FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- On a day filled with remembrance for their fallen brothers in arms, Warrior Brigade Soldiers memorialized one of their own who was killed in Afghanistan nearly two years ago.
Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, of 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, was forever memorialized when the building that houses a rifle marksmanship range was renamed from Range 2 to the Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis Weapon Training Center on Tuesday.
As the ceremony began, Lt. Col. Shane Finn, 2-22 Infantry commander, gave the opening remarks before introducing the guest speaker.
"I did not have the privilege to personally meet or serve with (Staff Sgt.) Ollis," Finn said. "But based on discussions with Soldiers and leaders who knew him well, it is very clear that he was epitome of a Warrior leader -- one (who) set the daily example for Soldiers living the Ranger creed and the mantra of 'Triple Deuce': 'Deeds not Words.'"
The 24-year-old Soldier, originally from Staten Island, was killed in combat when he stepped into the path of an unnamed Polish officer, blocking him from the suicide vest of an insurgent who had raided Forward Operating Base Ghazni.
The attack, which began when a car bomb breached the base's eastern perimeter wall, involved grenades, mortars, rockets and a 3,000-pound bomb. Ten insurgents in suicide vests infiltrated the compound during the attack.
As a result of his actions on Aug. 28, 2013, Ollis was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, Purple Heart and Polish Army Gold Medal for Conspicuous Gallantry and Intrepidity under fire.
Finn expressed his opinion that the location of the Ollis memorialization was the perfect site.
"I find this location here at Range 2 the perfect place to enshrine his name -- a building that 10th Mountain Division Soldiers will continue to hone their combat skills for years to come under the enduring oversight of (Staff Sgt.) Ollis," he said.
The guest speaker during the ceremony was Col. Brett Funck, former Triple Deuce commander, who had served with Ollis.
As Funck prepared for the trip to Fort Drum and worked on his speech, he gathered input from others who had served alongside Ollis, and he said was amazed by the response that he received from both noncommissioned officers and commissioned officers alike.
"In preparing my comments, I reached out to my network of NCOs and said 'give me one word to describe Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis,'" he said. "Then I bounced it off the officers. I was expecting something fairly similar, but I wasn't expecting actually the same words to come out of the officers that came out of the NCOs.
"The duplication of words was quite amazing," Funck explained. "In their words, not mine, this is the conglomeration: selfless, loving, dauntless, intrepid, resolute, confident, stud, warrior, creed bearer, inspirational, angelic, stalwart, valiant, hero and courageous. Those are some pretty strong words (for) a young man, as a staff sergeant, who has that kind of impact."
Along with Funck, Ollis' father, Robert, spoke to those assembled for this momentous occasion.
Although Robert Ollis is a Vietnam veteran, he said he is humbled by his son's experiences in the Army and how being a Soldier impacted him.
"I never knew what a Soldier was," Robert Ollis said. "I was drafted into the Army in 1967. I went to Vietnam. It was a two-year thing, and I'm kind of jealous of what Michael had -- this love affair of the Army. I wish I had had it too, because I look back now, and with Michael's years in the service, it's a Family. You became one huge Family."
During the ceremony, Ollis was inducted into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club. He had earned the honor of being a part of the club while deployed to Afghanistan; however, he was unable to attend an induction ceremony before the attack at FOB Ghazni.
"The 10th Mountain Division, Audie Murphy, and the United States Army -- I thank you," Robert Ollis added. "I truly, truly thank you for what you've done for my son. He's not here, but we know why. I thank you for this opportunity. I thank you for what you've done. I thank you for being here for Michael."
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