How To Help

by hilzoy

A member of Andy Olmsted's family has just written me to say that if people want to do something in honor of him, they can send donations to a fund that has been set up for the four children of CPT Thomas Casey, who served under Andy and was killed while trying to help him. The address is here:

Capt. Thomas Casey Children'™s fund
P.O. Box 1306
Chester, CA 96020

Thanks so much.

Also, below the fold I am going to try to compile a list of the blogs that linked to Andy's final post, so that his friends and family can see some of them without having to go to the trouble of tracking them all down. I'm going to do this gradually -- it will take a while. I've been bookmarking them since Friday, and I think there are nearly 500. However, if anyone notices a blog post that I haven't found by, say, noon tomorrow, just leave it in comments, or email the kitty or me.

I can't tell you how much I've appreciated everyone's willingness to put politics aside on the threads about Andy, and the way this entire community has responded. Special thanks to everyone who has emailed me about comments that need to be taken down -- there were too many comments in the various threads for any one human to keep track of, and it helped a lot. It meant a lot to me, and I think it would have meant a lot to Andy. Thanks to you all.

[Update: Do not click "Continue Reading..." unless you want to see the long and growing list of links to Andy's final post. If you don't, just click "comments".]

[Update 2: Someone had asked me to bump this, but having the software eat most of the post and redate it was not exactly what I had in mind...]

Press and blog posts about MAJ Andrew Olmsted

(This will of necessity be incomplete. They are in no particular order, though I did move Jim Henley to the top, given what Andy said in his final post. They are all the posts I found; I haven't tried to screen for quality or anything like that. The basic distinction between 'posts that do more than just link' and 'posts that basically just link' is that the former contain some response or set of reflections, however brief, that I thought might be of interest to Andy's friends and family. So Tim Burke's "This post makes me feel as sad as anything I'™ve read in years" counts as doing more, while a longer post that recites facts about where Andy blogged, how his last post came to be posted, etc., does not. Also, people who show some signs of having known Andy, either in person or via his blogs, are more likely to be in the first category. It is, however, of necessity a very rough sorting.

I apologize in advance for the inevitable typos and omissions.)

Press:

Rocky Mountain News: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; and 6 (coverage of funeral), 7 (photos from funeral), video
Weekly Standard
Liberation (France)
Guardian (UK), and again
New York Post
The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
Herald Sun (Australia)
AP, and again
Las Cruces Sun News
Worcester Telegram
Stars and Stripes
Mail & Guardian Online (South Africa)
Editor and Publisher
The Topeka Capitol-Journal
again) (and again: video here.)
The Herald (UK)
Government Executive
New York Times
Boston Globe; and obituary
Boston Herald
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal (and another)
North Andover Eagle-Tribune
The MetroWest Daily News (and another)
National Journal (The Gate); also, Beltway Blogroll
Cedarburg News Graphic
KWCH (Wichita)
News and Observer (NC)
WBZ (Boston)
Bangor Daily News, and again
The News Hour (PBS; last segment; honor roll)
Times Online (UK) (Web Grab)
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
NPR: Day To Day, All Things Considered
KKTV (CO)
ABC-7 (The Denver Channel)
Colorado Springs Gazette, and again (obituary)
Arizona Star (AP)
Ottowa Citizen
WLBZ2 (Bangor ME)
Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger
Die Weltwoche
Bangor Daily News
Lawrence Journal-World
Northborough (MA) Villager
Newsday
San Antonio Express-News
WCSH6 (Portland ME)
Passauer Neue Presse
Népszabadság Online (Hungary)
BBC Pods and Blogs (long audio; start about 2/3 of the way through.)

Blog posts do more than just link:

