Andrew Olmsted Killed in Iraq

In my cyber journeys yesterday, I came across the news that Rocky Mountain News Army Blogger, Andrew Olmsted was killed in Iraq on January 3rd. The name of his blog was From the Front Lines. He began a post written on November 17, called "No Greater Love" by saying:

Every day I'm on the FOB, I walk into the squadron headquarters building to check in. That was was easier in recent weeks, because the pictures were gone. For the first few months we were here, every time I walked into the building I had to walk by the memorial to all the soldiers from the squadron who had died during the deployment. It was impossible to walk by and not notice them. Brave young men who died long before they should have, far from home.

Then he went on to tell of the death and memorial service for a soldier with his FOB.

After the remembrances and a stirring rendition of Amazing Grace, the ceremony closed with the salute to the deceased. In small groups, all of us came up to the display commemorating the fallen, took a moment to gaze down at the dog tags, the helmet, the empty boots, and then we came to attention and saluted our fallen comrade. There was no time period allotted; one could stay as long or as short a time as one wished. I had never met the soldier, but I found it very difficult to keep my eyes clear as I saluted a good man who had so much more to offer the world.

We are in a dangerous business. Soldiers die in war; there's no way around it. But that knowledge does not make those losses any less bitter.

I didn't know Major Olmsted, didn't read his blog...and only happened to come across the story yesterday in my cyber journeys. And although, as he stated on his blog, there is no way around the fact that soldiers die in war....it is a damn shame they do....may he rest in peace.