Before he left for this tour, Olmsted knew he might not make it home. As an avid blogger for the "Rocky Mountain News" paper, he prepared for his own possible death by writing a final entry to be posthumously posted on his own Web site should he be killed.
He wrote, "This is an entry I would have preferred not to have published…"
The 3,000-word blog thanks his friends and family, quotes Plato and the sci-fi show "Babylon 5," and urged his readers not to politicize his death.
"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. 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," he wrote.
‘Obsidian Wings’
Hilary Bok, a philosophy professor at Johns Hopkins University met Olmsted online through the website "Obsidian Wings" in July 2006 where they quickly became friends.
Bok agreed to answer NBC's questions about her role in Olmsted’s final blog, but asked if she could reply over e-mail.
"I still seem to be given to bursting into tears," she wrote, "and e-mail makes that easier to deal with."
In March 2007, Olmsted approached Bok and asked her if she would post a final blog for him should he be killed in Iraq. He was heading back for another tour in three months.
"I was honored that he would ask me," Bok said, "and agreed immediately. He sent me the first draft of the post early in June 2007, and kept working on it until mid-July."
Read the entire story here.
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While digging through some boxes in her basement, my Mom found an old college application that she claims I had written nearly 15 years ago. She sent me an email last night. This has nothing to do with milblogs at all, but if you’re one of my five readers who actually read this section of the website (Hi Mom), then this is all further evidence to support my theory that I’m truly a modest individual. Always have been.
There are limitations to what grades, scores, and recommendations can tell us about any candidate, Please use the following two essays to help us learn more about you, We hope that in writing these essays you will reflect on your attitudes, your values, and your perception of yourself, You may wish to look again at the letter from the Director In the front of the application.
Please write an essay about an activity or interest that has been particularly meaningful to you.
We ask that you limit your response to the space below
In the locker room I could feel the vibrations in the stadium as the crowd roared my name, "JP, JP, JP!" I took my time as any fine virtuoso must. The game would never begin without me, it never had and it never will. Of course after having my beauty sleep I would finally decide to go up on field to stand ominously before the crowd. The doors I would pass through would automatically open, not electrically but out of sheer intimidation. As I walked onto the field with a nonchalant gait, the crowd "ooooohhhhhed" and "aaaaaahhhhed" after each of my heavy steps.
The shoes I had on were specifically designed to fit my feet, and of course they had the logo "JP" on the soles. Every step left a deep impression in the soil with my name on it; so someday people could return to this stadium and erect a shrine honoring where I had once walked the earth. I would turn to one of my thousands of loyal young fans and say in a deep cool voice, "Here’s looking at you kid." After those few incredible words, the young women in the stands would faint. Upon reaching the bench where my teammates were bowing before me, I would raise my mighty hand and silence the enormous crowd. The opposing team either had scurried off or gone home to mommy once discovering I was here. You would not be able to hear a sound except my breathing echoing through the stadium. I was ready to unleash an incredible magnificent power which had been bestowed upon me by God. I was going to play Lacrosse; but before anything I would sing the National Anthem and receive ten times as much publicity as Whitney Houston did.
If I remember correctly, this application was for Yale. Or was it Harvard? It kind of makes me wonder, why I stopped at those schools? I should’ve applied to NASA. Or the White House.
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The new Bad Voodoo website is online. For new readers, my name is JP and I’m webmaster of Milblogging.com and I’m also a member of Bad Voodoo Platoon. We’re an Infantry Platoon who performs Convoy Security missions throughout Iraq. Our new website was designed by the kickass folks over at GX The Guard Experience and they did an amazing job.
Don’t forget to stop by the website to keep updated on our mission. Well, kinda updated. Right now the content is like 8 months old. Most of the profiles are missing, and the Care Packages page is all wrong. I mean, who in their right mind actually requests Beef Jerky? And you can’t tell, but the Team Members page doesn’t even have all the correct soldiers. Oh, and if you look at the pictures at the top, they’re all from Camp Shelby, not Iraq.
So, uh, if you want to learn about what Bad Voodoo is up to now, don’t visit the site until we update the content. You might be better off reading up on the latest Brad Pitt news. Some say, him and I have a lot in common. So it’s pretty much like you’re reading about me.
We’re basically twins.
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I found this story about Best-selling author John Sandford headed to Iraq with the Minnesota National Guard. John and his photographer plan to write dispatches at MinnPost.com. In an online interview I read, John explains why he’s going to Iraq for the assignment.
