Family Receives Call From President Trump Honoring Late Son (Facebook/SSG Michael Ollis Freedom Foundation) (Photo by Song Haiyuan/MB Media/Getty Images)
Remembering U.S. Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis
On August 28, 2013, Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis died in the line of duty at just 24 years old. Ollis was killed during a Taliban attack on Forward Operating Base Ghazni. He was serving with Bushmaster Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division.
During the attack, Ollis deliberately stepped in front of a suicide bomber to protect a Polish allied officer, absorbing the blast and sacrificing his life to save another.
Witnesses explain his actions not only saved the Polish officer, but helped spare the lives of more than 40 military and civilian personnel on the base.
President Trump Calls The Ollis Family
On Tuesday (February 3), President Donald Trump made a surprise phone call to Ollis’ family to share he will be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The award is the nation’s highest military decoration for valor.
A video posted on Facebook by the SSG Michael Ollis Freedom Foundation reveals the moment the President informed the Ollis family that the approval had been finalized.
The video opens with Robert Ollis, 78, standing in the kitchen. He is told by a representative from President Trump’s office who is calling.
Wearing a SSG Michael Ollis Freedom Foundation sweater, Robert thanks the representative for sharing the “wonderful” news. Moments later, Trump’s voice can be heard on the line asking to speak with both Robert and Linda Ollis, Michael’s mother.
“We’re very nervous,” Robert replied when asked how they were doing.
“You should be, because your son is going to get the highest honor that you can have. There is no higher honor than the Congressional Medal of Honor,” Trump responded. “Michael is going to be — he’s looking down at you right now, he’s saying ‘well my mom and dad are handling this pretty well.’”
Robert thanked the President, reiterating their happiness in the joyous moment.
“Thank you for facilitating this, this is so wonderful of you. We are so thrilled because we’ve been working on it for so long and spoke to so many people, but you made it happen,” Linda told the president.
Trump then told the family that they will be invited to the White House for a ceremony honoring their son. He shared that Michael was a “beautiful looking guy” and said. that he had just read the story of their son’s heroism.
“I will see you at the White House soon,” he told the family.
They later said in an interview with a local news outlet, that it was a “pleasure” to speak with the President.
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