Tag Archive for: #brentstrong

Friday Ceremony Names Satterwhite Point Bridge Over I-85 For Master Trooper Brent Montgomery

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Dozens of uniformed State Highway Patrol troopers stood solemnly Friday afternoon around a crowd of easily more than 100 friends and family members gathered for the first part of a dedication ceremony to honor the late Master Trooper James Brent Montgomery.

The bridge that carries SR 1319 – Satterwhite Road – over I-85 in northern Vance County was officially named in Montgomery’s memory.

Montgomery died in March 2021 of complications from COVID-19. He was 50.

In opening remarks, Brandon Jones, division engineer for NCDOT, said Montgomery will be remembered for the integrity and compassion that he displayed in the pursuit of law and order.

“He was a loving husband, father and friend,” Jones said, and active in his community and church.

Pastor Gary Harper offered the invocation and benediction for the brief ceremony held indoors at Kerr Lake Country Club. Harper said he married Montgomery and his wife, Heather, and he dedicated their children.

He called Montgomery a “dreamer,” someone with a vision – whether it was for a good-looking vehicle or a fancy watch, both things he was fond of.

SHP Maj. William P. Moore II was one of several speakers who recalled his friend and colleague and said the sign on the bridge will serve as a public reminder of the sacrifices that law enforcement officers make every day in the line of duty.

Montgomery’s compassion wasn’t something he learned, Moore said; rather, that compassion was “simply the core of Brent’s spirit.”

That green highway sign with the words “Master Trooper Brent Montgomery Bridge “is an outward reminder of (our) gratitude for his service…we owe it to our fallen heroes to uphold his memory.”

N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon recalled how the whole community rallied around Montgomery and his family when illness struck. There was an outpouring of support to pull together fundraisers during his sickness and everybody pitched in to make them successful.

“He left us too soon…but he gave us so much,” Sossamon noted. “He was loved, respected, valued and appreciated.”

Unlike the other speakers, N.C. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson said he had not had the pleasure of knowing Montgomery. Robinson said he recalled attending the trooper’s funeral, and felt a little awkward because this was someone that he really didn’t know.

“But I see him every day in the faces of the troopers…in other police officers across this state…in the faces of all these people in this room,” Robinson said.

When people drive across the newly named bridge, some of them will only know that a law enforcement officer who lost his life is remembered by the state.

“There are many more people…who will ride across that bridge and smile,” because they knew just who Brent Montgomery was.

“His name on that bridge is more than a plaque,” Robinson said. “It stands as a legacy.”

And speaking directly to the trooper’s family seated on the front row, he asked them to consider one thing when they pass over the Master Trooper Brent Montgomery Bridge and remember their loved one: “Don’t shed a tear, but smile.”

A steady drizzle Friday afternoon didn’t affect the procession of Highway Patrol cars, blue lights blazing, down the ramp to northbound I-85 at Parham Road to reach their destination at the Satterwhite Road bridge. Rescue vehicles and fire trucks of all shapes and sizes blocked traffic to allow the entourage to pass unhindered. A ladder truck was parked along the interstate at the Satterwhite Road bridge displaying a giant American flag as part of the dedication ceremony.

Henderson City Council Approves Resolution to Name Bridge in Memory of Master Trooper

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The Henderson City Council unanimously approved a resolution to name a bridge in Vance County in memory of Master Trooper James “Brent” Montgomery.

The action item appeared on the Council’s agenda Monday night. The resolution calls for the I-85 bridge at Satterwhite Point Road to be named in memory of Montgomery.  He died in March 2021 from complications of COVID-19 at age 50.

He had been a trooper for 15 years in Vance, Warren and Franklin counties, and before joining the Highway Patrol had worked with the local sheriff’s office and police department.

“As a dedicated public servant, he was exemplary in the performance of his duties and an inspiration to all who knew him,” according to information included in the Council’s agenda packet.

A portion of the resolution reads:

WHEREAS, the Henderson City Council desires to honor former North Carolina State Trooper and dedicated public servant James “Brent” Montgomery; and

WHEREAS, Master Trooper Montgomery served the North Carolina Highway Patrol in Vance, Warren and Franklin counties with diligence and honor for 15 years; and

WHEREAS, Master Trooper Montgomery served as Field Training Officer, Traffic Crash Instructor, Taser Instructor and had charge over the School of Safety Program; and

WHEREAS, after enduring a difficult battle with Covid-19, James Brent Montgomery, at 50 years old,
passed away on March 15, 2021; and

WHEREAS, personally and professionally, Master Trooper Montgomery was loved and respected for his exemplary conduct and service to the community.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Henderson City Council does hereby request the North Carolina Board of Transportation name the Satterwhite Bridge over I-85 for the late Master Trooper James ‘Brent’ Montgomery.”