I’d be interested to see how the dispatches of a Pulitzer Prize winner compare to the likes of Michael Yon and other awesome milbloggers, including myself. I mean, I did win the “Best Writer of All-Time” contest last year. Granted, the judges were my 1-year old and 7-year old sons.
I don’t want to brag, but I also came in first place for “Smartest Dad of the Universe”. And, uh, last I checked, my kids didn’t even know what a Pulitzer Prize was. I’m just saying…
(wcco.com)Best-selling mystery author John Sandford has a new assignment: reporting from Iraq.
Sandford -- real name John Camp -- leaves Saturday for two weeks as an embedded reporter with the Minnesota National Guard's 2-147 Assault Helicopter Battalion in Iraq. He'll spend time at the air base in Balad, 25 miles north of Baghdad.
Sandford, 63, who won a Pulitzer Prize with the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 1986 for a series about a southwestern Minnesota farm family, told the newspaper he's "more excited than scared." He and photographer Eric Bowen, who was in Iraq last February, plan to file daily dispatches at MinnPost.com, a new online news site that is sponsoring their trip.
Read the entire story here.
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From The Huffington Post:
(The Huffington Post) Andrew Olmsted, who also posted here as G'Kar, was killed yesterday in Iraq. Andy gave me a post to publish in the event of his death; the last revisions to it were made in July.
Andy was a wonderful person: decent, honorable, generous, principled, courageous, sweet, and very funny. The world has a horrible hole in it that nothing can fill. I'm glad Andy -- generous as always -- wrote something for me to publish now, since I have no words at all. Beyond: Andy, I will miss you.
My thoughts are with his wife, his parents, and his brother and sister.
You can read the entire story here from The Huffington Post.
Here is also an excerpt from his final message that was posted on his blog, in the event of such a tragedy. He provided the letter to a friend for posting with the last revisions made this past July:
"I am leaving this message for you because it appears I must leave sooner than I intended. I would have preferred to say this in person, but since I cannot, let me say it here."
G'Kar, Babylon
"Only the dead have seen the end of war."
Plato*
This is an entry I would have preferred not to have published, but there are limits to what we can control in life, and apparently I have passed one of those limits. And so, like G'Kar, I must say here what I would much prefer to say in person. I want to thank hilzoy for putting it up for me. It's not easy asking anyone to do something for you in the event of your death, and it is a testament to her quality that she didn't hesitate to accept the charge. As with many bloggers, I have a disgustingly large ego, and so I just couldn't bear the thought of not being able to have the last word if the need arose. Perhaps I take that further than most, I don't know. I hope so. It's frightening to think there are many people as neurotic as I am in the world. In any case, since I won't get another chance to say what I think, I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. Such as it is.
Read Andrew’s blog and his entire letter here.
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Hey, I saw Three Kings; I know exactly what you’re thinking.
(Random Laundry) Check out Milblogging. It features straight-from-the-Soldier's mouth writing from US Soldiers (active & retired) around the globe.
I've a minor compulsion going right now about reading some of their blogs. I feel like I have ignored (or tried to tune out) news of the Iraq war for so long (due to the mostly negative media here in SF), that now I can't get enough news. Read the accounts and say a prayer for our guys out there.
Read the entire story here.
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First off, let me say that I am not overly fond of the term “moonbat,” but due to its acceptance into modern political parlance, I grudgingly use it on occasion. And this occasion definitely demands it.
Milblogger Blackfive broke the story of Marine Sgt. Mike McNulty (who returned to Camp Pendleton yesterday in preparation for his second tour of duty to Iraq), whose car was keyed last month..
Read the entire story here.
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I’ve been featuring one milblogger a week. This week I’d like to introduce 6 Months in Kabul. Don’t forget, you can submit nominations for “Milblogger of the Week” to milblogging@gmail.com. I tried nicely asking for nominations the past few weeks, but only a handful have been sent in by readers. Most of the nominations have been for unrelated sites. I even received nominations for websites like ElfYourself.com and CreateFarts.com. Nice. Thanks to everybody who sent in those nominations. And by 'thanks' I mean, hit your head repeatedly against your keyboard .
A week from now I’m sure I’ll be featuring GuessTheCandy.com. Or Care Bears.
Name: Gianpaolo
Member Since: October 14th, 2007
Milblogging Listing: 6 Months in Kabul
Website URL: http://shazdoc.blogspot.com/
Bio: I am a Air Force Family Practice physician that is part of a medical embedded transition team. Our team is in the process of building new medical clinics and hospitals throughout Afghanistan and also helping to mentor Afghan physicians and health care workers. This is a daily blog of my 6 month adventure.
