[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 131 (Tuesday, July 27, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E821]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  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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