![\"Michael](\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Michael-Ollis-300x277.jpg\")
<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nOn Aug. 28, 2013, Army Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis<\/a> sacrificed his own life for that of Polish Lieutenant Karol Cierpica when he shielded the Pole from a suicide bomber’s blast. Eighteen months later, the lieutenant repaid the gesture<\/a> to the young hero;<\/p>\n Earlier this month, the Polish soldier became the proud father of a baby boy he named in honor of Ollis.<\/p>\n Robert Ollis and his wife, Linda, called the tribute to their son “unexpected” and “wonderful.”<\/p>\n “I thought of the baby as a grandson,” Ollis Sr. said “We are very happy and honored.” <\/p>\n To thank Cierpica and his wife, the Ollis family sent the couple a teddy bear they had specially made out of their son’s Army fatigues. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n More on SSG Ollis’ actions that day<\/a>;<\/p>\n According to Combined Joint Task Force-101, Ollis charged toward attackers that had breached the base in a \u201cthree-pronged attack.\u201d He stepped between a Polish officer and a suicide bomber who was part of a \u201cthree-pronged attack\u201d that breached the base. When the insurgent detonated his vest, the officer was shielded from harm. Ollis, however, was killed. He was 24.<\/p>\n Poland is scheduled to honor Ollis with the Polish Armed Forces Gold Medal on Nov. 8 in New York.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n SSG Ollis, a member of the 2\/22 Infantry (the Triple Deuce) of the 10th Mountain Division, was on his third deployment to the war against terror, his second to Afghanistan, when he was killed.<\/p>\n SSG Ollis’ sacrifice has already earned him a Silver Star Medal<\/a> to accompany the Polish honor and now his story will be told by the next generation and he’ll live on in the memory of a Polish child.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"