Like many people, it takes me a while to wake up in the morning. I usually sit here in my house, bleary-eyed, at least until I’ve worked my way through a cup and a half of java and several sections of the morning Journal Sentinel. This Monday, something made me wake up much earlier than usual and I had hardly made it past the front page. Suffice it to say, it moved me to tears.
I’m talking about Mike Nichols’ column about Army Major Andy Olmsted, whose parents live in Cedarburg. Apparently, Andy wrote a letter that a friend was supposed to post on a website in the event of his death. Unfortunately, his letter was posted, which means that Andy was killed in Iraq.
The letter is nothing short of amazing. Not only is it incredibly well-written, articulate and sometimes even funny, it touches on so many issues that are casually bantered about in the news and on Op-Ed pages:
"If you think the U.S. ought to get out tomorrow, don't cite my name as an example of someone whose life was wasted by our mission. I have my own opinions about what we should do about Iraq, but since I'm not around to expound on them I'd prefer others not try and use me as some kind of moral capital to support a position I probably didn't. . . . On a similar note, while you're free to think whatever you like about my life and death, if you think I wasted my life, I'll tell you you're wrong. We're all going to die of something. I died doing a job I loved. When your time comes, I hope you are as fortunate as I was."
I have to tell you that rarely have I been overcome with such emotion as I was when reading Andy’s letter.
I can’t think of any more fitting tribute to our troops. Andy has written his own brilliant and beautiful eulogy and we are all better for having read it.
Bravo, Andy. God bless you and rest in peace.