Unqualified Offerings (Jim Henley)
Unqualified Offerings (Mona)
Unqualified Offerings (Jim Henley, Take 2)
Vodkapundit
Marginal Revolution
Intel Dump
Amygdala, and again
Easily Distracted
Tom Watson
MetaFilter
Matthew Yglesias
TNR: The Plank
BlackFive, and again
Reason
Michael Totten
Bitch Ph.D.
Outside the Beltway
American Street
Soccer Dad
PoliGazette
Cold Fury
Unfogged
Protein Wisdom
Neptunus Lex
Balloon Juice (and again)
The Glittering Eye (and again)
NewsHoggers
Cosmic Variance
The Carpetbagger Report
Wired: Danger Room
The Volokh Conspiracy
Lawyers, Guns, and Money
Gawker
Alex Geana
QandO
RedState (Charles Bird)
Right Wing Nut House, and again
Virginia Postrel, and again
bastard.logic (also posted at Comments from Left Field), and again
newsrack blog
Wake Up America
Sigmund, Carl, and Alfred
QuickRob
Uptown Avenger
Shakesville
Blog of the Moderate Left
Fact-esque
Operation Yellow Elephant
edward_ winkleman
American Footprints (cross-posted here)
The Minority Report
Fresno Beehive.com
All the Beirut News
Fred Schoeneman
the lower casefiles
KateAndDally
The Grand Panjandrum
The Worldwide Rant
d-day
Last Call Casualty
Slobokan's Site O'™ Schtuff
Aqurette
Kingdom of Madness
Dwahzon's Village
Power And Control
Michael-In-Norfolk
Jason Sanford
transientme
LP Cards Fan
That's OK; I Don't Like You Either
Viva Gemillistan!
Political Byline
The Blog Brief
Bloggasm
Contested Thesis
Mythistoria
forsythferret
Incertus
Environmental Republican, and more
Crooks and Liars
Flopping Aces
Daily Kos (JR)
Vagabond Scholar, and again (also posted at Blue Herald 2.0, and again)
The Impolitic
Bloodthirsty Warmonger, and again
My Life As A Military Spouse
Acute Politics
Idevs
The Bad Idea Blog
Jason Knits
Say Anything (also posted at KX Net.com)
American Nonsense
Freedom Sight
Double Plus Ungood
ElderAbuseHelp.Org
Baseball Crank
The Global Community Tribunal
"Sont les mots qui vont très bien ensemble"
marbelous
cleek
B5Tech Scifi Forum
Plato's Earwax
Kiwiblog
Alas! A Blog
Odd Time Signatures
Double Tap
wading through my stream of consciousness
Craig Cheslog
American Princess
Mudville Gazette (cross-posted at Chapomatic)
TigerHawk
Badgers Forward
American Daughter
American Digest
XTerra Owners Club
Winds of Change
The Chatterbox (Winds of Change)
Truth & Beauty
Project Zambrano
Tech, Life, and Jayson
Rampancy
Not Really A Book Blog Book Blog
American Junky
North Shore Journal
NRO: The Corner (Michael Ledeen)
NRO: The Tank (Steve Schippert)
WestermaNation
FatMixx
Ezra Klein
Bock's Car
Altercation (LTC. Bob Bateman)
Homodox
mcduff
Fabulously Jinxed
South By Southwest (also posted here.)
Unscrewing The Inscrutable
Small Wars Journal
Milblogging.com
Whiskey A GoGo
For your Consideration
The Futile Cycle
Common Sense Junction
Babylon 5 Fan's Journal
Wolf Pack Sci Fi and Costuming
Maris
MSNBC: Clicked
The Bitt
The Daily Brief, and again
Silicon Valley Mom's Blog
Ezekiel's Chariot
Dawnkey Notes
Reporters Without Borders
American Thinker
Knee Deep in the Hooah
Huffington Post (Paul Rieckhoff)
Trek BBS
Citizen Dane
Toronto Mike
Gold Star Mom Speaks Out
Real Lawyers Have Blogs
Lorem Ipsum
Emergent Chaos
Taking It Outside: 1, 2, 3
Walter In Denver
Xesier
Chattylill's Weblog
Free Frank Warner
The Ignatian Perspective
Office of Special Plans
My Dogs Keep Me Sane
Larvatus Prodeo
Newsweek (Soldier's Home)
Perfect Insanity
The Editors Weblog
Threats Watch
Fearless Philosophy for Free Minds
No Pundit Intended
Rosemary's Thoughts
Web *.0?
Ordinary Extraordinary
The Inverse Square Blog
Yankee Tirade
The Ready Line
Road To Wellness
Mediating Conflict
Objective Justice
North By Northeast
Snarfd
Libertarian Girl
Just A Mom
Cyberlaw Central
Diary of the Mad Pigeon
Didn't You Hear?
Ron's Musings
Vario Creative
The Sniper
The Pickle
This Fucking War
Cornfield Meet
Arms and Influence
ClizBiz
Watsonian Ramblings
Missing J. T. Snow
Murdoc Online
Pixels From The Edge
Welcome to the Wildman World
Fluent Gibberish
sg.hu
techbazis
Pam's Blog
TubaPants
The Vault
Daily Kos: IGTNT
Readings From The Right
Jefferson Weeps
MSNBC WorldBlog
Anchor Rising
Enurgi
Loyal Bushie
Pub Rants
JoshuaPundit, and again
Crossed Sabres
HVY TK
Coyote Gulch
Mail Call!
Swarming Media
Feet Meet Street
nm_eviled
Deckchairs on the Titanic
windows xp
Snooker in Berlin
Stryker Brigade News
Der Parson's Rant
The Bare Nee Cessities (Townhall)
Winds of Change (Armed Liberal)
Other People's Emergencies
A So-Called Nice Girl
Sandi Kahn Shelton
MotherPie
ساکن زمین
The Path I Didn't Take
arstechnica
No Really, I'm Fine
wtf is this crap?
The Sassy Southerner
How This Old Brit Sees It (crossposted at appletree)
Forgotten Beatitudes
The Lady Speaks
Fables of the Reconstruction
Just Me
shattereddoll
Widow's Quest
הבלוג של צוות כליקיט
Border Wars
Juggernaut
Lost Somewhere Over There
Rosemary-Go-Round
Casus Belli
The Tygrrrr Express
Confessions of a Fantasy Sports Junkie
Cajun Boy in the City
Arrelius
What's All This Then!
Barking Mad Dog
The People's Republic of Seabrook
the woodshed
Thinking Thrice
Graphesthesia
Immortality By Proxy
The Word of Jeff
CC Review
The Yankee Sailor
I Think Geek
Musings of a Thoughtful Conservative
Armchair Generalist
The Left Shue
GraphicTruth
Tracy Places
Issues on Call
Squeaky Wheel Seeks Grease
A Personal Tao
The Noisy Lion
Le Blog De La Rev
ShySpeak.net
House of Eratosthenes (also at Webloggin)
Touched By An Angel
Blogowogo
Neo-Neocon
Frosty's Mumblings
The Professor's Notes
A Newt One, and again
Waiting For Rain
Cairns Blog
From On High
Scrappin ... With Life
Hope Radio
Kenders' Musings
Words From Warriors
Legacy Matters
MediaVidea
Educated Soldier
Ragged Claws
X
One Fine Jay
Fainting Goat Brewery
Baseball Musings
Classical Values
Laughing Wolf
Resurrection Song
Baldilocks
The Seventh Sense
Political Byline
Phriendly Phil'™s Velociraptor Pharm n'™ Pettin'™ Zoo
M's Birthday in Paris
Mav's uber-l33t kickass e/n site
今日のヒトコト、フタコトˆ
CanyonWren's Travels
Bloggapedia
Havaintoja digimaailmasta
Bridget's Journalism Blog
Geek Life v2.0
ArsGeek
Pensamentos Perdidos
Befuddled
Wayfaring Stranger
Sandwich Cake
Herodotus
Watcher of Weasels
Battle Hymn.org
Obscurorama
PAC 505 (On Tom Casey)
Cake Eater Chronicles
Jaybird's Jottings
Opinion Australia
Daily Diversions of the Female Kind
Debbie's Blatherings
This War And Me
Tilting At Windmills
Garrick
Sons of the Republic
Seeking A Homeland
Yes But No But Yes
Cold War Veteran's Blog
Monoblogue
50 Words Or Less
Gadgetvicar
foog.com
Blimdablog
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Dan Blank: Publishing, Innovation, and the Web
Le Blogue de Tilly
wolfe's Musings
Dan Ford
Skrocki's Blog
Committee to Protect Bloggers
Injelea
Viva The Meadows
The Reaction
Lone Dissenter
Barcepundit
KCHBlog
FlyGirl
Awakening Soul
.kaliber
Darth Apathy
Wickets and Guayaba
The Daily Bellwether
House of Zathras
Random Remarks
6 Months in Kabul
Bookwork Room
Cerberus at the Gate
Information Dissemination
Half A Dozen Streets And A Bit Of Wasteland
The Dignified Rant
Blatant Reality
Catch Up Lady
Bostonmaggie, and again
Road Sassy
The Return of the Twisted Spinster
Worth My Salt
Little Book Of Nonsense
Solomonia
PoliZine
exmearden
Banguli
Constitution Club
El Universo de TaYo
Rofasix
Atistr
Opinionated Catholic
ColoradoCowboyProfessor
From Burke To Kirk And Beyond
Middle Class Guy
Whatever Happened To Crazy?
Sense of Events
Three Wise Men
Completement [Ad]Dicted
Tami Brothers
Illustrated Ideas
ben rehberg dot com
Yvonne's Weblog
now is gone
Hit Coffee
Republispin
Rivrdog
Banapana
... no third solution
Distributed Republic
Lost in Translation
Capturing the Moments
Karolis Pocius
Views from The Back Row
The Ethical Blogger
The Next Fix
Midnight Musings
Profy
Daddy Dan
Life of an IT Consultant
Zig's Rants
Powerpymes
Short Notes
Adventure Dad
Like Nobody's Business
A Pixi's Life
c95FM (Saskatoon)
Jonas Kyratzes
Der Weg ins Freie
Ex Nihilo
הערים הסמויות מן העיןŸ
zulustudio
Self-Absorbed Boomer
j's scratchpad
Infocult
Socially Adept
52 Sundays
Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
Oak Harbor Library
Politics, Guns, and Beer
Blabbeando
Again with the titles
Biggg NewsDoggg Daddy!!!
Think Christian
Captphil Online (1/11/2008)
Montana World
Murderati.com
You just keep on trying til you run out of cake
Minor Thoughts
Самые обсуждаемые темы в ЖЖ–
karasius
The View From Western Maine
alldaybuffet
i8-theapple
Bookworm Room
Bill and Bob's Excellent Afghan Adventure
St. John's High
HorseCity.com's Bulletin Board
Military.com, and discussion boards
Aaron Buzzard In Iraq, and again (physician who treated Andy, CPT Casey, and SFC Beaver)
The Fabric of our Nation
Communication Management Resources ABrown
this should be a new start
Claire et Lolo On Air
Stroboskop
terko
Red Hot Cuppa Politics
sekimori design
2 δυο ενα
Cognitive Edge
IssabellaBlue's Journal
Republispin
Greenpress Network
Rusdi GoBlog
Erander
Pub Rants
Χαρησ Καλλεργησƒ
Adventures in Grad School
Won't Run Out Of Ink
Unessa.net
Samizdata
Appolonius
Bisnis
Jeff Bridges.com
Crow 70
Malleum Majorum
Lyran Tal Press
Beth's Adventures
Textual Relations
Things in here don't react well to bullets
Ian Aleksander Adams
splitcoaststampers
Halu-Halo
Long Road To December
Life Is A Highway
The Sandgram
Harry Binswanger List
Slobber And Spittle
Megan McArdle, and again
Mysteries of the Pineapple
JMSNews Forums, and again
Branchez-Vous Techno
About Blank
emergent ink
Author Diane Whiteside
The Fountain Pen Network
Flit
Lost Forest After Dark
earthsea
The Happy Carpenter
Oregon At War
From Where I Sit
The Democratic Party (Community Blogs)
Just A Girl ... And Her Dogs
Helen Chen (1/13/08)
Made A Difference For That One
WillThink4Wine
Hunter At Random
Tathra's Blog
First Day Of Forever
Mondo Elio
Sista inlägget
Tutto Quello Che Mi Viene In Mente
cathleen's place
Great Expectasia
Living In The Desert
Kirsten's Awesome Blog
Write Stuff
Joe Koday
AmeriCAN-DO Attitude
My Unique Life; also here
The Red Dagger Society
今日のヒトコト、フタコト
Illustrated Ideas
MikesterMike's Mind
My Blog
Stay At Home vs. Work
The Roll Call Notebook
RealPolice
Colloquium
Trenton's Time
Parallel Parking The John Deere On Space Mountain
2ξίδιο
Kung Fu Chewy
Death Becomes Her
Kompas Tekno
Patriot's Quill
Wheels 'N' Axlenoise
Info Komputer
Zeal and Activity Shnuff's Xanga Site
Love}{Lola
Welcome To Pottersville
The Spherical Influence
Military City
Snooker In Berlin
r. ward
Patatas Traigo
A. P. Lawrence
XDA
pensieri dal mondo
martinned
why say?
Sean P. Aune
Bill Simmons
Jurnal GoBlog

Blog posts that basically link to Andy's last post, or quote excerpts:

