Oleski, Blaise Adam
Male
Verified Lance Cpl. Blaise Adam Oleski, 22, of Holland Patent, New York, was a U.S. Marine killed in hostile action on April 8, 2009, in Now Zad, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Blaise Adam Oleski was a 22-year-old from Holland Patent, a small village in upstate New York. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was assigned as a lance corporal to the 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, part of the 2nd Marine Division based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. His service reportedly included deployments to the Philippines and the Horn of Africa before his unit was sent to Afghanistan.
On April 8, 2009, Oleski was killed by hostile fire in the district of Now Zad in Afghanistan's Helmand province. According to military reports, he was part of a ground combat element of the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Afghanistan conducting operations in the region. The area was a known Taliban stronghold and a focal point for intense fighting.
Oleski's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led international military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In early 2009, U.S. forces, particularly Marines, were engaged in a major troop surge to counter a resurgent Taliban, with Helmand province being a central battleground. The objective in places like Now Zad was to clear insurgent forces and establish government control.
His death was recorded in the Defense Casualty Analysis System on the day it occurred. The Department of Defense officially announced his death in a press release. His body was returned to the United States, and he was buried in Holland Patent.
Lance Cpl. Oleski is memorialized on the Afghanistan War casualty lists and on local monuments in Oneida County, New York. His name is inscribed on the 'Fallen Heroes of the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars' memorial in nearby Utica.
Explore Further
Lance Cpl. Oleski 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.
