Base renamed for hotel-casino

Within days this blog will be written by Wisconsin soldiers. While we work out a few logistical challenges, here's another post from your host.

A base that had been named for a fallen Wisconsin soldier has been turned over to the Iraqis.
And it has been renamed.
Todd Olson of Loyal was 36 when he died in Iraq.
A roadside bomb injured him on Dec. 26, 2004, near Samarra. He died the next day.

According to a National Guard press release dated today:

As Patrol Base Olson was turned over to Iraqi forces, its name was changed to Fond'k Albo Hera. The Arabic name translates into English as "Lake Hotel," recognizing the military post's previous use as a hotel and casino on the shore of a small lake on the city's northern edge.

Olson was a staff sergeant at the time of his death. He had four children, coached youth football and served on a local school board.

-Steve