Legislation designating a portion of state Highway 23 in Paynesville as the “Medal of Honor recipient Kenneth L. Olson Highway” unanimously passed the Senate on Monday. The bill, authored by Sen. Michelle Fischbach (R-Paynesville) and Rep. Jeff Howe (R-Rockville) and supported by the City of Paynesville and American Legion Post 271, awaits the signature of Gov. Mark Dayton.
Hailing from the Paynesville area, Specialist 4th Class Kenneth L. Olson, a 1963 Paynesville High School graduate, joined the United States Army in 1967. The following year, while serving in Vietnam, Spec. Olson and was killed in the line of duty. President Richard Nixon posthumously awarded Spec. Olson the Medal of Honor – the nation’s highest military decoration – in 1970.
“The Paynesville community – and our entire state and nation – is eternally grateful to Spec. Olson for his incredible sacrifice in service of his country,” said Sen. Fischbach. “Designating the portion of Highway 23 in the Paynesville area as the ‘Kenneth L. Olson Highway’ is only a small gesture, but it will ensure Spec. Olson’s legacy is cemented in our community forever.”
Per the Medal of Honor Society and his Medal of Honor citation, Spec. Olson was “participating in a mission to reinforce a reconnaissance platoon which was heavily engaged with a well-entrenched Viet Cong force…[and was] pinned down by intense automatic weapons fire from an enemy position.” Spec. Olson was wounded, yet threw himself on a grenade blast to save the lives of his fellow soldiers. He was 22 years old.
“Those who knew Spec. Ken Olson can attest that he was a special guy. His extraordinary heroism and bravery inspired his fellow soldiers to renew their efforts and totally defeat the enemy force,” Sen. Fischbach continued. “Spec. Olson made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our country. May we honor him in a small way – a young man who served his country and didn’t come home.”
Sen. Fischbach is in her eighth term representing Senate District 13, which includes communities in Benton and Stearns counties. In addition to serving as president of the senate, Sen. Fischbach serves as chairwoman of the Senate Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee.