Inside the Cultural Center.

The memorial plaque and display at the Oleszno Community Cultural Center are named after Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis to commemorate the sacrifice of U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Ollis. Ollis, of the 2^nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, gave his life for his country on 28 August 2013, during a fierce insurgent attack at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ghazni, Afghanistan. Ollis participated in the defense of the FOB and joined in a counterattack under heavy enemy fire. He then crossed paths with Polish then-2nd Lieutenant Karol Cierpica, who was part of the Polish Army presence at the FOB. Ollis engaged an approaching insurgent and neutralized him. He placed his own body between the insurgent and Cierpica, but the insurgents suicide vest detonated, fatally wounding Ollis but shielding Cierpica from the explosion. Ollis posthumously received the Medal of Honor and the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland - the highest state decoration for foreigners - on March 2, 2026.

Oleszno was chosen as the site for this memorial, since it is the hometown of now-retired Captain Karol Cierpica, the Polish officer whom Ollis saved. Polish President Karol Nawrocki and U.S. Consul General in Krakow, Gretchen Cureton, led the dedication of the Cultural Center on 16 September 2026. Retired Captain Cierpica; Colonel Jeremy McHugh, Commander of U.S. Army Garrison Poland; and U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Welsh, current Commander of 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, also participated in the ceremony.

At the dedication, Polish President Nawrocki noted that the facility serves as a poignant reminder of the core foundations underpinning the Polish-US alliance. This alliance, built on shared values and history, has the faces of Michael Ollis and Karol Cierpica here in Oleszno today, Nawrocki said. Michael Ollis gave his life for his friend, serving with honour, serving his homeland, the United States, and demonstrating the true strength of the Polish-American alliance.

Sources of information: www.dvidshub.net, www.pap.pl, radiokielce.pl

Source of photo: Pfc. Luis Torres/ www.dvidshub.net