Andrew Sullivan
TBogg
Hullaballoo
The Huffington Post
Suburban Guerrilla
Brad DeLong
Wizbang
Confederate Yankee
Hot Air
Angry Bear
The Agitator, and again
Althouse
RedState (TheLine)
IMAO
Daily Kos (taylormattd)
Pat Dollard
From the Back Pew
Military Blog Updates
Terror News Briefs
The Debate Link
cuz i'm just a bill
Riehl World View
Bloodless Coup
A Crank's Progress
nashville knucklehead
2millionth weblog
Pundit Review
Decline and Fall
Screaming in an Empty Room
No More Spin
Stubborn Facts
Caveat Bettor
Josh Treviño
Blogofascists
The Concerned Troll
Editwrite
Chaotic Synaptic Activity
snow-moon
Crime and Federalism
bill in exile
Far East Cynic
at-Largely
Sean Hannity Forums
Yankee Mom
Making Conservatives Cringe Since 1977
Modified Limited Hangout
The Bis Key Chronicles
tellhimfred.com
Whatever.
Not So Subtle
Nothing Is Sacred
McClatchy Watch
Thunder Pig, and again
Thomason Tracts
Gordon's Notes
Flying Debris
Scatablog
bjkeeffe
Clipmarks
Faith Journeys
Tortured Illogic
The Right Nation
Done With Mirrors, and again
Citizen Jake
mightygodking.com
LTB
Only anarchists are pretty...
Words At Work
Media Mythbusters Blog
Chaos Theory
Northman's Fury
Check Raise
Food For The Blind
I Drunk
NPR: The Bryant Park Project
Nancy Rommelmann
Attempts
Gateway Pundit
Life Cubed
The Digital Federalist
Some of Nothing
Cosmopoetica
The Belmont Club
The Median Sib
Cao's Blog
The Dullard Gazette
Tizona
The Crossed Pond
Cosmic Zoo
Sideshow
Private Plzen
Alex Whalen
God, Politics, and Rock N Roll
Right Wing Nation
Argghhh!!!
JasonPye.com
Bear Creek Ledger
Doug Ross @ Journal
Transterrestrial Musings
Fallenmonk
Snooze Button Dreams
The C-Square
The Texas Scribbler
Ace of Spades
Hoosier Army Mom
Alabama Improper
Fighting For Liberty
blogrevolution
Life in the Great Midwest
Monkeyfister
Babble On
En Revanche
West Virginia Blue
Fish Taco Stand
JammieWearingFool
Watching The Wheels
Donkelephant
Long Time Gone
Democratic Underground
KLK Speaks
Dynamics of Cats
Check Raise
Fark
ChiefsPlanet
MadOgre (1/4/08)
SelfLaugh.com
ReBelle Nation
Inali Dancers
LotusBlog
Tanker Brothers
Simple
The Daily Brief
Slow Groove
Afternoons with the Mad Rocket Scientist
Rook's Rant
The Hunter-Gatherer
The Eleventh Hour
Crazy, Sexy Life!
Quotulaciousness
Lean Left
Opinionator
Instapundit
The Mystery of the Haunted Vampire
The Smallest Minority
Wandering Neuron
Genius
A Pirate's Life For Me
Chasing The Dollar
BillHobbs.com
The Cunning Realist
slowcool.net
The Forvm
Abu Muqawama
Yellow Limes
Rising Hegemon
My Hot Pie
Fan Forums
Lupe, der Satire-Blog
Magnum Forums
Azad Forever
Raanan.com
In Search of an Audience
Military Photos.net
SayAnything (also posted at KXNet.com)
The Agitator
HorsesAss.org
Scobleizer
Scribblings of the Metropolitician
The Tree of Liberty
БЛОГЪТ НА ДЕЛЯН ДЕЛЧЕВ
The Immoral Minority
Stefan.Waidele.Info
La Cartumba
Exit Zero
Terry Glavin
Nashville Is Talking
The Church of Groove
Tim Blair
Skippy's List
Doc in the Box
Free Republic
Free Republic (take 2)
Patriot Guard Riders
Sea and Sands
Die Achse Des Guten
Free Britannia
3 Quarks Daily
Just Now Learning
"Longe" da Multidao Frenetica
jsoh
NoBoddie's Fool
The Final Cut, and again
SteveAudio
Control Congress
The State of Play
edekyn
MREInfo
Everything Goes Green
Suicide Help Desk
PA Pundits
The Jawa Report
Music News and Views
Slate/Doonesbury: The Sandbox
Thunder
Bob's Blog
Band's Stands
Yikes!
Long Ago And Not True Anyway
scotchneat.ca
oddnina
M5
Undercurrent
Pat Allen
Gypsy Scholar
N=1
Hildulf's Site
Basic Thinking
Nickerblog
Rudius Media
The Straight Dope
lgf
Rojo
Whitney Tilson's Blog
Autumn's Site
Whoohoo's Site
XD Talk
Sherdog Mixed Martial Arts Forum
Pink, Warm, and Dry
Wackbag.com
ON Point
ShadowSpear
The Daily Blogster
Witness LA
Calguns.net
Mumblepants
Tigerpillow
Human Communication
Fame or Famine
ramshackle day parade
The Martian Cat Problem
cephas.net
I Guess A Few Will See This?
All John's Children
Mediaflect
BaneRants
Drink-Soaked Trotskyite Popinjays For War
Macchianera
blog '66
Always Question
Secretly Ironic
A., Woman of Independent Means
The Idiom
Going To The Mat
The Invisible Bunny
ukniwm
29 Marbles
kaj la hundo iris kun ili....
Flying With Broken Wings
The Publishing Spot (and again)
southern_belle1962
KVI Blog
ArmyRanger.com
Non Race Related
Something to Say
Duo&Co
Broken Road
Smith
neobeans.com
Stacy Jacobs
Bryan's List
Blogonautes
What's In A Name?
tacnukesoul
Musetracks
Catholic and Enjoying It
Binary Trash
Eye on Oshkosh
Adam & Glennae
In the Arena
freepress
XLForum
Middle East News
Bag of Nothing
A Minnesota Mom's Site
Squandrous
New Media Curious
Wicked Local
The Colorado Index
One L'Info En Plus
KojakFull
Bard Travelz
Dave Lucas
Sazputin
Leatherneck.com
Last Year's Girl
The Indiana Jones School of Management
mário nogueira
As Glorias de Calhabe
Flying Hamster
Intellectual Properties
Claude Pate
Scout.com
10rn.com
Irrevocable Stuff
Ain't Nothing Like The Reel Thing
Skylark's Site
Crash Poetry
Kat in New York
The Blog of M'Gath
Done With Mirrors
Poppin's Ponderings
Sharfa's Space
Morgan's Site
Easyrew
Miladysa
Chicken McNugget
Gamers With Jobs
Free Internet Press Newsletter
Jennster
National News
Natasha Fondren
k
The BLOG
Slapstick Politics, and again, and again
The American Apologist
Pho's Akron Pages
The Karl Frank, Jr. Communicator
Miss C Recommends
Old Dominion Blog Alliance
United Conservatives of Virginia
Wet Machine
Hooah Wife and Friends
Digg
Mounted Valor
Pierre Beugnot: Le Blog
Biker Worlds
Life Moves Pretty Fast...
Salt Lake Tribune (blog)
The News Tribune (Tacoma WA) (blog)
Out Of My Mind
WTF?
Natalia Antonova
Cheat-Seeking Missiles (and again)
Wolf Howling (and again)
DeathBoy
This Full House
Tony's Blog
Chris Penningroth's Weltanschauung
Theflax.org
Missing You Already
Lost in Solitude
Milwaukeean Rhapsody
Under Sask Skies
Jan's Writing Place
Discourse.net
In da Buff
From the Desk of Ted Mathis
Hector Vex's Infotainment
il dolce far niente
Davenetics
strategiedigitali
brannman
Ned Raggett Ponders It All
My Personal Finance Odyssey
Feministe
The Divine Mr. M
joi
Something Awful Forums
Blonde Sagacity
7.62mm Justice
Blue Star Chronicles
Pajamas Media (and again.)
Municipalist
Freethinker's Site
Gathering Wool
Brett's Logjam
Braving The Elements
The Burd Repory
Sisyphus Shrugged
Skirmisher
Patterico's Pontifications (and again)
I Have No Inner Monologue
Kahlerisms
Birch and Maple
The Kassandra Project
mlogger
Sprechblase
Laughable Lunacy
SelectorX
The Bayou
Under the Yoke
The Ethereal Voice
My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
Morgan's Unstill Life
Moue Magazine
Hendronix
Oook Blog
3 By Sea
Subterranean Homepage News
Juegetonas Nubes
Hyperlink Guerrilla
The Sins of Mephisto
BusyMom.net
Parabasis
Polonius
Jorge Arango
DailyDrops
Markingegno's Drafts
Aristora: журналист и человек