From a recent blog entry:
I was walking down the stairs when I saw an elderly lady carrying a heavy box down the stairs. I asked if I could carry it for her. It was funny, but at the same time a little depressing, because the box was too heavy for me to carry own my own. I had to ask her for help. Even the elderly over her are pretty darn tough.
I took a look at what was inside the box. It looked like a bunch of old, rusty, and dirty metal devices. I took a closer look and I realized that it was a bunch of external fixators. I asked her where she was going with them and she told me that she was going outside so she could clean them with a hose.
Find out more at 6 Months in Kabul!
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On a lighter note, we just celebrated the New Year over here in the desert about 30 minutes ago. I'd write more, but I need to go celebrate "Combat Zone" style. This is, after all, an alcohol-free zone. I've got a bottle of Gatorade and a bag of Doritos waiting for me. I can't say what kind of crazy antics we'll get into. Maybe a game of Uno. Who knows? I might go watch Superman Returns for the third straight time.
I really can't say what we'll do...The night is still so young.
(Marine Corps Moms) Since April 2004, I've shared hundreds of wonderful stories about the Marines who preserve our way of life and our liberties. And, I've received thousands of emails from parents, family members, and supporters of our military - most very appreciative of men and women in uniform. Many of their stories have been shared here at Marine Corps Moms. A good friend of mine, Mary Helen Bartch, shared with me pictures of her husband, Col. Richard Bartch, who was deployed at the same time my son was during the 2004 holiday season. We coped by immersing ourselves in supporting ourselves and our troops through Operation Santa,sending thousands of filled Christmas stockings to Iraq, and many late night phone calls. And, we celebrated when my son and her husband came home safe and sound that next year.
Last October, I became aware that this site had been used for another purpose. A low-life scammer had taken the pictures of Col. Bartch and a few details of his life to create a fictitious identity, posting details on a number of dating websites. I don't know how many women responded to the identities, thinking that they were corresponding with a divorced Marine Officer who was interested in meeting them.
Instead, they were corresponding with someone who had nothing in common with the Marine he impersonated. Honor, integrity, courage, and commitment - none of these were part of the scammer behind the persona of a Marine Colonel. I've corresponded with a number of the women who were victimized, but I'm sure there are many more out there.
Read the entire story here.
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Maybe they don’t see the caption up top that says “World’s Largest Index of Military Blogs.” Or the link above that says “Submit a Milblog”. Or the chart on the left that says, “More Milblogs”. I’m not sure how someone could be so confused. Then again, after seeing some of the blogs that have been submitted, I'm convinced I'm dealing with people who are far more superior in intellect than I.
Maybe I should just post a huge picture of a waffle or a giraffe up top instead of a banner. Or I dunno, put unicorns in the background jumping over rainbows. That'll show 'em.
Who's the smart one now?
Happy New Year!
Vlog speak, Vic Vlog, United States, Now what? These are stories addressing the several..., 25 Dec 2007
Kaboom: A Soldier's War Journal, LT G, Iraq, A scout platoon leader chronicles the details of h..., 25 Dec 2007
Politics of a Patriot, Politics of a Patriot, United States, Future Military psychologist; currently college st..., 23 Dec 2007
I Married My Hero, Catlin Humes, United States, This blog follows a new Air Force wife through the..., 21 Dec 2007
View from the War(Home)Front, Jrzy Army Wife, United States, Somewhat Daily Entertaining Goings on, of a Deploy..., 21 Dec 2007
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There are some pretty powerful milblogs; as they are called, out there but the folks over at History.com have put together a site containing both normal text blogs and video blogs from soldiers currently stationed in Iraq. The site is called Band of Bloggers; and yes there is the obvious tie in with the television show Band of Brothers which if it helps keep the blogs up and running that is fine by me. This is one time where commercial interests are providing a venue for some powerful words and visuals. The only thing I don’t like is that the videos have no way to be embedded elsewhere.
Read the entire story here.
Thanks to Kathi for the tip!
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By JP, Webmaster of MIlblogging.com
We celebrated Christmas on December 26th because several members of our Platoon were on mission in Iraq doing Convoy Security for the holiday. We waited until we had the entire Platoon together before celebrating. Each Bad Voodoo soldier received gifts and cards from Supporters and family members back home. Keep in mind, if you’ve been supporting troops , don’t underestimate your contributions. The fact is, it means a lot to us (especially the electronics), although you might not know it from reading my Golden Rules of Care Packages.
