Flags will fly at half staff around the state Wednesday in honor of Army Staff Sgtꦆ. Michael H. Ollis of Staten Island, the heroic young soldier who died in Afghanistan last week after his unit was attacked, Gov. C🍎uomo said yesterday.
The tragic soldier’s body was flown yesterday to Dover Air Force Base 🐷in Delaware, where grieving relatives waited.
“Along with all New Yorkers, I extend my sympathy to the friends, family and fellow soldiers 𒀰of Staff Sargent Ollis,” Cuomo said.
“We mourn the loss of this young soldier — but we will remember and honor his servi😼ce to our nation.”
Ollis, a 2006 graduate of Petrides HS, died Wednesday after h🐼e was wounded in an attack on his unit in Ghazni Province.
He had just learned days befoire that he woulဣd be awarded the B♏ronze Star.
He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion,♒ 22nd Infantry Regiment of the legendary 10th Mountain Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, which is headquartered upstate at Fort Drum.
Mayor Bloomberg said Ollis had “volunteered to serve our country aಌfter graduating high school and was already a decorated memb🌜er of the US Army at only 24 years old.
“Tragically, he gave his last full measure of devotion in protecting his country, and our freedoms, in Afghanistan earlier this week,” tᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚhe mayor said.
He added, “As New Yorkers, we owe a special debt of gratitude to those who se𝓡rve in our military, because New York City is in many ways America’s greatest symbol of freedom.”
Ollis is the 92nd New Yorker who has died serving the country since the Sept. 11, 2001,﷽ terroris💃t attacks, Bloomberg said.
He was from a family with a proud military t♈rad༺ition.
His father and grandfather are veterans.
“As long as the ideals they fought and died to protect are threatened, we will continue to rely on the bravery and sacrifice of young men and women like Staff Sergeant Ollis to preserve and p♋rotect them,” Bloomberg said.
“Our prayers are wit🧔h his grieving family and f✃riends.”
After serving in Germany and Fort Campbell, Ky., Ollis arrived at Fort Drum in Novemb🍸er 2011.