Andrew J. Olmsted wrote a blog for a Colorado news site. He was killedin Iraq on Jan. 3. The day after his death, a friend posted his finalmessage on his blog. The touching post expresses his love for his wife.It also asks that his death not be used for political agendas.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/region ... id=1065181




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Web-savvy, wise-cracking Bay State soldier, gunned down by a sniper inIraq, has left a cyberspace message from beyond the grave that is bothpoignant and powerful.
Northborough native Andrew J. Olmsted, an Army major who wrote aregular blog about his Iraq experiences for Colorado’s Rocky MountainNews, was shot dead as he tried talking three suspected insurgents intosurrendering near Sadiyah on Jan. 3.
But a day after his death, Olmsted - through a prior arrangementwith a friend - posted his “Final Post” on the Obsidian Wings Web site.

“I cannot imagine being more fortunate in love than I have been withAmanda,” the 37-year-old wrote of his wife of 10 years in theheart-rending final passage of his final message.
“I cherished every day I was married to Amanda. When everything elsein my life seemed dark, she was always there to light the darkness.”
Despite the touching personal note, most of Olmsted’s post is loaded with his trademark dry humor.
“As with many bloggers, I have a disgustingly large ego, and so Ijust couldn’t bear the thought of not being able to have the last wordif the need arose,” he wrote.
“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 Iwould prefer that people remember the good things about me rather thanmourning my loss.”
He penned that he had lived a good life, had no regrets and died doing a job he “loved.”
But Olmsted was also serious about his legacy, writing: “I do ask(not that I’m in a position to enforce this) that no one try to use mydeath to further their political purposes.”
He also offered insight into the reality faced by troops in this almost prophetic passage.
“It would be nice to believe that I died leading men in battle,preferably saving their lives at the cost of my own. More likely I wascaught by a marksman or an IED,” he wrote.
Small arms fire killed both Olmsted and Capt. Thomas J. Casey, who was rushing to help.
Both men were assigned to the Military Transition Team, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan.
Olmsted, who lived with his wife in Colorado Springs, is a 1992graduate of Clark University in Worcester and a 1987 graduate of St.John’s High School in Shrewsbury.
Olmsted’s “Final Post” can be viewed at http://www.andrewolmsted.com. Now reading this blog, its making me cry.

http://andrewolmsted.com/archives/2008/ ... _post.html His final post.