Where Do We Get Such Men As These?
I am a Warrior and I am a proud member of the Warrior Class. There does not exist many of us yet we do not consider ourselves members of The Elite. We do not pander. We do not grovel. We volunteered and answered the Patriot's Call.
We are not any better than anyone else yet others think themselves to be better than us. We understand the sentiment and we know deep within our hearts that when the chips are down, the people "better" than us will look to us to protect them in their time of need.
This may sound maudlin; it may sound morbid...I care not. I lost a friend and America lost a National Treasure. Death and dying is nothing new to me but I try, to no avail, to eject the memories, the heartache, the screams from my mind.
On 3 JAN 08, Major Andrew Olmsted traveled to the Warriors Domain. He had the foresight to write a final post before his death and it was to be published upon his death. This is an excerpt of that post:
[...] What I don't want this to be is a chance for me, or anyone else, to be maudlin. I'm dead. That sucks, at least for me and my family and friends. 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.) I had a pretty good life, as I noted above. Sure, all things being equal I would have preferred to have more time, but I have no business complaining with all the good fortune I've enjoyed in my life. So if you're up for that, put on a little 80s music (preferably vintage 1980-1984), grab a Coke and have a drink with me. 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. [...]
That is what Andrew was like. Many men share that same thought. Don't boo-hoo for me...I have chosen to be what and where I am.
His personal blog is here, he had his own web site at one time here and he wrote for Obsidian Wings more often than not where his final message to all of us can be read.
As we hear the caterwauling from the anti-Americanists across the globe; as we witness "peace activists" burning men in uniform in effigy; as we witness the anti-war crowds spitting on military members; I often wonder why. Why would these alleged peace activists treat the very people that has made it possible for them to be as they are without fear of reprisal this way? Don't they know what we are capable of? Is it all that wise to enrage us/
The answer is, naturally, we are better than that and we have seen and witnessed much worse. They are but a parasite and are short-lived as well as being insignificant in the grand scheme.
Our nation is at war.
We could...and do...get angry with the defeatists, the leftists, the media; and feel complete contempt at all those who would belittle and demean such as Major Andrew Olmsted and many others like him. These men and women who have chosen to serve, who are willing and have given of themselves in ways the politicians and the media, the Code Pinkos, the ANSWER crowd, the traitors never will are but 1% of our population. These anti-Americanists are incapable of such commitment.
We could...and do......get angry at the politicians as they pander and cater to the insignificant for a vote...especially during voting seasons...which openly enable the enemy by uttering utter nonsense such as "getting them out of Iraq"...
--as if men and women of this caliber want to be turned into surrenderists to serve some pandering politicians' agenda.We laugh about such absurdity. Not because we don't agree but because we will be back if the job isn't done...now.
But, it wouldn't change the way they are any more than what they think of us will change the way we are. The whole thing is sadly laughable.
As I viewed with keen interest both "debates" yesterday, I saw first hand a group of people that are unworthy to be in the presence of men such as Major Andrew Olmsted...save two. And those two are Fred Thompson and Duncan Hunter. None of the others are remotely worthy...not in this lifetime.
Rest In Peace, my friend. We have your back.
For those that have never fought for it, Freedom has a taste the protected will never know.
Forever and always, an American Fighting Man.
Footnote: Obituary
THE DEATH OF ANDREW OLMSTED
Major Andrew Olmsted, who posted a blog since May 2007, was killed in Iraq on Thursday, Jan. 3. Major Olmsted, who had been based at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, began blogging after his unit was sent to Iraq with the mission of helping to train the Iraqi Army. No official details have been released on his death, but reports say that he and a second member of his unit were killed during an enemy ambush in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad. Olmsted was determined to make a difference in Iraq. "The sooner the Iraqi government doesn't need U.S. support to provide security for its people, the sooner we will probably be asked to leave."
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