andy's post: a bit here; the rest below the fold. [UPDATE: I'm adding links to Andy's last post at his Rocky Mountain News blogs, from about a week ago, where friends and family are expressing support in comments; to an article from yesterday that I believe is about his death; and to a post he wrote on his reasons for going to Iraq last June.]

Read the post.

For comprehensive coverage on Iraq, check out Huffington Post's WarWire.

Comments

[getoffmedz]

The Surge didn't work for Andrew Olmsted and his loved ones.

[geobushono]

If he wasn't in Iraq, he'd still be with us.
THAT is the lesson here.

[mamacat]

It seems that he cared about the Iraqi civilians damaged and killed in this mess. That is good. Much better than worrying about an Iraqi stray dog, and not caring about the people. There are those among us who don't give a damn about the indigenous people, and that is so very wrong.
Maybe the Bush and Romney families will realise how unfair it is that they can insulate their young people from war, while others either do not have that luxury, or choose (for whatever reason) to enlist in a post cold-war army.

[lungfish]

What a thoughtful posting. He was a very talented writer.... It is my understanding that he was killed in an ambush in Diyala... I think his own words address it all pretty well. I just have a hard time imagining that the world can afford to squander such minds by the thousands on a daily basis. He was unique and the world loses him and people like him in droves for reasons that don't seem to justify the loss.

[Marichu]

My deepest condolences go out to Andrew Olmsted's family, friends, members of his unit and all those whose life he enriched with his generosity and kindness.
"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal."

[VOTER]

While honoring his request to not politicize his death only

one word comes to mind. PEACE.

[shockmagog]

Major Olmsted's last post (while alive) was about him taking toys to Iraqi children for Eid. To read that post, and then the comments below thanking him for his work--then suddenly the posts from family members announcing news of the ambush--this was too much.

http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/iraqiarmy/archives/2007/12/seeking_support.html#comments

[themodernleader]

Andrew Olmsted. It is a futile effort which tries to convey the appreciation of one distraught citizen to the memory of soldier Andrew Olmsted. I weep for you who died so selflessly and gloriously for our forlorn Republic.
I feel how futile and fruitless must be any words of condolences and sorrow that any citizen may express for those compatriots and companions of Andrew Olmsted who grieve at his loss and pine eternally for his return that can never be. Your suffering is your humanness in the face of war's barbarism.

[cheforacle]

Extremely difficult to read his thoughtful blog. My condolences to his family and friends. I feel confident those who knew him were better for having done so.

[dora rice]

how did he die? Like Tillman's death. It seems anyone who says something about Iraq in any form seems to die there . Odd

[brooklyncitizen]

Heartbreaking...and so unnecessary.

[abbiehoffmansghost]

It's too bad that we lost another one and I pray for his family to be comforted at this time. But his value as a human being is no greater or less than every Iraqi civilian, man, woman, and child. He had a forum to express himself; tens of thousands didn't. War knows nothing but death. How do you not make this political? It's very essence is political and all the dead know is that they're dead.

[ljsfolly]

Andy was a good man with a great wit from what his post said. That Andy lent his voice and heart to us while blogging his heart out and getting into what issues we get into as we go along the days, weeks, months and years of this horrid war. We have lost so many Andys male and female in this war built on lies and the easy way for us is to not know, not have a lersonal connection to those serving in the middle east. We really do need more reality more stories to make us feel and know our own hearts. Thanks to you dear friend I never knew but now I won't forget. You have graced us with many opened hearts and minds. Thank you now go fly the angels are waiting.

[Dap]

Heartbreaking... without question.

May peace and serenity be with Mr. Olmsted's Family and Friends.

[jake106]

This was a beautiful post. My prayers go out to this man and his family.