STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 In 2013, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis of New Dorp sacrificed himself to preserve the lives of Polish Officer 2nd Lt. Karol Cierpica and more than 40 military and civilian personnel.<\/p>\n
Now, more than a decade after the Taliban raid on Forward Operating Base Ghazni in Afghanistan, Ollis has been approved to receive the Medal of Honor<\/a>, the highest U.S. military decoration. While Staten Island residents are taking pride in this recent announcement, so too are Polish officials who are lauding the decision to award the protector of one of their own.<\/p>\n W\u0142adys\u0142aw Kosiniak-Kamysz, deputy prime minister and minister of national defense for Poland, put out a statement Wednesday reacting to the news in a post on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIMPORTANT! The late Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis will receive the Medal of Honor \u2013 for extraordinary heroism and sacrifice,” the translated post read. \u201cIn 2013 in Afghanistan, he gave his life, shielding the body of our Capt. Karol Cierpica during a terrorist attack. This story is a symbol of the unbreakable bond that connects Poland and the United States. Our nations serve shoulder to shoulder, defending shared values, freedom and democracy. The heroism of Sergeant Ollis reminds us that the alliance is not just words, but above all the readiness to make the highest sacrifices. Honor to his memory!\u201d<\/p>\n The Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Poland<\/a> also issued a post on Ollis\u2019 Medal of Honor approval on Thursday.<\/p>\n \u201cThe late Army Staff Sergeant M. Ollis will receive a Medal of Honor \u2013 for his extraordinary bravery and sacrifice,” the X post read in part. \u201cHe gave his life in Afghanistan in 2013, shielding Cpt. Cierpica with his body during a terrorist attack.\u201d<\/p>\n Similarly, the ministry noted how Ollis\u2019 story is a \u201csymbol of the unbreakable bond\u201d between Poland and the U.S.<\/p>\n Bittersweet news for the family<\/p>\n The Ollis family officially learned the news that Michael was going to receive the Medal of Honor during a personal phone call with President Donald Trump<\/a> Tuesday evening.<\/p>\n