Earlier this week I wrote about the death of Andrew Olmsted, a military blogger who I always enjoyed reading. Writers like him do more to help us understand the Iraq War than a whole Internet full of pundits.
Over at Obsidian Wings, they've been tracking the massive outpouring of Internet support for Olmsted's family (also posting that picture of Olmsted and his unit).
You can read the 500 tribute posts here; and Olmsted's final post is a moving essay about the power of Internet community and ideals. This line has haunted me all week:
"Granted, this site will eventually vanish, being ephemeral in a very real sense of the word, but at least for a time it can serve as a tiny record of my contributions to the world. But on a larger scale, for those who knew me well enough to be saddened by my death, especially for those who haven't known anyone else lost to this war, perhaps my death can serve as a small reminder of the costs of war."
If you feel like you want to do more, Olmsted's family is asking that you to send donations to Capt. Thomas Casey Children's fund, a pool of donations to help the family of one of Olmsted's fallen soldiers. More information here.
Capt. Thomas Casey Children’s
P.O. Box 1306
Chester, CA 96020
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» How Do We Write about the War in Iraq from ThePublishingSpot
Last week I wrote about the death of Andrew Olmsted, a military blogger who always caught me off guard with his ideas and images about the Iraq War. Meet Olmsted in his final, inspiring post. Writers need to read and... [Read More]
Tracked on: January 17, 2008 9:12 AM | Permalink to Trackback