CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Maj. Andrew Olmsted was killed Thursday by small arms fire in Iraq. He left behind a posthumous blog post about service. And war. It is full of wisdom, and difficult to read without tears welling up. Brush them aside. The soldier wants us to hear what he says from the grave:
"But for those of you who knew me and feel this pain, I think it is a good thing to realize that this pain has been felt by thousands and thousands (probably millions actually) of other people all over the world. That is part of the cost of war, any war, no matter how justified. If everyone who feels this pain keeps that in mind the next time we have have decide whether war is a good idea, perhaps it will help us to make a more informed decision. Because it is pretty clear that the average American would not have supported the Iraq War had they known the cost going in. I am far to cynical to believe that any future debate about war will be any less vitriolic or emotional, but perhaps a few more people will realize just what those costs can be next time.''
That is just a small excerpt. Please take time to read all that he that he had to say. H/T Pho's Akron Pages. Andy's words remind me of Callimachus, who said "A good man never dies."
Olmsted. Not "Olmstead."
ReplyDeleteHi Gary --
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing that out. It has been corrected.