December 7th, 2021, marked the eightieth anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, after which the United States joined World War II. It might be surprising to think that our school, Montgomery High, has a connection to something so historic that happened decades ago in another state- but it does.
William “Billy” Montgomery was an American soldier stationed at Pearl Harbor. He served on the USS California, and was the first person from Santa Rosa to be killed in the attack, and the first fatality of World War II from Santa Rosa. When our school was built in 1958, it was decided that it would be named after William Montgomery. Eventually, it was followed by a street, Montgomery Drive, and even the shopping plaza nearby, Montgomery Village.
However, before that, Montgomery was born in Ukiah in 1921. He then moved here with his mother and stepfather when he was a teenager, and attended Santa Rosa High School. According to a Press Democrat article about Montgomery that was issued ten days after his death, Montgomery was an orchestral musician, delivered newspapers, and even won prizes for his auto shop displays.
His mother, Anna Montgomery Hufft, was devastated when she received a telegram informing her of her only son’s death on December 16, 1941. Before she died, she contributed multiple items to an exhibit in remembrance of Billy Montgomery at the Veterans Memorial building, including the fateful telegram that had told her about her son’s death and the Purple Heart medal that she received for his sacrifice.
It is important to remember that the deaths from battles and wars are not just statistics and numbers- they were real people. 2,403 Americans died in the attack on Pearl Harbor, including Montgomery. Not all people that died in the attack had a whole school named after them, so it is important to remember those that we can and honor their legacy.
A memorial plaque dedicated to William Montgomery, located near the Main Office.
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