President Donald Trump personally called a Staten Island Gold Star family Tuesday evening to deliver life-changing news: their fallen son, Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis, will receive America’s highest military honor posthumously.
Emotional White House Call Captured on Video
The SSG Michael Ollis Freedom Foundation shared video footage of the president’s call to Robert and Linda Ollis at their New Dorp home. Robert, 78, appeared visibly shocked when Trump delivered the news. “Your son is going to get the highest honor that you can have. There is no higher honor than the Congressional Medal of Honor,” the president told the couple. Linda, 76, thanked Trump for making their long-fought dream a reality, saying they had “been working on it for so long.”
NEW: The family of fallen Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis receives a call from President Trump, telling them their son would posthumously receive the Medal of Honor.
Ollis was killed in Afghanistan in 2013 when he shielded a Polish army officer from a su*cide bomber.
Ollis saved… pic.twitter.com/O6CzCwyqzu
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 4, 2026
Trump invited the family to attend a White House ceremony alongside other Medal of Honor recipients. The president praised Michael as a “beautiful-looking guy” and admitted he wouldn’t have shown such courage himself. Robert, a Vietnam veteran, agreed he couldn’t have matched his son’s heroism. The call concluded with daughter Kimberly Loschiavo exclaiming her excitement about visiting the White House.
Hero’s Ultimate Sacrifice in Afghanistan
Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis died August 28, 2013, during a Taliban assault on Forward Operating Base Ghazni in Afghanistan. The 24-year-old soldier placed himself between a suicide bomber and Polish Army Lieutenant Karol Cierpica, absorbing the explosion’s full force. His selfless action saved the Polish officer’s life and protected over 40 military and civilian personnel at the base. Ollis served with Bushmaster Company, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division.
We were notified by the White House that Staten Island’s hometown hero, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis, has been approved for the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary act of heroism. In 2013, Staff Sergeant Ollis gave his life to save an allied soldier, and his courage,… pic.twitter.com/FMogM3eWFP
— Rep. Nicole Malliotakis Office (@RepNicole) February 4, 2026
Years-Long Campaign Reaches Victory
The effort to upgrade Ollis’s Distinguished Service Cross to the Medal of Honor gained significant momentum in 2025. The campaign drew bipartisan political support and backing from the Richmond County American Legion. The Medal of Honor represents the nation’s highest recognition for military valor, reserved for service members who demonstrate exceptional courage under fire while risking their lives above and beyond the call of duty.