Unambiguously Ambixtrous
The Wide Awake Cafe
Pottymouth
MP Pistol.com
Maestrini Per Caso
In the Midst of Eternity
E3 Gazette
21st Century Paladin
mpv's little blog
Blogasism
Attack Machine
What Makes You Happy?
HAGLife
CheekierMeSly
lies.com
Improve The Vote
Blog-N-Things
StickyFigure
PavCo Multimedia Synergistics Weblog
Woolly Wildcat Writings
Joho the Blog
The Chaliceblog
Entertainment Geekly
O'DonnellWeb
Atlantic Ave.
small dead animals
Semper Fi
Law Librarian Blog
Panda Isha
CasdraBlog
lancerlord
Monticello Society
Know Now
Political Pistachio
What Makes You Happy?
HAGLife
CheekierMeSly
قلعه تاناتوس
pagini
Ravings of a Semi-Sane Madwoman
Gadgetopia
Rants from the Rookery
DebbieKinIL
The 11th Hour
Project Sanguine
Miami-Forum
Linkfilter.net
Antoine Clarke
Irish Trojan In Tennessee
Beware The Man
Andres Useche's Blog
Daily Pundit
37 Days
Left of Center
Nonlinear Web Droppings
Simple Justice
Suspect Device
Carmichael's Position
Win the War
Martini Revolution
Jeff's Site
kspaz13
For The Sake Of My (In)Sanity!
Kzinti's Catch
Reality Hammer
Zen Ken
Under the Arch
TokSick
The Family Letter
Obi's Sister
The Aspire Archives
Milton J. Madison
A Blog Away From Home
What? Me Blog?
God's Modern Day Martyr
Ma Kultura
Sooner or Later
David Emery Online
Clear Politics
Greg Stoll
"Uni"
A Simple Kind Of Life
King's Right Site
little bit of this
Cobb
Chris Cannon (R-UT 3)
Married To Politics
Midspot
Today's Cool News
The D-Ring
The Gary Baumgarten Report
Temunot
Al Salibiyyah
The Bee Keeper
Fausta's Blog
Chelly's Deep Thoughts
Charmed, I'm Sure
Stop Mom Stop
All Things Jennifer
Bieber Labs
Another Set Of Teeth
The Life and Times of Todd B
made thing
SGT Hook, and again
One Love
Easter Lemming Liberal News
Epin Blogi
FYI
Hös Report
Politically Incorrect
Blending the Mix
7 Year Winter
whydowork.com
Brent's Big Waste Of Space
Positive Blog
The Beiderbecke Affair
For Serenity's Sake
Diminished Expectations
PahaSapa
A View To An Uzz
Sharp Knife
Right On!
Dana's Journal and Miscellaneous Musings
The View From The Bleachers
Blogging For Influence & Attention
Le Monde du Blog
Inoperable Terran
Bootstrap Productions
conspiracysquirrels
Something ... And Half Of Something
Molten Thought
The Daily Lark
Tony Steward
Prometeu
Regarding Liberty
Blue Grass, Red State
MatthewIngram.com
Rusty's Armory
zTruth
bull runnings
CDR Salamander
Susan Katz Keating
Incoherent Ramblings
Textually Transmitted Diseases
The Fischbowl
Bloody P
Anton's Hat
Stand Firm
Bryan Strawser
Randy Thomas
Dhimmi This!
NW Republican
QED
TeresaCentric
Democrats Speak
Blogs For Victory
Jules Crittenden
The Skunk And Tiger
Peace And War
Mira Furlen Uber-Fan
Murphies
Cortando a Película
Savage Farming
9One
Tonya and PQBON's Weblog
Dane of War
Global Crossover
Dark Side of Humanity
A Soldier's Perspective
His Vorpal Sword
Crusader War College
MadPoet
Steeljaw Scribe
Gazing At The Flag
[rchen.net]
Rhode Island Law Journal
Hot Dog Fingers
Reason (Andrew Harvel, not the magazine)
SophistPundit
Keith D. Milby
Sicherheitspolitik
spacetravelsacrime
Quotalitiousness
BigJolly.com
Gene Expression
Talk Of...
Stormwarning's Counterterrorism
Juniorannex's Weblog
The Employee Factor
Pursuing Praxis
Bored Squishy
Nicodemus For Dummies
Tuscan Tony
AR15.com
memeame
kccsw
Kapitalismus-Magazin
The OC Mama
A Fool's Wisdom
Crumbs
the derek rose blog
Monkeys In My Pants
raccaldin36
simulatethis
Peace of my Mind
Rabbit Valley Road
Grim's Hall
TechnoDyke Forums
Thoughts-0-Dave
Unscrewing the Inscrutable
rockabilly mermaid with a proof positive mouth
the (non)binary chronicles of d-rex-8
wallydownundy
Loquacious Chase
J!Nx
Linked In: Answers
FreePress Blog
Nobody Asked Me
Where's The Cheese?
Roaming the Rose City
stephmor
OverMatter
Forging Ahead
Zanesville Campus Library
An Angry White Guy In Chicago
Watcher of Weasels
Whenever Briefing
Ruminations of a Soldier Medic
100 Monkeys Typing
Ask Dr. Science
Pen-Elayne On The Web
life's journey
Not Much, But All Mine
friskygeek
Gary K. Wray
BF2S Forums
Churbuck.com
rebelpixel productions
Rakkasan.net
Naked Villainy
Jerry Doyle
In Memory Of Online
Weibel Lines
Current.com
ShadowOrexia
Logiciels Mac et billets d’humeur
Iraq War News
Life's Journey
Game-Master.net
RedMonk
C0T0D0S0.org
Sunny Side Up
Matt J. Duffy
Sun
The Kat House
Channel 9 Forums
The Outdoor Journey
The Mockingbird Sings
Abandoned Stuff
Maine Political News
Walter Simons
I Have No Inner Monologue...
The Patchwork Quilt II
This is the war I fight, this is the life I live
Ma.gnolia
Obiwan's UFO-Free Message Board
Ned Raggett Ponders It All
Got Network?
Off the Kuff, and again
Behind the Approval Matrix
Clarence Grad 72
JuGgErNuTs
Wargaming Holidays
The Poor Man
Big Lizards
Smooth Jazz Denver Headlines
Full Circle Associates
Polemic & Paradox
Ragan.com
Detroit Craigslist
Valdassi.com
Baseops.net
Military Times
Happy Rowan
The Queen of Dallas
KFAN RubeChat
Pavlina
HVAC Talk
UK Commentators
Bug's Bleat
GunBoard.de
My Two Cents Are Free
fortyseventbeg
LT Nixon Rants
Mashable
Head Noises
The '61-'71 Dodge Sweptline Truck Forum
The Computer Mechanics
Ms. Underestimated
That's Racin'
DetroitGothic.net
Tattoodles
Dark Dreams From A Dark Girl
Lipstick Alley
USS Basilone
CAD Forums
RGJ.com
Hooah News
SFF Audio
Video Meliora, Proboque; Deteriora Sequor
Blog Khoa Học Máy Tính
Shirley MacLaine.com
A. W. S. Blog
Have Coffee Will Write
MiA
Pro-Thana
Keep My Soldier Safe
Not So Perfect Moms
Small Wars Council
The Oasis Forums
La Vida Es Un Tombola
The Joyent Community
The Patriots' Corner Forum
British Army Rumour Service
bojo.hu
The Final Post
Kay Harney Message Board
Braden's Corner of the Net
Singularities
Broker Universe
Worlds of JMS
Discuss Detroit
Adventure Rider
Unto The Breach
Kiowa Pilots
Military History Online
GunThing Forum
Octopus Overlords
The Motley Fool
Road Bike Review
Logan Elm Technology
Sitting on the Edge of Lake Silver
I495 Blues
AIDG.com
We're All Neighbors
lex icon
FireflyFans.net
vBulletin
New Media Sandbox
Strong Willed Woman
Muskegon Pundit
Thoughts & Rants
Doc Searl's Weblog
Northeastshooters.com
White Rose's Adventures
Asia Finest
The Blogora
What Jeff Thinks
Violins and Starships
Oso's Outhouse
Domelights.com
Central Illinois Gourmand-O-Rama
HXFOUR
Philosopheasy
Chronache Di Un Sopravvisuto
Panda Monium
Elite Special Forces
Catch-19
Kzinti's Kouch
KVI Blog
The Wargamer Forums
A Counting School
The Bagwan
TapOut
Receulli
Slowtwitch Forums
Joshing Around
Tider Insider
Fun With Stuff
Hellow!! Special
Tajmahalic
Pandoro
Worcester Mag's Election Blog
Tales From The Road
Military SOS
Romans, Countrymen
The Employee Factor
revolutionaries
Greek OK
Legends of Westwood
Total Sports World Forums
Memento
Clever Title To Come
Good Times Santa Cruz
LEO Forum
Working Her Mojo
VM Sports
Mason Wilson
Tony's Blog
spot the dog's blog
londo

