caption serviceyears branch death_place death_date birth_place allegiance unit awards placeofburial_label battles birth_date placeofburial rank image article_title name
1lt honor montgomery in 1945 after receiving his medal of 1937 -- 1945 united states army muskogee , oklahoma 11 june 2002 long , oklahoma united states of america 3rd division battalion , 180th infantry regiment , 45th infantry medal -rrb- of honor silver star purple heart -lrb- 2 place of burial world war ii 23 july 1917 fort gibson national cemetery , fort gibson , oklahoma first lieutenant file : jackmontgomery.jpg jack c. montgomery
 jack c. montgomery
jack c. montgomery

jack cleveland montgomery -lrb- july 23 , 1917 -- june 11 , 2002 -rrb- was a united states army officer , a cherokee native american , and a recipient of the united states military 's highest decoration -- the medal of honor -- for his actions in world war ii .
montgomery joined the army in 1937 from sallisaw , oklahoma , and by february 22 , 1944 was serving as a first lieutenant in the 180th infantry regiment , 45th infantry division .
on that day , near padiglione , italy , montgomery single-handedly attacked german positions , killing eleven enemy soldiers and taking dozens of prisoners .
for his actions in the battle , during which he was seriously wounded , he was awarded the medal of honor a year later , on january 15 , 1945 .
montgomery graduated from the chilocco indian agricultural school in north-central oklahoma .
coincidentally , ernest childers , who also earned the medal of honor in world war ii for service in italy , graduated from the same school .
montgomery left the army while still a first lieutenant .
he died at age 84 and was buried in fort gibson national cemetery , fort gibson , oklahoma .
the veterans health administration medical center located in muskogee , oklahoma , is named in his honor .
