Wisconsin banker killed in Iraq

Northwestern Financial Review, Feb 1-Feb 14, 2005

Staff Sgt. Todd Oison, 36, a vice president and agricultural loan officer at M&I Marshall & Ilsley Bank in Loyal, Wis., was killed while leading a foot patrol in Samarra, Iraq Dec. 26.

Olson's National Guard unit had been in Iraq only a couple of weeks. He had talked to his family on the telephone on Christmas, the day before he was killed. Samarra is about 60 miles north of Baghdad.

Olson was assigned to the National Guard's 1st Battalion, 128th Infantry Regiment, based in Neillsville, Wis. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Olson was deployed on June 23, training for four months in Mississippi. He had expected to be away from home for about a year. The newspaper reported that Olson was the 33rd military fatality in Iraq from Wisconsin.

Olson was a school board member, youth football coach and church youth group leader.

Olson and his wife, Nancy, have three teenage sons and a 5-year-old daughter.

M&I Bank has set up a memorial fund. Donations may be sent to any M&I Bank, or specifically to the Todd Olson Memorial Fund at M&I Bank, 204 S. Main Street, Loyal, WI 54446.