Olaes, Tony Bruce
Male
Verified Staff Sergeant Tony Bruce Olaes, 30, of Walhalla, South Carolina, was a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier killed in hostile action on September 20, 2004, in Salerno, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Staff Sergeant Tony Bruce Olaes was a 30-year-old Special Forces engineer sergeant assigned to Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was a native of Walhalla, South Carolina.
According to U.S. Department of Defense casualty reports, Olaes died on September 20, 2004, from wounds sustained during a firefight with enemy forces near Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khost Province, Afghanistan. He was reportedly part of a patrol that came under small-arms fire.
His death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. By late 2004, the mission had shifted from major combat operations to a protracted counterinsurgency against a resurgent Taliban and other militant groups.
The Pentagon announced his death on September 22, 2004. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. His remains were returned to the United States for burial.
Staff Sergeant Olaes is memorialized on the Special Forces Memorial Wall at Fort Bragg and on the Afghanistan War Memorial at the U.S. Army Special Operations Command headquarters. His name is also inscribed on the South Carolina Fallen Heroes Memorial.
Explore Further
Staff Sergeant Olaes was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