Video

In Memory of Major Andrew Olmsted
The Last Post (video)
Fox News Honors Major Andrew Olmsted

Comments

[Sebastian Holsclaw]

There isn't any 'below the fold' but when you notice that you should kill this comment. ;)

[hilzoy]

Seb: not yet. I have been organizing the gazillion and one links into a manageable set of folders, each of which can be opened with one click, and so have not yet started to create it. :)

[hilzoy]

I mean: I basically asked myself: self, do you want to hold up announcing the fund for CPT Casey's children while you do the link thing? Self said: no.

[Josh]

It's really been amazing to see just how many places have linked. You're going to have you work cut out for you, hilzoy. (And I think Jim Henley had the best reaction to all the links.)

[liberal japonicus]

I'd suggest that the thing to do for the fund for Capt Casey's children is to figure out a Paypal link. I don't want to put more work on you, hil, but I have no experience in setting it up, but I'd be happy to try and organize the effort to help to get it done.

[Gary Farber]

There's nothing to "figure out", or "organize," LJ. It's just a matter of CPT Casey's family supplying a bank account/credit card link when they get around to it.

I'm sure no one cares that it will likely take them some days or weeks to get to that.

[liberal japonicus]

But, if all they provided is a post office box, then it would suggest that they aren't internet minded, so there might be a higher barrier than you think, Gary. And I think that if it goes up say 4 weeks from now, it won't be as effective as if it were to go up with this post, as Hilzoy notes all the places that have linked to Andrew's post. Furthermore, I don't know what the tax situation would be, and there are others who might be more knowledgeable about that.

[Gary Farber]

Fair enough.

[hilzoy]

On the other hand, they don't know me from a hole in the wall; under the circumstances, I might worry about giving me the keys to a bank account.

[dutchmarbel]

I did a post about Andrew and linked to his last post on ObWi, but it is all in Dutch so it doesn't add to what I said in the thread I think.

I agree with LJ that the lower the threshold the easier the proposed action will be taken.

[SPC Sarah A. Martin]

Seems like he would have been the guy I would have followed to war anyday. God Bless the family of Major Andy Olmstead, may they find peace in the darkest hour knowing that's what Andy wanted.

[Jesurgislac]

The added advantage of a Paypal link, if Captain Casey's family would set it up (they would have to do it, really) is that it would mean non-USians could donate with ease - with a PO Box, if you're not a North American, you're really left with the option of sending cash or nothing.

[cleek]

just for completeness: i had a little post, too.

the whole thing still sucks.

[OCSteve]

the four children of CPT Thomas Casey, who served under Andy and was killed while trying to help him

And now I’m choked up yet again at the selflessness displayed by this.

Agree about the PayPal account. If people can just click through the chances they will are much higher than getting their checkbook, etc.

[Nell]

Hilzoy, thanks so much for all your work.

No question that a Paypal link would enable more contributions, if someone in the Olmsted or Casey family is up to it. In the meantime, I'm deeply grateful for the chance to write a check.

Re-reading Andrew's posts and (even more) his comments brings home the painful depth of the loss.

The breadth of the ongoing loss -- Andrew times a million -- that's impossible to deal with and face the day. Thank you again, hilzoy, and please thank Andrew's family for us.

[Tom H.]

For another piece of press, there was a brief mention in the Raleigh (NC) News & Observer today, "SLAIN BLOGGER LEFT A FINAL MESSAGE," in the sidebar at http://www.newsobserver.com/505/story/866766.html
Looks like it was syndicated from the AP.

[Ugh]

Gary posted a bunch of press links in a prior thread.

[nu]

http://www.liberation.fr/actualite/monde/302404.FR.php?rss=true

[lutton]

some local press (Philly, PA) re Capt. Casey:

http://www.nbc10.com/news/14991700/detail.html

Army Captain With Local Ties Dies In Iraq Ambush

POSTED: 8:36 am EST January 7, 2008
UPDATED: 9:36 am EST January 7, 2008
An Army captain with family in South Jersey was killed in Iraq last week.

Capt. Thomas Casey, 32, died in a firefight in Sadiyah, Iraq.

His mother lives in Cape May Point, N.J.

Casey's commanding officer was also killed in the ambush.

His family said he served one tour in Iraq, returned to civilian life, but returned for a second tour of duty because he missed the military.

"He was very committed to his job and he believed they were making a difference where he was," his aunt said.

Casey is survived by a wife and two young sons.

[LizardBreath]

I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but throwing it out -- if the family is not comfortable with/capable of setting up a Paypal link, someone at ObWi, or maybe Jim Henley, in any case someone with a personal connection, might set up a Paypal fund on their own and forward bundled contributions by check to the family. There's a weird trust issue there -- you're soliciting donations that don't go immediately into the control of the people who they're for -- but if that can be worked out, it might be the easiest.

[KCinDC]

I was going to suggest what LizardBreath said, but there is the possibility that not everyone in the blogosphere trusts Hilzoy as much as we do. Then again, if they don't trust Hilzoy, why would they send a check to someone she's telling them to?

[LizardBreath]

Oh, I wasn't worried about blogosphere trust so much as family trust. Anyone who reads ObWi probably trusts Hilzoy's integrity implicitly, but telling a grieving family that doesn't know you that you're going to collect donations under their deceased's name, and you'll send them all the money that gets raised, honest! might be uncomfortable. But if that isn't an issue for the family, it might work.

[GoldenHind]

At a Babylon 5 message board, we have been talking about it.

http://www.b5tech.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3396

[Platosearwax]

I had a little write up in an online diary site, but linking to that is totally unnecessary. I added it to my much neglected blog today, and you can see it here

This whole thing with Andrew has really affected me. Not only am I going to try very hard to realize how precious life is every day, but his openness and willingness to engage the other side in debate in a polite thoughtful way, something I have always striven for, has encouraged me to participate more. Hopefully, we can all learn something from him.

[Frenchdoc]

The French newspaper Liberation has an article on Andrew at
http://www.liberation.fr/actualite/monde/302404.FR.php?rss=true

[hilzoy]

I can't tell you how much of a kick Andy would have gotten about having been written up in Liberation. :)

[liberal japonicus]

I'll keep my eye out for anything in the Japanese press. He's in the Guardian with a bit of a different angle from the others.

[tgirsch]

Add Lean Left to the link list.

[Frenchdoc]

Glad it put a smiley in your post, Hilzoy!

[Warren Terra]

Army Reserve Lt. Col Bob Bateman, who wrote weekly letters to Eric Alterman's blog from Iraq and has since returning occasionally guest blogged, sent in a nice note honoring Maj. Olmsted and contemplating the writing of such letters to Alterman's blog, here

(sorry if it's already listed; it's after noon, at least EST, and I didn't find it above under Bateman, Alterman, or Altercation).

[double-plus-ungood]

Not listed so far are Exit Zero and Terry Glavin.

[matttbastard]

Reporters Without Borders press release.

[hilzoy]

Thanks, everyone. Further links are always appreciated -- I'm still not done, but all your help has made it a lot easier not to miss things.

[defendusa]

Add this one,please! I don't know how to make it a live link...Blog is The Bare Nee Cessities
link:

http://neestake.townhall.com/g/2ae9c4cb-480a-4971-a6b6-140ae67a6c4e&comments=true#comments

Thanks for all your efforts,Hilzoy. This is why you were entrusted, exactly!

[OCSteve]

Wow! Is that an impressive list or what?

[L.Cooney]

Thank you again Hilzoy for being so suppportive. A great many of Andy's Maine relatives are reading your site.
Having lost my husband suddenly 2 years ago this month and raising 3 children alone, I am glad you posted Capt. Casey's Children's fund. Leslie will need the help.
No matter how anyone donates please do so. Andy would have appreciated you looking out for his team and their families.
I do have a question, Does anyone out there know how SFC Will Beaver is doing and does his family need any support? Just a thought. The Bangor Daily News in Maine is carrying Andy's Obit today. There is a guest book at the site as well if anyone cares to leave a message.Thanks again
RIP Andy.

Lisa Cooney

[double-plus-ungood]

No matter how anyone donates please do so. Andy would have appreciated you looking out for his team and their families.

Has anyone seen a PayPal account yet?

[Gary Farber]

I'm informed in e-mail by LTC Eric J. Niksch
CDR, 1st BN, 361st EN (TS) that "Andy's Memorial Service will be at Fort Carson Soldier's Chapel on
15JAN08 at 230pm."

[Jesurgislac]

"Andy's Memorial Service will be at Fort Carson Soldier's Chapel on 15JAN08 at 230pm."

In Colorado, and therefore on US Mountain Standard Time (MST) (yes?) which is 7 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT-7).

So in the UK, it'll be at 9:30pm in the evening. I'll be lighting a candle.

[Gary Farber]

The Bangor Daily News obit Lisa speaks of is here. It's a relatively short listing.

[hilzoy]

Lisa: I thought the world of Andy, and I would have done just about anything for him. I just wish it could be something like sending him really good cocoa (which is, in fact, on its way, somewhere, along with the Tinactin and industrial strength sunscreen he no longer needs), not collecting links about his death.

[Gary Farber]

Note also the BDN obit says:

A memorial service for family and friends of Andy will be held 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13, at Federated Church of Stillwater with Pastor Joan DeSanctis officiating. Funeral services will be held Jan. 14, at Fort Carson, Col.

I have no explanation for the mention of a Fort Carson service on the 14th, rather than the 15th. Obviously one of these is wrong.

Colorado and Fort Carson are indeed on Mountain Time, GMT-7.

[Gary Farber]

"Obviously one of these is wrong."

I've emailed LTC Eric Niksch to ask him to please reconfirm the date of the Fort Carson service.

[Gary Farber]

LTC Niksch says "Yes 15th."

Fortunately, I doubt in practice there would be many people finding out about Andy via a small obit in the Bangor, Maine, newspaper who would then, without any other info or contact, fly to Colorado for the service on the wrong day -- in which case at least they'd be early, rather than late -- but since one never knows, I'll try to let the paper know there should be a correction.

[Gary Farber]

I've just spoken by phone with a couple of folks at the Bangor Daily News. They were very polite and sympathetic, but noted that -- and this is perfectly reasonable, and more or less necessary, I think -- since the obituary was a submission from the family, that they'd want to hear from a member of the family to confirm any necessary changes.

I told them that I'd try to get word to the family. Anyone in a better position to do that more quickly than I am by posting this just now should do so, please.

[hilzoy]

Gary: the timing isn't fully set.

[Gary Farber]

Given the length of the thread (is it getting near overloading the software, too?), some folks are apt to miss the comment quoting the account of CPT Aaron K. Buzzard, M.D., who treated Andy and CPT Casey before they died.

He also treated two other soldiers from the same sniping incident, who served. One would obviously be SFC Will Beaver, but does anyone know who the fourth soldier is?

[Batocchio]

Thanks very much for passing this on, Hilzoy, and for all the work you've done on this.

I wish a tribute to Andy wasn't necessary, but the number of links is tribute indeed.

Lisa Cooney's comment at January 09, 2008 at 12:09 PM is also well taken, about SFC Will Beaver and the importance of the gesture to any bereaved family.

I'm going to wait a few days for any more information to be added, but I will be sending something whether a PayPal account is added or not. Thanks again.

[Gary Farber]

"who served."

I meant "who survived."

[Bad]

As someone linked in the "did more than link" section, I have to say that the "just linked" people are probably doing a better service in the end by letting the message, or even the lack of a particular message other than just the appreciation of one man's life, stand on its own.

[Gary Farber]

"We're sorry, your comment has not been published because TypePad's antispam filter has flagged it as potential comment spam. It has been held for review by the blog's author."

Therefore breaking this into several comments:

Small note in this story on the day's events in the Colorado legislature:

[...] The Senate held a moment of silence for those killed in Iraq, including Maj. Andrew Olmsted, who died last week. He blogged for the Rocky Mountain News.

The Rocky Mountain News published an editorial about Andrew today.

The Gate, one of the National Journal group of blogs.

[Gary Farber]

Colorado Springs local Fox tv, with a number of quotes from Wesley Olmsted, Andrew's father.

The North Andover, MA, Eagle-Tribune, with a number of quotes from Amanda's grandmother, Ruth Wilson.

[smallbluebird]

Please add:
http://37days.typepad.com/37days/2008/01/g-is-for-ground.html#more

[Gary Farber]

The PBS Newshour video tributes are on this page. There doesn't seem to be a way to link directly to an individual video, but it's also the last one on this page.

[Gary Farber]

This is a fresh MetroWest Daily piece from Thursday's paper.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel has an editorial about Andrew.

[Gary Farber]

Some material about CAPT Tom Casey.

[L.Cooney]

My Aunt Nancy has confirmed that the service is on the 15th @2:30. We are sorry for any confusion, we had been told it was on the 14th originally. I will contact my other Aunt here in Maine to call the Bangor Daily for an update. Thanks
Lisa

[patleeman]

Wow, good work on finding all these links.

That is really amazing.

[Wes]

I just had to add one more time my personal thanks for all the work that Hilzoy and Gary have done in making these links available. Andy could not have made better friends.

The comments have been a source of some consolation to Nancy and I and we are both astonished at the incredible response around the world. I always knew that Andy was a remarkable person and will always remember what remarkable friends he had.

Lisa, thanks for squaring up the dates on the memorial services. And thanks so much for loving my son.

Wes

[Gary Farber]

Thanks, Mr. Olmsted. That means a lot to me.

[Gary Farber]

A fresh Bangor Daily News piece in this morning's edition.

[Gary Farber]

NPR story.

[...] Audio for this story will be available at approx. 3:00 p.m. ET

[...]

Major Olmsted's friend Hilary Bok, who had been holding on to his last words, speaks with Madeleine Brand.

This is from the "Day to Day" program of January 10, 2008. Audio should be up in about another hour and a half.

[Gary Farber]

The audio is now up. It's 3 min 57 seconds, and is prefaced by a brief ad.

I disagree with the interviewer's characterization of Andy as "wanting to have the last word."

Andy knew he never could, and never would have tried.

What he wanted was to, he'd hoped, persuade people, and be more right than not, and at least get people to think.

That's what the Andy Olmsted I knew was interested in, more than getting the Last Word on anything, and rather than being convinced that he was so right about anything that he deserved the last word.

[Gary Farber]

Another memory of Andy.

A mention. Another. Another.

[Liz]

Quite an impressive list - by that, I mean BIG - thanks for the link and for leading me to read Major Olmsted's story.

Know that he has inspired me to create Red, White and Blue Fridays - a weekly tribute to men and women in uniform - which will start running on my blog, tomorrow.

Bless you all.

[Batocchio]

Posted by: Gary Farber | January 09, 2008 at 09:07 PM

Yeah, I saw his picture air last night on their honor roll at the end of the NewsHour.

Thanks for providing the links, Gary. And the same again to Hilzoy.

[KCinDC]

Just heard Hilzoy on the All Things Considered story (audio should be up in about an hour an a half).

[Snooper]

A true work of love.

[Batocchio]

I heard the NPR story, too, last night. Points well taken, Gary. Still, I thought it was well done, touching, and a nice tribute. Thanks again to all.

[Carlos]

All the honour to this milblogger and his family.

[Claudia L. Meydrech, CN]

Wow, a real labor of love, the list of all the blogs linking Olmsteads last post, thanks for visiting Married to Politics. Thanks for doing all of this, an amazing list.

Claudia

[L.Cooney]

Maine Sunday Telegram had a column today.

[Gary Farber]

"We're sorry, your comment has not been published because TypePad's antispam filter has flagged it as potential comment spam. It has been held for review by the blog's author.

Go back to How To Help."

Of course. Broken up now:

The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram/Maine Today.com piece here. (Kinda an unwieldy name; it's also the only newpaper site I've ever seen without a search function, except for paid archives; fortunately, google works.)

[Gary Farber]

Also, WCSH Portland 6 News.

A quote in The San Antonio Express News/KENS 5 TV.

[Gary Farber]

The Ottawa Citizen, from the editorial page editor.

And this person put up video yesterday from "Fox News Watch," which I take it is a program on that channel.

These are all from yesterday or today.

[Janet]

Hopefully, some tax attorney will step forward to offer his or her assistance in setting up the fund for Captain Casey's children in the most efficient and tax-advantaged manner. What a completely selfless request from Andy Olmstead's family! And a profound expression of their gratitude to Captain Casey for his efforts.

Perhaps a non-profit educational foundation could be set up? Then the donations would all be tax-deductible for the donors, and his widow could be paid a salary for managing the foundation. (From the response here, I'm imagining these donations will total a large number.)

I would encourage the family to contact a legal assistance attorney on base to ask for referrals to local attorneys who could help them set up whatever would result in the most efficient way of helping the family with the donations. If they're hesitant to do that, and no one steps forward to volunteer, they can contact me through the contact form on my web site, at http://www.Military-Money-Matters.com/contact.html and I'll give them contact information for a tax attorney I know in Arizona who is a former Army JAG. He's the smartest guy I know about these kinds of issues. He specializes in retirement planning right now, but he'll be able to steer them in the right direction.

