RIP, Andrew Olmstead
Blogger Andrew Olmstead has been killed by small arms fire in Iraq. His final message—characteristically touching, thoughtful, and humorous—has been posted here.
The New Neo
A blog about political change, among other things
Blogger Andrew Olmstead has been killed by small arms fire in Iraq. His final message—characteristically touching, thoughtful, and humorous—has been posted here.
Damn.
What is amazing, or perhaps frightening, is that he managed to frame so much of his message around Babylon 5. I hope that someone makes sure that J. M. Straczynski reads it. I’d like to know his reaction, but it’s more important that he see it.
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Not many people have faced the fear of death and conquered it. I salute you for being one of the few that have.
another good one dead and gonne
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Such a sad report; he was killed with a fellow from just up the road, Albuquerque, Cpt. Tom Casey. Their loss adds to the burden of making sure we get this thing right, and get this thing done.
It’s a punch in the gut everytime this happens: I knew CPT Casey, though not well….. I’m in Albuquerque.
I’ve been to a lot of memorials….
I didn’t follow his blog as much as I follow yours, but I always liked his humor and insight. This one does hurt.
I’ll be playing the bagpipe for CPT Casey’s interment, Friday afternoon, at the National Cemetary in Santa Fe.
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….
“Cowards die many times before their deaths,
The valiant never taste of death but once.”
Are the services open and if so where and when? Local TV has said nothing about services.
Four of my kids are in. One was in the invasion force, one deployed now.
We need to end this thing so that what everyone who sacrificed so much, mattered
Are the services open and if so where and when?
No. Family and military honors only.
thanks for the info Gray
good luck to you
Olmsted. Not “Olmstead.”
For more on Andrew, see here, here, and here.
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