He was the first casualty for 2008 in Iraq. And a small part of Maj. Andrew Olmsted likely would've chuckled at that fact. It would be droll and play into his sense of self-deprecation.... It was small arms fire, they said.
From Olmsted's last post
"While you're free to think whatever you like about my life and death, if you think I wasted my life, I'll tell you you're wrong. We're all going to die of something. I died doing a job I loved. When your time comes, I hope you are as fortunate as I was.".... If you have it, throw 'Freedom Isn't Free' from the Team America soundtrack in; if you can't laugh at that song, I think you need to lighten up a little. I'm dead, but if you're reading this, you're not, so take a moment to enjoy that happy fact.
Okay, Major. You got it. "Not fare well, / But fare forward, voyager."
"It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion." -- Lincoln
Posted by Vanderleun at January 4, 2008 9:50 PM | TrackBackoh so very touching and poignant to your previous post and the great resolution.....God bless him and his family....and may we all take inspiration for the continuing struggle ahead of us....
Posted by: Webutante at January 5, 2008 8:28 AMWhen one of ours dies in combat it is always a tragedy. Too often we don't know the warrior or his family. It is impersonal, remote.
In the case of Major Olmstead it becomes personal. We feel we know this man because we have read his words, followed his actions in a rough and dangerous place. It brings the understanding of the depth of sacrifice this hero and his family have made for us.
His final post is gut wrenchingly honest and makes it clear he wanted to be, nay, needed to be, no other place than with his comrades in arms. He believed in the mission and was prepared to give his all in the cause.
To honor him and all our warriors we can do no less than to dedicate ourselves to the completion of the task they have so ably begun.
God bless Major Olmstead, his wife, his family, and the United States of America.
Posted by: Jimmy J. at January 5, 2008 1:45 PMI posted this at 'Neoneocon', but now I'm posting it here too--mostly 'cuz I've been drinking 'Laphroaig' Scotch tonight:
I'll be playing the bagpipe for CPT Casey's interment, Friday afternoon, at the National Cemetary in Santa Fe. As in the article, he was killed with MAJ Olmsted.
My unit called me: The family requested a bagpiper at his burial.
I'm the bagpiper in the 44th Army Band--part time New Mexico National Guard (seems like full-time sometimes). Previously, I was an Intelligence Officer in an Infantry Air Assault unit (1/506, Currahee!) and later, a Counterintelligence Officer in the active duty army.
I joined the Guard Band as a lark, to play the bagpipe in '99. Many of us in the band have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as trainers and security. My First Sergeant started the Afghan National Band when he was over there. I'm still expecting a deployment, but it's all 'up inna air'....
I turned in a proposal to send just me, a 'pipe ghillie' and a security team to Afghanistan "to give the golliwogs some o' th' pipe, like in th' ol' days!". They turned me down, I wonder why?
Maybe I'll have to be more temperate in my posts in the future now that people can figger out who I am in meatlife..... N'ah.
I've been playing the bagpipe for 13 years, and professionally for 8 years. I've played extensively across Scotland and compete in the US.
It'll probably be on the local news. I can't imagine anyone here will see (or hear) me.
I told wifey, yesterday, when I read this blogpost that I would probably play for the burial--with an Irish name like 'Casey'....
The bagpipe is becoming an integral part of military bands in the US.
I've played a lot of memorials: this war is a personal thing for me....
Posted by: Gray at January 6, 2008 7:47 PM"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated to combat spam and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.