Thanks for your work to honor the memory of this American Hero.

[Janet]

Hopefully, some tax attorney will step forward to offer his or her assistance in setting up the fund for Captain Casey's children in the most efficient and tax-advantaged manner. What a completely selfless request from Andy Olmstead's family! And a profound expression of their gratitude to Captain Casey for his efforts.

Perhaps a non-profit educational foundation could be set up? Then the donations would all be tax-deductible for the donors, and his widow could be paid a salary for managing the foundation. (From the response here, I'm imagining these donations will total a large number.)

I would encourage the family to contact a legal assistance attorney on base to ask for referrals to local attorneys who could help them set up whatever would result in the most efficient way of helping the family with the donations. If they're hesitant to do that, and no one steps forward to volunteer, they can contact me through the contact form on my web site, at http://www.Military-Money-Matters.com/contact.html and I'll give them contact information for a tax attorney I know in Arizona who is a former Army JAG. He's the smartest guy I know about these kinds of issues. He specializes in retirement planning right now, but he'll be able to steer them in the right direction.

Thanks for your work to honor the memory of this American Hero.

[Gary Farber]

I apologize for a personal note on this thread:

I don't suppose anyone happens to know if Hilzoy has access to her e-mail when traveling?

She only informed me late last night, too late for me to reply, that she was coming to Andy's memorial service in Colorado Springs tomorrow, asking if I was going.

I wrote her first thing this morning to try to coordinate, but apparently she wasn't reading e-mail, or whatever (it was before she posted here later today), and by now she's long since in transit, she she said she was flying out around now, so as to not risk problems with a late flight.

Unfortunately, while I've worked out ways around other obstacles, I still have no info on how to get to the "Soldiers Chapel," which I can't find any trace of existing at Fort Carson, though I'm entirely sure it does (I may end up calling the base), and I have no idea what to do to get there from the Greyhound station in Colorado Springs, and have yet to get past this problem.

Being able to reach Hilzoy tonight would help greatly, and possibly prevent my not going (I'm kinda leery of spending over $100 and ~10 hours transit time only to be stuck in the Springs, unable to get to the Chapel in time; neither do I want to pay for a cab, unless it's pretty reasonably priced), but I have no idea if she'll be checking e-mail while traveling (I don't recall her mentioning doing it before, or owning a laptop or tablet or blackberry or whatever, but I just don't know), or any other way to reach her in time.

I doubt anyone else does, but I ask anyway.

Thullen, are you planning on going? Any interest in lunch in Colorado Springs after 12:35 p.m. (when the only possible bus arrives; the memorial is scheduled for 2:30; I have no idea if that leaves much time for even a quick bite)??

Failing all that, does anyone know anything about how to get to the "Soldiers Chapel" at Fort Carson from the Colorado Springs bus station?

[Gary Farber]

Quote in the LA Times as syndicated to Newsday and elsewhere.

Another Bangor Daily News piece from yesterday, largish, with pictures of family members.

Going out the door shortly.

[Gary Farber]

This thread is now off the front page, but I'll keep add news articles to it indefinitely.

Coverage of the funeral in the Rocky Mountain News:

Farewell for soldier who moved many
Tears flow freely at Fort Carson for Andrew Olmsted

The wall of men dressed in pressed green uniforms - men responsible for the nation's defense - sobbed and crumbled in the presence of the rectangular box draped in an American flag.

The burly men in leather jackets and bushy beards standing along the sides of the chapel wiped away tears as well. The parents of the man in the casket sat in the front row and held each other.

And the dead soldier's wife simply dropped her head and cried.

"Staff Sergeant Salas," 1st Sgt. William Schroeter barked, standing erect in the center aisle.

Salas stood up amid the hundreds in attendance and answered.

"Sergeant 1st Class Parish," Schroeter said.

Parish bolted up and answered as well.

"Sergeant 1st Class Merriman," Schroeter said.

"Here," Merriman answered, standing tall.

"Major Olmsted," Schroeter called out.

Silence.

"Major Andrew Olmsted," Schroeter called again.

No answer.

"Major Andrew James Olmsted," he said, each name echoing throughout the Soldiers' Memorial Chapel.

Olmsted's widow, Amanda Wilson, trembled. She would have given anything to hear him answer. One word would do. But that would be to wish for the impossible.

In front of her, Olmsted's portrait looked back. Above the photo, there was a lone rifle with a helmet on top, emblazoned with the major's last name. His dog tags hung limply around the rifle.

Emptiness filled the Fort Carson chapel. Wilson let out a small, mournful cry. Her husband was less than five feet away from her, separated by a flag, a casket and an eternity.

2008's first casualties

Olmsted was killed in Iraq on Jan. 3 along with Capt. Thomas Casey - the first U.S. casualties of 2008. News of the 37-year-old's death swept through the blogsphere, where the soldier was an active writer at several sites, including one for the Rocky and one for Obsidian Wings.

He asked Hilary Bok, who runs Obsidian Wings, to post something he wrote in the event of his death. When Bok put it up on the site, it stirred so much interest that Olmsted's father, Wes Olmsted, said it has since been translated into several languages, including Hebrew, Farsi and Russian.

"He touched a lot of people around the world," Wes Olmsted said while stirring, not eating, his soup just prior to the funeral.

He and his wife, Nancy, had flown to Colorado on Saturday to be at Fort Carson for the service and were barely able to eat Tuesday.

Maj. Olmsted's younger brother, Eric Olmsted, tried to string together some happy memories of the two of them growing up. He chuckled quietly at a comment his brother made last year while training at Fort Riley, Kan. Andy, talking about the intellectual heft of his family - father and brother with doctorates, mother and wife with master's degrees - had said he was the "intellectual runt of the family."

"I think we all know that wasn't true," Eric Olmsted said. "He could read before my parents even knew he could read."

The major ("We always just called him Andy," his mom said) was somewhat of a Renaissance man, with interests ranging from philosophy, writing, economics and '80s music to a passionate love for the Boston Red Sox.

"He lived life to the fullest every day," longtime friend Maj. David Willis said. "There was never a challenge he did not meet head- on. There was never anything he saw that was too hard for him to take on."

That included Iraq.

While Olmsted would entertain discussions about the reasons for America's involvement in Iraq, he was fully committed to trying to fix things there. In his blog postings, he talked optimistically about the impact his unit was having and his belief in doing the job well. In his final posting, he asked everyone to not politicize his death.

'We're all going to die'

"We're all going to die of something," he wrote. "I died doing a job I loved. When your time comes, I hope you are as fortunate as I was."

But Olmsted's wish didn't stave off grief and regret at the chapel.

"More than anything else in the world, I wish I could talk to him one last time," Willis said, his voice cracking. "To laugh at his jokes, to share his thoughts and talk about whatever caught his interest that day."

The service was at Fort Carson because Olmsted had been stationed there since 1997, and Colorado Springs was where he and Amanda Wilson had made a home together. When he was ordered to Iraq, he trained at Fort Riley and got a short break before heading off last summer.

His friend, Lt. Col. Matthew Goodman, remembered his last meal with Olmsted before he shipped off. Goodman could barely tell the story at the funeral without his voice hitching.

"As we were leaving, I asked if he was good to go and if he needed anything," Goodman said. "And I'll never forget, as he put on his jacket and his signature fedora hat, he said the only thing he was going to worry about was missing his wife, Amanda."

A widow's struggle

Wilson dropped her head again, shoulders hunched forward as if they carried a giant weight. All week, the widow had been struggling with the loss. Her mother had come last week to help, but by Tuesday, Wilson still looked ashen and shell-shocked.

As everyone in the chapel stood as a row of soldiers outside fired a volley of shots and a bugler played Taps, the finality of what was happening settled hard.

The flag was lifted from the casket and was folded slowly, carefully and precisely - never to be unfolded again.

Maj. Gen. Mark Graham got on one knee and whispered words meant only for Wilson. He saluted her slowly. He then did the same for Olmsted's mother. Neither held her composure. Only the sobbing of uniformed men broke the stillness. Gov. Bill Ritter watched from a pew, stone-faced.

Then, it was time to say goodbye.

Wilson walked up to the casket and, clutching the flag, draped herself over it. She wept openly. She was unsteady on her feet, and a casualty assistance officer helped her exit the chapel - her departure followed by silence.

Accurate.

After the service, we moved to a reception-type room, where we all passed to offer what we could to Andy's parents. A slide show showed many slides of Andy and Amanda and family.

Wes and Nancy were joked at one moment "there's the beard again! Can't they get rid of the beard in these pictures?"

