Salve, atque vale, G'Kar.

Come, my friends 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world. Push off, and sitting well in order smite The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths Of all the western stars, until I die.

Olmsted, 38, dies in Iraqi ambush; 1st casualty of '08

"I'm sorry" isn't enough, really.

Rest in peace, Major Olmsted and Captain Thomas J. Casey.

"I'm dead. That sucks, at least for me and my family and friends," he wrote. "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.)" Major Andrew Olmsted

"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," he wrote. "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. I have my own opinions about what we should do about Iraq, but since I'm not around to expound on them I'd prefer others not try and use me as some kind of moral capital to support a position I probably didn't support." Just devastating news

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"Handing out gifts is great fun, but in Iraq you always have to be alert for the possibility that the enemy will take advantage of the opportunity to turn such an event to their advantage. Iraqi soldiers handing how clothing is good for building relationships between the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi people. A suicide bomb in a crowd of children seeking gifts could destroy that in a heartbeat, however, so while we enjoyed the scene of the Iraqi soldiers handing out clothes, toys, candy, and more to the hordes of Iraqi children, we were pleased to see that they also remained alert to potential threats, and they handed out a lot of great gifts that, we hope, will provide just a little help to families down on their luck." Seeking Support

From the Front Lines - Rocky Mountain News blog

Rocky Mountain News slide show tribute to Major Olmsted

hilzoy on Obsidian Wings: Andy Olmsted

Final post

Blogger Andy Olmsted (G'Kar) Dies in Iraq

Remembering G'Kar

Comments

[libhomo]

Thank you for putting a human face on a sick, sick war.