Many of us were unprepared for the kindness and support we’ve been receiving throughout our deployment, and especially the Holidays. You really are making a difference.
By the way, the Bad Voodoo Platoon website is currently down. GX Magazine will be launching the new Bad Voodoo website very very soon. When it’s online I’ll make sure to blog about it here. There’s not even a word that describes how awesome the new website is, but considering I threw together the old website using FrontPage and it hadn’t been updated it in over six months and there were only like two pictures --- I could’ve put up a website full of errors that caused your computer to catch fire every time you navigated to it, and it would’ve been a huge improvement.
Happy Holidays!
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Personal journals and professional logs, concepts rooted in ancient times, are two types of precursors to the modern blog. Here's a timeline tracking the development of the blog as we know it today, including the relevant progress of online interactivity, beginning with the launch of the Internet...
Read the entire story here.
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Is this book suited to the Young Adult audience? The answer’s as complex as this collection of essays.
THE SANDBOX will appeal to all readers who want to know what it really means to lay your life on the line, to support the troops and be supported by them.
A good number of today’s young adult readers may someday enlist or, God forbid, get drafted. For that reason alone, THE SANDBOX may well be one of the most important books of our time. It’s a boot camp experience for the uninitiated, arming readers with foxhole-level knowledge about the realities and consequences of war. To be sure, it touches on some adult content, and the language isn’t muted. But war is hell, uncensored, and this book isn’t any different.
Read the entire story here.
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Name: Maj. Michael Tomberlin
Member Since: 25 Oct 2007
Milblogging Listing: Yellowhammering Afghanistan
Website URL: http://blog.al.com/afghanistan
Bio: Michael Tomberlin is a reporter for The Birmingham News and a Field Artillery Major in the Alabama Army National Guard. He has been in the National Guard for 21 years, having joined at the age of 17. His current deployment in Afghanistan is his first overseas activation. A native of Covington County, he now lives in McCalla with his wife, Alison, and daughters Flannery and Michaela.
From a recent blog entry:
I've been home three and one-half days now but if feels like less time than the 16 hours or so it took to fly here from Kuwait.
Despite that, I have done a lot and seen many friends and family.
My wife, Alison, picked me up at the Birmingham International Airport, where we exhibited much more PDA (public display of affection) than we're accustomed to.
Alison had campaign-style signs made with messages welcoming me home, which lined the roads leading to our house. A large banner was hanging above the porch completing the trail (thanks, Wesley for helping her with that).
We went home and I can't talk about the first thing we did. In fact, I can't talk about the first five things we did.
After some quality time together, we picked our daughters up from our friends' house (thanks, Paul and Renee) and took Flannery to basketball practice. I hung around with the soccer moms, who are basketball moms these days (Jena, Susan, Andrea, Karen, Katie and others I'm sure I'm forgetting) and eased back into "daddy mode."
In addition to the necessary silliness that is part of being the father of my girls, we have spent time playing everything from old maid to video games. Michaela has not let me out of her sight or grip too often since I've been home and I can't say I've tried to escape.
We dined on Pizza Hut thin and crispy supreme pizza my first night home. Since I've been home I've eaten out Mexican food and I ate at a Thai restaurant with friends. I've head some of my favorite red velvet cake as well (thanks, Mrs. Montgomery).
My first full day home began with wakeup tickles for the girls (they are operating at a tickle deficit) and I went to the school mass at St. Aloysius Catholic Church. I spoke to St. Aloysius Catholic School afterwards, telling the children about Afghanistan and what we are doing there and answering some good questions from the 200 or so children and teachers there.
Find out more about Yellowhammering Afghanistan here.
Thanks to Robin in Ohio for the nomination!
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CJ is a great human being. He is everything you want in an American soldier: patriotic, honorable, caring, devout, intelligent, highly motivated, with a deep love for his fellow soldiers and the U.S. military. When I think of the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, I don't think of losers and misfits who only want to be put through school and escape from a background of poverty. I think of men and women like CJ, who voluntarily choose to serve in our military out of a desire to serve their country, defend its freedoms, and protect its citizenry.
CJ is a top 10 finalist in the VA Mortgage Center's American Hero Award contest. I encourage all of my readers to go vote for him; and if not for him, then for any of the other fine soldiers who are finalists in the contest.
Read the entire story here.
Thanks to my Mom for the tip!
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...So I want to ask the readership what they think now. It seems that milblogs, unless you become a political or strict military orientated site has a certain life span. It just seems that way. What would you like to get from this site? Would you be interested in my new project?...
Read the entire story and comments here.
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Read the entire story here.
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