Andy hated the mustache he grew for Iraq, for the sake of local culture, but although I was momentarily surprised the first time I saw it in a picture, back not long before he left, I thought it looked good on him.

The "burly men in leather jackets," Montero refers, it should be noted, included several women as well.

They were, I deduced at the time members of the Patriot Guard, and as most, if not all, also had various military patches and whatnot, they were largely, if not entirely, ex-military as well. They didn't sit in the pews, but lined the sides of the walls. Good for them.

God, I can't write about this without crying again each time. That'll take a lot more time. It's why I can't yet write a more coherent piece on the topic; I hope you'll forgive me.

[OCSteve]

Thanks for posting this Gary. Given how hard it is to read, I can’t imagine how hard it was for you and hilzoy to be there, or even to write this.

But thank you again.

[Gary Farber]

"Gov. Bill Ritter watched from a pew, stone-faced."

I had no idea. There was no fuss of any sort. He was just another anonymous civilian.

Good for him.

[Gary Farber]

A political op-ed from the 14th using Andy's name and making the usual misspelling.

This one seems to directly violate Andy's wishes, and uses him as a political chit. I think it's the first newspaper piece I've seen which has done that.

[rdldot]

That made my cry again. I hate funerals (or memorials in this case) because even though I find most of them very moving, I never get comfort from it.

Are we supposed to be comforted? I never am. Just sad.

[Gary Farber]

Oh my. Video here.

[Gary Farber]

"I hate funerals (or memorials in this case) because even though I find most of them very moving, I never get comfort from it.

Are we supposed to be comforted? I never am. Just sad."

This was a funeral; his casket was carried in, and laid down, and sat there for the service.

We each went past it, pew by pew, as we left. As folks chose, some left items, or touched it, or paused for a few final private words.

I did the latter two.

I otherwise want to say just this: "comfort" is not the word I'd chose, though funerals can be that for some.

Funerals aren't easy. They're hard. They've very very hard.

Death is very very hard.

But, I've found, and observed, that death is better ultimately faced, rather than not.

Funerals begin the process of working towards the beginning of closure.

And they bring together many of the people who care, for mutual support and sharing the misery. That really is terribly important.

Death isn't something we get over. We don't get over the pain. It doesn't go away. Ever. The gap is never filled.

All that can happen, at best, is that eventually time gives us some distance from the pain, and allows for scar tissue to form over the wound.

Leaving the wound open isn't a better option in the long run.

It's just a beginning, and that's all.

But before that, the wound, and the loss, is terrible.

[kuff]

My link to Maj. Olmsted's last post is here. Thank you, Hilzoy and Gary, for all you have done.

[Gary Farber]

I went out to pick up hard copies of the Rocky Mountain News. I hadn't realized that Andrew is the entire front cover of today's paper, with the picture taking up most of the page. Headlines: "Fort Carson Farewell," and

Final Roll Call For Maj. Olmsted

Comrades, family recall top-notch soldier, Rennaissance man.

I also burst out crying in the middle of Barnes & Noble.

[hilzoy]

Gary: yeah. Likewise, in the airport.

[rdldot]

I've been very impressed with everything that Rocky Mountain News has done regarding Andrew. At least to me, it seems they have displayed a lot of dignity, class and respect toward him and his family. I certainly hope that's the case in their dealings with the family, anyway. It has been a wonderful (continuing) tribute.

Gary, I hope you feel better soon.

[Gary Farber]

Thanks, rdldot.

"I've been very impressed with everything that Rocky Mountain News has done regarding Andrew."

Yes. I can particularly cite David Montero's writing, and Sonya Doctorian, the video documentarian who made all the videos of Andy for the Rocky (and whom I've been in contact with; she also had the greatest personal respect for Andy, as did everyone who knew him; as was said during his service: he was the best).

In contrast, the Denver Post confined itself to an AP story on Andy's death, and that's it. Zero coverage of the funeral. Effing newspaper rivalries over something like this? Thanks, Post.

[wonkie]

Thanks Gary.

[Ugh]

I teared up reading the RMN coverage of the funeral.

My grandfather died almost almost three years ago, he served during WWII. My father arranged for a military honor guard (?) to play taps at his funeral and to perform the folded flag ceremony. They presented it to my father, who had served in Vietnam (grandma died a few years before). My father promptly got up and presented the flag to my younger brother, then in the Army reserve. It's the only time I've seen my brother tear-up as an adult, and I soon followed.

But my feelings then pale in comparison to how I think I would feel had my brother been killed in Iraq in the prime of his life, leaving his wonderful wife behind. So I can't imagine what Amanda and Andrew's other family members have endured. My words fail.

Gary: Oh my. Video here.

I clicked. It loaded. Couldn't bear to watch. [but thank you for that link and the link to the RMN coverage, as well as all the other links you've left on this and other threads]

[Gary Farber]

Regarding funerals (and, I neglected to say, memorial services), I wrote: "And they bring together many of the people who care, for mutual support and sharing the misery. That really is terribly important."

I neglected to say that one of the things that's important, if you cared about the deceased, is to be there for the other people who care, including the family.

And by doing something for them, that can make you feel also, perhaps, make you feel a touch better.

But if not, whatever the motive, I think it's a good thing to do, either for yourself, one way or another, but if not that, than to do what little good you can for the other grieving people.

I know a lot of people who don't go to funerals because they don't care for them, which is understandable, but perhaps this is something to consider.

I'd also like to stress that folks should watch the video, but only if you're also prepared to cry.

I also wrote this post, but there's nothing in it folks here haven't read.

[L.Cooney]

Gary and Hilzoy,
Thanks for going to the service. I know it had to be very diificult. Reading the Rocky Mountain News site and seeing the video was hard for me. I aslo agree they have done a beautiful job honoring Andy. I so know the pain Amanda was feeling. Letting go of the casket is the final time you have physical contact with your husband. Funerals are hard on everyone but I believe they help you let go and eventually move on. Never do you forget and the pain of your loss comes back at times but it is never as hard as the day you leave your loved one at their funeral. I am sure you both were a great comfort to Andy's family. It always helps to meet and talk with the people who were in their lives. Thank you for continuing to share your thoughts and feelings.
Lisa Cooney

[hilzoy]

Ugh: the roll call was the worst.

"MAJ Olmsted!

(silence)

MAJ Andrew Olmsted!

(silence)

MAJ Andrew James Olmsted!

(silence) ..."

[hilzoy]

And Lisa: thanks. It was hard, but I wouldn't have been anywhere else. I can't begin to imagine what Amanda and Andy's family are going through.

[Gary Farber]

"My father arranged for a military honor guard (?)"

That's correct. The soldiers who carried Andy's casket in, did the folding the flag and saluting ritual (other than Major General Graham, the CO of Fort Hood, who presented the flags to Amanda and Mr. and Mrs. Olmsted), and fired the rifles outside, and blew taps, SGTs all, were all members of Fort Hood's Honor Guard, dedicated to doing this duty.

It's not easy duty. Francis Ford Coppola did a small film some years ago, Gardens of Stone, on what it was like for some of the Honor Guard at Ft. Meyer and Arlington during the Vietnam War.

(Hilzoy, this is one of those things I didn't get around to mentioning, and I wasn't sure if you were aware or not.)

[Ugh]

Ugh: the roll call was the worst.

Yeah, the description alone got to me, can't imagine if I'd been there (for someone I'd never met, no less!).

I can't seem to google well enough to find this exchange (Gary tells me google doesn't capture comments), but at one point in a comment at his site, I said "this reminds me of X when Z happened," when in fact he had addressed X and Z in his post. He responded, a little puzzled, to effect of "uhh, that's right there in the middle of the post." To which I replied (stealing someone's line from unfogged) "We have to read the posts now?!!?", and then launched into an apology promising to carefully read future posts (including a Bart Simpson style "I will read the post before commenting. I will read the post before commenting. I will read the post before commenting." chalkboard punishment). His response was "LOL [don't worry about it]."

For some reason that "LOL" struck me as the one of only times (if not the only) I've believed that a typed "LOL" reflected someone's actual reaction. He was that genuine to me.

[Gary Farber]

Lisa, what Hilzoy said (this is a response that usually works for me).

I think Hilzoy and I -- I'm not speaking for her, mind -- were both torn by the desire to be able to sit and talk at length with Mr. and Mrs. Olmsted about Andy, and our desire to not get in the way of all the other people there.

As a result, we spoke with them for a minute or two. If it should happen that Mr. and Mrs. Olmsted, or Eric, or Catherine (whom I've never had contact with), or yourself, should find yourselves in the Denver region again (just in the region, in your case), I'd be very happy to be emailed or phoned, if any of you would be interested in getting together for a coffee, or some such, and a chance to talk about Andy a bit more.