A heroic soldier who died saving the life of a comrade in Afghanistan, honored at the New York school he attended

His sacrifice will endure.

An Army staff sergeant from Staten Island who died saving the life of a fellow soldier was honored Wednesday in a touching ceremony held at his old school.

War medals won by Sgt. army staff officer. Michael Ollis, who jumped between a suicide bomber and Polish lieutenant Karol Cierpica in Ghazni in August 2013, was donated to a memorial display at the school. Michael J. Petridies at this heartwarming event.

“Michael was a true hero,” said Cierpica, who flew from Poland with his family to pay tribute to Ollis.

“He showed me the definition of service. “Michael was running after me, without a helmet, without a bulletproof vest, only with a gun, and he ran to me because he knew someone needed help,” he said.

“I feel like part of my heart is on Staten Island.”

Cierpica was joined by his son Michał, whom he named after the fallen soldier.

“Naming our son Michał was my wife’s idea and it made sense to me,” said Cierpica, who was accompanied by her wife Basia and school-age son Michał.

He also told attendees – including Ollis’ mother, Linda, and father, Bob – that the Staten Island soldier’s memory would continue in his family.

“Naming our son Michał was my wife’s idea and it made sense to me,” said Cierpica, who was accompanied by her wife Basia and school-age son Michał.

During the ceremony, speakers urged the audience to “be like Mike” and students unveiled a “hero corner” containing details about his life, bringing Ollis’ family to tears.

“This is an emotional day for us,” Linda Ollis told The Post.

“Being here brings back a lot of memories for us from when he was a little boy.”

Medals donated by Ollis include the Distinguished Service Cross, the military’s second highest decoration, campaign medals and a purple heart.

Robert Ollis said his son had a special connection with the school where his medals will now be kept.

“Michael got into mischief but loved coming to school. He never gave us any trouble coming here. He didn’t like doing homework, but he had good friends and was a good friend to many, he said.

The New Dorp native was 24 years old when he was killed by a suicide bomber while on his third tour of duty during Operation Enduring Freedom.

He was supposed to return home after just two months.

Ollie’s courage was commemorated in a book written by Tom Sileo who detailed the devastating day of Cierpica’s rescue.

Staten Island a ferry was also named after him in 2021

The book reveals that Ollis spent eight months in Ghazni and was about to fly to Bagram when a truck carrying 3,000 pounds of explosives hit the walls of the soldier’s base.

The unprecedented attack by the insurgent forces was followed by mortar and machine gun fire.

As smoke filled the air, Taliban fighters surged forward and Ollis, without any protective equipment, sprang into action, returning fire in the midst of the attack.

Much of the area was strewn with body parts with the identities of fallen soldiers masked in the chaos.

Then Ollis saw that the Polish soldier was caught in the crossfire.

Suddenly, a Taliban fighter wearing a suicide vest attacked Cierpica, who worked as an officer in the NATO Reconstruction Team.

Within seconds, Ollis jumped between Cierpica and the suicide bomber who was bearing the brunt of the blast.

Despite medical attention, he was pronounced dead just three weeks before his 25th birthday.