STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The final decision rests with the commander in chief.
After a months-long push from the Staten Island community, the determination of whether a posthumous Medal of Honor will be awarded to U.S. Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, a New Dorp resident killed while serving in Afghanistan in 2013, rests with President Donald Trump. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the U.S.
The latest push has reached new heights and has the backing of several local and federal leaders, including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who wrote a letter to U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer in December on the matter. That letter informed the Senate Minority Leader that Hegseth believed Ollis’ actions merit award of the Medal of Honor.
“I am writing to inform you of my favorable determination regarding the award of the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis, U.S. Army,” the letter read in part. “I reviewed a recommendation from the Secretary of the Army to upgrade the Distinguished Service Cross awarded to Staff Sergeant Ollis, to the Medal of Honor, for his valorous actions on August 28, 2013 during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. After giving the recommendation careful consideration, I agree that Staff Sergeant Ollis’ actions merit award of the Medal of Honor.
“The final award authority for the Medal of Honor rests solely with the President,” Hegseth noted in the letter. “My favorable determination in no way presumes how the President will decide the case.”
An ongoing effort for Staten Island’s own
The renewed push for this recognition began in June, when the Richmond County American Legion penned a resolution advocating Ollis’ Distinguished Service Cross be upgraded to the Medal of Honor.
This photo from 2019 shows the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest military award that can be given to a member of the United States Army. It was awarded posthumously, to the family of Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis who earned the award for extraordinary heroism in Afghanistan on August 28, 2013.(Advance/SILive.com | Jan Somma-Hammel)
In July, Schumer, a New York Democrat, wrote a letter to Chief of Staff of the Army General Randy A. George, urging the Army to recommend Ollis for the distinction.
“SSG Michael Ollis was among the best that our nation has to offer,” the letter read. “He is the quintessence of what it means to be American, and his life is a testament to the values of the US Army and the United States of America. As such, I urge you to consider upgrading SSG Ollis’ Distinguished Service Cross decoration and recommending him for the Medal of Honor.”
This renewed effort by Schumer follows another in 2022. At that time, Schumer wrote a letter to Gen. James McConville, former chief of staff of the Army, asking the U.S. Department of Defense to recommend Ollis for the Medal of Honor.
The 2025 bipartisan push generated momentum and the backing of Republican South Shore Councilman Frank Morano.
“Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis made the ultimate sacrifice, stepping into harm’s way to protect his fellow soldiers,” Morano said in a written statement back in August. “His courage that day not only saved lives — it defined what it means to be an American hero.”
In September, a spokesperson from Schumer’s Office told the Advance/SILive.com that the recommendation was being presented to the Army Decorations Board for review.
This photo from Aug. 28, 2014, shows the memorial to Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis on S. Railroad Avenue at the intersection of SSG Michael H. Ollis Way (Burbank Avenue) in Staten Island.(Advance/SILive.com | Maura Grunlund)
As explained by the U.S. Army, after merit review, the recommendation goes to the Senior Army Decorations Board, which recommends approval, disapproval or downgrade. From there, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, as well as the chief of staff of the Army, can either concur with the board recommendation or not.
Should they concur, the recommendation goes to the secretary of the Army for approval. If the secretary approves, the recommendation will find itself with the secretary of defense and then, ultimately, the president, who will make the final decision. The Department of Defense was renamed to the Department of War in September at the order of President Trump.
Bob Ollis, Michael’s father, discussed the renewed effort with the Advance/SILive.com in August.
“You got a mom and a dad who lost their child, and everybody wants to honor him…,” he said. “You have no idea what that feels like.”
“I can’t thank them (Schumer, Morano, the Richmond County American Legion) enough. We hope and we pray. It’s up to God now to push it through,” he added.
Ollis’ valiant sacrifice
Ollis died in 2013 during a Taliban raid on Forward Operating Base Ghazni in Afghanistan.
As noted in Schumer’s letter, at the time, Ollis, 24, was serving as a squad leader in Bushmaster Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division during his third combat deployment.
This photo from 2020, shows Linda Ollis holding a photo of her son Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, who died in Afganistan, in a room dedicated in his honor at their New Dorp home.Advance/SILive.com | Jan Somma-Hammel
It was on Aug. 28 that the base came under fire and Ollis mobilized the men under his command to a secure location and “without pause or hesitation answered the call to duty” and advanced towards the assailants, according to Schumer’s letter.
Ollis rallied with coalition forces, among them Polish Officer 2nd Lt. Karol Cierpica. It was at this time that Ollis and Cierpica came in contact with a suicide bomber.
In an act of heroism, Ollis positioned himself between the bomber and Cierpica, firing upon the target.
Although Ollis was able to effectively drop the attacker, the vest detonated and killed him, but he shielded Cierpica from the full blast, saving Cierpica’s life.
As further indicated in the letter, witnesses present at the base that day claim that Ollis’ sacrifice not only saved Cierpica, but it preserved the lives of more than 40 military and civilian personnel.
Ollis has since been recognized with the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Audie Murphy Medallion, and the Polish Armed Forces Gold Medal — that nation’s highest honor for non-citizens.
In 2019, Ollis’ Silver Star was upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross.
Among the best the borough has to offer
If the president approves this latest push for the Medal of Honor, Ollis will become the third Staten Islander to receive the distinction.
The Rev. Lt. Vincent R. Capodanno received the Medal of Honor in 1969 for his service during the Vietnam War and Joseph F. Merrell Jr. received the award in 1946 for his service during World War II.
Capodanno died in action while ministering to wounded Marines on the battlefield during the Vietnam War. He was 38 years old. There is an ongoing push for Capodanno to be canonized.
Merrell was 18 years old when he “made a gallant, one-man attack against vastly superior enemy forces near Lohe, Germany,” according to his Medal of Honor citation. Merrell sacrificed his own life “so that his comrades go on to victory.”