Lieutenant Jack Cleveland Montgomery, A Soldier's Story
Lieutenant Jack Cleveland Montgomery, A Soldier's Story
Lieutenant Jack Cleveland Montgomery was born on July 23, 1917, in Long, Oklahoma. A proud member of the Cherokee Nation, he grew up within a community shaped by resilience, history, and deep ties to service. He attended the Chilocco Indian Agricultural School, where he excelled as both a student and an athlete, playing running back for the school’s football team.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1937, well before the United States entered World War II. By the time American forces were fighting their way through Europe, Lieutenant Montgomery was serving with the 45th Infantry Division in Italy.
On February 22, 1945, near Padiglione, Italy, his company was pinned down by well-entrenched enemy forces. Without waiting for orders and fully aware of the risk, Lieutenant Montgomery advanced alone. Armed with an M1 rifle, a carbine, and grenades, he crawled forward under intense fire and single-handedly assaulted one enemy position after another.
He eliminated multiple machine-gun nests, forced dozens of enemy soldiers to surrender, and personally escorted prisoners back to American lines, all while under continuous fire. When his ammunition ran low, he continued the attack with whatever weapons he could seize. Even after being seriously wounded, he refused to withdraw until the threat was neutralized and his men were secure.
For extraordinary heroism above and beyond the call of duty, Lieutenant Jack Cleveland Montgomery was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
After the war, he returned home to Oklahoma. Though he lived quietly compared to the scale of his actions in Italy, his legacy endured, not only as a Medal of Honor recipient, but as one of the most distinguished Native American soldiers of World War II. His service represents both the long tradition of Native American military contributions and the personal courage that defines American valor.
Lieutenant Jack Cleveland Montgomery died on June 11, 2002. He rests at Fort Gibson National Cemetery in Oklahoma.
His story is one of disciplined courage—not recklessness, not spectacle, but steady resolve when everything was on the line.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
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