Fallen WWII soldier from EKY honored through road dedication

MAGOFFIN COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - Over the last several years, the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 15 in Magoffin County has worked to honor the numerous veterans and fallen soldiers who left the county to fight for their country.

On Saturday, the organization worked alongside the Magoffin County Fiscal Court to dedicate a road to a World War II soldier who paid the ultimate sacrifice many years ago.

“What we’re doing today is continuing to honor our veterans who meet one of three categories: They’ve either been killed in action, they were a prisoner of war, or they were highly decorated,” said Magoffin County Judge-Executive and Disabled American Veterans Chapter 15 member Matthew Wireman. “What we’ve found through our research as a fiscal court and as a veterans committee that I appointed in 2019, we found that we have our local heroes who have been part of major battles in nearly every war.”

Magoffin County native and WWII soldier Private First-Class Burl Montgomery is part of that long lineage, and on Saturday, Montgomery was honored through a road dedication.

“I really appreciate the honor and everything and what the DAV really done here and also Magoffin County Judge-Executive for helping to do this memorial for Burl Montgomery so that we could have long-term notice and respect,” said Randall Montgomery, Burl Montgomery’s cousin.

Montgomery, 22, was killed during combat in France in 1944, but through events like this, Wireman said the legacy of soldiers like Montgomery will live on for many years to come.

“This will be here long past any of us and that’s what we want,” Wireman said. “We want people who travel up and down this road to look and see that sign and maybe pique their interest and go and do some research to find out who was this and what did he do.”

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