Robert Ollis, father of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, touches the embossed lettering of his son’s name on a memorial plaque at a ceremony Oct. 27, 2023. The dining facility at Camp Kosciuszko in Poznan, Poland, was named after Michael Ollis at the ceremony. (Karen Sampson/U.S. Army)
STUTTGART, Germany — A U.S. soldier who died saving the life of a Polish counterpart in Afghanistan in 2013, will receive the Medal of Honor.
President Donald Trump approved the recognition, the parents of Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis said in a statement Tuesday
“Knowing that Michael’s life, legacy and final act of courage have not been forgotten leaves us with a feeling of overwhelming pride and eternal gratitude,” Robert and Linda Ollis said in the statement.
Ollis was serving with the 10th Mountain Division when his outpost in Ghazni came under attack by insurgents. During the battle, the 24-year-old Staten Island native stepped in front of wounded Polish Lt. Karol Cierpika to protect him from a suicide bomber. His actions were credited with saving several other lives.
U.S Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis’ parents, Robert and Linda Ollis, sister Kelly Manzolillo and the Polish soldier he saved, Lt. Karol Cierpika, gathered at Camp Kosciuszko, Poland, on Oct. 27, 2023. The dining facility at the U.S. Army base in Poznan was named the Staff Sgt. Michael Harold Ollis Warrior Grill. (Karen Sampson/U.S. Army)
In the years since, Ollis has been posthumously recognized with numerous valor medals, including the Silver Star, which in 2019 was upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest military honor.
His actions also have become part of military lore in Poland, which recognized Ollis with the Polish Army Gold Medal for valor.
The dining facility at the U.S. Army’s Camp Kosciuszko in Poznan also bears Ollis’ name. At a 2023 ceremony that christened it the Staff Sgt. Michael Harold Ollis Warrior Grill, Cierpika was on hand. Over the years, the Polish officer forged a bond with the Ollis family.
Ollis’ 2013 heroics and other Army experiences, including aspects of his life while he was stationed in Germany and on deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, were chronicled in the 2024 book “I Have Your Back” by author Tom Sileo.
In a post on X Tuesday, Sileo said the awarding of the Medal of Honor for Ollis comes after years of advocacy.
“Many of us pushed for Michael to receive this award & tonight our mission is complete,” Sileo wrote.
Sileo credited combat veteran Eric Geressy, a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, for “relentlessness in ensuring” that Ollis get the recognition.
