The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF MR. VERN OLLAR OF KERRVILLE, TEXAS
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HON. CHIP ROY
of texas
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 100th birthday of Mr. Vern Ollar of Kerrville, Texas. Corporal Ollar served with Company B of the 81st Chemical Mortar Battalion, United States Army, in World War II. His unit was commended with a Presidential Unit Citation for their heroic landing on D-Day at the Dog Green sector of Omaha Beach. They supported the Army Rangers at Pointe Du Hoc, and then went on to beat the Nazis on the other side of Paris. He was in the first unit to enter Germany under the 4th Armored Division.
After victory in Europe was declared, Corporal Ollar taught Belgian civilians how to detect enemy mortar locations. When World War II came to an end, Corporal Ollar finally headed back home to the United States of America where he and his wife Jayne raised four children. Mr. Ollar gained experience in the private sector and eventually started his own business, Ollar Hardware Company Incorporated. He retired in 1985 and sold the business to his children.
Mr. Ollar lost his dear wife Jayne after 55 years of marriage in 1997. He later married again to Diane, and together they are blessed with six children. The French Government awarded Mr. Ollar with their Legion of Honor in 2014 as a token of thanks for his role in liberating their country.
Like many of his fellow World War II veterans, Mr. Ollar found it difficult to speak about his war-time experiences. However, that changed when he traveled to Normandy for the 70th anniversary of his landing there. Mr. Ollar was touched by the fact that civilian homes sit safe and sound on the very same hill that his unit climbed on June 6, 1944. This anniversary trip helped Mr. Ollar speak about his World War II experiences for the first time.
He and Diane both fought a very different battle this past year and were victorious against their enemy, the COVID-19 virus. It is a privilege and honor to rise today in honor of a true American hero, Mr. Vern Ollar, in recognition of his 100th birthday.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 131
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