Donovan Dwight Jurgens “Don/Donny” Ollar was born in Colorado Springs, CO to Charles and Marjorie Ollar. A stellar football athlete, Donny was recruited to play for West Point. Starting at the USMA Prep School, Donny was a personality and friend beloved by all who met him. He was larger than life.
Don reported on R-Day, assigned to the H-1 “Hawgs.” Steve Hedrick met Don during Beast: “Don was a prep school guy; I was fresh out of high school. We meshed immediately. Injuries curtailed our football careers, but the time we spent together on the team created fantastic memories. Strength training, speed training; we forever had a love of Army Football. Throughout West Point, weddings, duty assignments, deployments, and a full life, we always kept in touch. He was a brother.”
Rusty Carson recalls: “I remember him motivating the entire gaggle of plebes to run the gauntlets and get our tasks done. From delivering laundry and morning papers, Donny was a leader. He could always be counted on to share the heat in the spotlight, no matter how hot the ‘obstacle.’”
John Pirog remembers: “I was blessed to have Donny in my life, especially in the critically formative years of the prep school and West Point. He made so many indelible marks on me. Donny was a role model for resilience, toughness and loyalty. He was always there to pick me up or kick me in the rear when I was having a rough go. He always had a smile on his face, ready to shoulder any part of my burdens he could. He was loyal to the last and willing to fight to hell and back with you for nothing more than he considered you his friend. We had plenty ‘what the hell were we thinking?’ moments as well.”
At Buckner, recalls Mark Montgomery: “Don could laugh and joke with everyone, but was very serious and committed to training. Always covered in camo, dirt and sweat, always humping the M60 or someone else’s ruck. A total team player.”
Following the scramble, Donny went to the A-2 “Spartans.” Who can ever forget the aerobics instruction video?
Reyno Arredondo remembers: “Donny was a reliable and hard-core brother. He pushed himself in everything he did, from football to academics to powerlifting. He was a ‘dungeon’ rat working out to heavy metal and Bubba Stokes.”
He was a nationally ranked powerlifter. A last-minute change down in weight class foiled a first-place finish, but he finished sixth nationally.
During firstie year, Don met Sue Laird at an Army football game. It didn’t take them long to figure out they would be together from then on.
Donny graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, branched Corps of Engineers and chose Fort Polk, LA. For someone as high up in class rank as Donny, a standing ovation emanated in South Auditorium when he chose Polk early.
Don and Sue married in 1994 and would have two lovely daughters: Katelyn, born at Fort Leonard Wood, MO in 1999, and Shelby, born in Korea in 2003. He was a devoted husband and father.
Kip Olmstead recalls: “I first met Don at EOBC reporting formation. We were unlikely friends at first: he was football and powerlifting, and I was on brigade staff. I was responsible for getting his teams to not take food from the mess hall. So it was a bit contentious. After standing next to each other at EOBC, we became fast and enduring friends, learning to balance our training with newfound free time. We shared a deep love of Army football and Beating Navy.”
Steve Hedrick recollects: “When deployed to Haiti, I found out Don was there, as we ran into one another. Fantastic surprise. Everyone there endured that loud and happy reunion.”
His career was everything a West Point graduate would dream of, with assignments of increasing responsibility and the privilege of leading soldiers. He deployed seven times, twice each to Iraq and Afghanistan, at one point commanding a battalion of 600 soldiers from Fort Riley, KS.
Jason Kirk remembers Don’s service as NTC’s “Sidewinder 07” as another highlight. “Don poured himself into bolstering the storied traditions, esprit, and professional excellence of the Sidewinders. As a Corps of Engineers Division deputy commander, he stepped up for tough missions across the engineer regiment. He supported the Hurricane Maria emergency mission in Puerto Rico and was the contingency ‘Border Wall District’ leader supporting the border security mission.”
Reyno states: “At North Texas WP Society events, Donny was a board member and facilitating great relationships in the area. We would sit next to each other at our monthly breakfasts and lunches, where we represented the ‘Defenders.’ Donny had served the Army and our alma mater with distinction.”
Donny left us too soon. He was one of the 22 veterans we lose each day to suicide. Twenty-two a day is too many. One is too many. It’s all the more painful as he counseled his soldiers when redeploying home. His passing crushed us, and it’s one we will not recover from anytime soon. We often find out late that those who lift us up are the most exhausted.
“I loved the guy. I knew he had my back. I would go into any battle in life with Don. So many people would say that about him, which shows his true character.” He was a warrior.
Even at his funeral, his daughter asked us to finish the phrase she started “Go Army…,” and we replied with a thunderous “Beat Navy!”
He loved his family. He loved his class to the core. He loved his service to the nation. He was a Defender. He was enough.
He is a Christian and is resting in the arms of his Savior.