In the early hours of February 22, 1944, near Padiglione, Italy, First Lieutenant Jack Cleveland Montgomery of the U.S. Army's 45th Infantry Division displayed extraordinary bravery that would earn him the Medal of Honor.
Born on July 23, 1917, in Long (Sequoyah County) Montgomery was a proud member of the Cherokee Nation.
Montgomery's journey into heroism began in Long where he was born to John and Emma Montgomery. His mother was Cherokee, and his father was white.
The genealogical lineage of the Montgomery family has a long and storied historical reach, stretching back to the pre-Revolutionay War era in New England. His fouth great-grandfather, Rev. Joseph Montgomery (1733-1794) was born South Carolina
Jospeh was the first-born generation of Montgomery's born in the New World after the family immigrated from Ireland and settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
He started his education at Cushing, Oklahoma, and later attended the Chilocco Indian Agricultural School, a boarding school near he Kansas border run by the federal government.
At Chilocco, Montgomery played running back for the school football team . After completing his sophomore year, he transferred to Carnegie High School in Oklahoma, where he graduated in 1936.
During his time at Carnegie, he lettered in both football and basketball, showcasing his athletic prowess and determination.
After high school, Montgomery enrolled at Bacone Junior College, an all-Indian college in Muskogee. In 1937, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and joined the Oklahoma National Guard.
He later transferred to Redlands University in California but returned to Oklahoma in 1940.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Montgomery reenlisted in the Army and served with his old unit, the 180th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division, through the duration of World War II.
Montgomery's heroism unfolded during the fierce Battle of Anzio, where his platoon faced three fortified German positions.
Montgomery seized an M1 rifle and several hand grenades, crawling up a ditch to within hand-grenade range of the enemy. He then climbed onto a mound and fired his rifle and threw grenades with such accuracy that he killed eight enemy soldiers and captured the remaining four.
Returning to his platoon, Montgomery called for artillery fire on a house where he suspected the majority of the enemy had entrenched themselves. He then armed himself with a carbine and attacked the second position, silencing both machine guns and capturing seven enemy soldiers.
Montgomery continued his assault towards the house, now in daylight and under excellent enemy observation. He ran fearlessly towards the strongly defended position, assembling the surrendering enemy and sending them to the rear. His actions that morning resulted in the elimination of 11 enemy soldiers, the capture of 32 prisoners, and an unknown number of wounded enemies
Later that day, Montgomery was struck by mortar fragments and seriously wounded. He was evacuated back to the United States and spent time recovering from his injuries before returning to service with a training Army in Texas. After his discharge in 1945, he faced the challenge of reintegrating into civilian life, like many veterans of his time.
For his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, Montgomery was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 10, 1945.
He lived out the remainder of his life in th state of his borth before passing away due to natural causes on June 11, 2002, and being buried at Fort Gibson National Cemetery.
The medical center in Muskogee, Oklahoma, is named in his honor, known as the Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center.
This institution provides healthcare services to veterans, ensuring his name continues to be associated with the well-being of those who served.
