STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 More than 12 years after sacrificing his life for another soldier\u2019s safety, a Staten Island son has been awarded the Medal of Honor.<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump awarded the nation\u2019s highest military decoration posthumously to U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis on Tuesday, formally recognizing the Staten Island native\u2019s extraordinary act of heroism during combat in Afghanistan in 2013, officials informed the Advance\/SILive.com.<\/p>\n
The Medal of Honor was approved following years of advocacy from Ollis\u2019 family, veterans\u2019 organizations, elected officials and members of the Staten Island community.<\/p>\n
The decision was confirmed by the White House, said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican who represents Staten Island and parts of South Brooklyn, and Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella.<\/p>\n
For Ollis\u2019 parents, Robert and Linda Ollis, the announcement brought an emotional sense of closure.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband and myself are thrilled,\u201d Linda Ollis told the Advance\/SILive.com Tuesday night. \u201cWe\u2019ve been hoping for it for a long time. We\u2019re just so happy right now \u2014 we\u2019re overjoyed. We\u2019re so proud, and we want to thank so many people that have been supportive and helped us in this endeavor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ollis, a New Dorp resident, was killed on Aug. 28, 2013, during a Taliban attack on Forward Operating Base Ghazni<\/a> while serving with Bushmaster Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division. During the assault, Ollis placed himself between a suicide bomber and a Polish allied officer, shielding the officer from the full force of the explosion and sacrificing his own life.<\/p>\n Witnesses have said Ollis\u2019 actions not only saved the life of Polish Army 2nd Lt. Karol Cierpica but also helped preserve the lives of more than 40 military and civilian personnel on the base.<\/p>\n Fossella praised the president\u2019s decision, calling Ollis a hero whose legacy will endure.<\/p>\n \u201cWe applaud the decision of President Trump to posthumously award Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis, a Staten Island hero who sacrificed his life in Afghanistan to save another, with the Medal of Honor,\u201d Fossella said in a statement. <\/p>\n \u201cWith this honor, his sacrifice is immortalized forever as a tremendous example of the enduring American spirit, for many on Staten Island and across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n Malliotakis said the White House notified her office of the approval and credited the unrelenting advocacy that helped bring the effort to fruition.<\/p>\n