CLICK PLAY FOR BROADCAST AUDIO PRIOR TO THE MEETING!

 

For God, For Peace, For Brent, For Family, For Friends, For Community

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If you will, please allow us to remember Brent Montgomery with the words in this attached broadcast.

Support has been overwhelming for Brent Montgomery fund raiser

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Brent Montgomery is in a fight with Covid 19. The Henderson resident and North Carolina State Trooper has been hospitalized with the virus since Feb. 1st. 1st Sgt. Jeff Rowan, who works with Montgomery at the Highway Patrol, spoke with Trey Snide about Brent and a chicken plate fund raiser that will take place Thursday starting at 11:30 a.m.

“He is a pivotal part of our team,” Rowan said of Montgomery. Montgomery is a field training officer, taser instructor and heads up the school safety program with the highway patrol. Rowan also said that Montgomery has “done a lot for the community both on and off duty.” “As you can tell by the outreach from the community, he is well known and well liked here.” Rowan said the support of the community has been overwhelming.

With the help of local businesses who have covered the costs of Thursday’s fund raiser, 100% of the proceeds will go to the Montgomery family. According to Rowan, tomorrow’s goal is to sell 2000 plates at $10 each. The location of the fund raiser is the old Charles Boyd Cadillac building located at 284 158 Bypass here in Henderson.

“All we can ask from anybody is to keep praying,” Rowan said.

 

#BRENTSTRONG; Heather Montgomery And Fundraiser For Brent Montgomery

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The local community continues to rally around Brent Montgomery and his family as the Henderson man battles COVID-19 at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill. Montgomery’s wife, Heather, talked with guest host Brandon Boyd on Wednesday’s Town Talk and provided an update on his condition, as well as plans for a lunchtime fundraiser that will take place Thursday, Mar. 11.

The grills will be lit by 4 a.m. Thursday, Boyd said, and take-out plates of barbecued chicken will be ready for pickup beginning at 11 a.m. at the former Boyd dealership located at the corner of Ruin Creek Road and US Hwy. 158.

“The chicken is the last thing that this is about,” Boyd said, adding that there’s a “sense of hope and optimism in the air” for Brent’s condition to improve.

Heather Montgomery said his condition remains the same – “the support from the machines is what’s keeping him alive at this point,” she said. The next option, she added, would be a lung transplant, because his lungs “are overcome with COVID scarring.”

Riding a roller coaster of emotions since his hospitalization almost a month ago has been difficult, yet Montgomery said she continues to pray for a miracle. She said that the continuous messages of encouragement that pour in from all over have provided support, comfort and strength to her and her family. “We are not giving up on him,” she added. “We’re praying for a miracle – that’s what it’s going to take.”

The Thursday event came together in just a few days, Boyd said. Volunteers are welcome to come out and help, he added. Plates are $10 cash only, and donations will be accepted as well. Orders of 10 or more plates are available for delivery; call Sandy Reese at 252.213.0058 to place an order.

“This is a day to celebrate Brent Montgomery,” Boyd said.  His patrol car will be parked on the lot, and the entire community is invited to come out and show support to the Montgomery family.

For audio click play.

Heather Montgomery called the community outpouring of support “unbelievable” and she often feels overwhelmed to realize all the ways that her family feels that support and love.     She is grateful to the NC Highway Patrol as well, saying that the supervising colonel calls or texts her daily for updates. Fellow troopers have provided support and are always ready to help lend a hand when needed. Several troopers stood in for their colleague at Senior Night activities for their son, Heather Montgomery said.

In one of the last texts he sent, Brent told his wife not to give up on him. Now, “when he can’t speak, I’m trying to speak for him,” she said. She has had to develop a deeper level of trust with God, she said, because she knows that her husband’s condition is beyond her control.

Calling him a humble man, Montgomery said she was going to have a hard time explaining to her husband all the good things that she has witnessed and experienced during his illness. “I just can’t wait to tell (him) about all these things,” she mused. “It’s going to take a long time (for him) to absorb all this that’s going on.”

Fundraiser traffic flow:  Vehicles will enter the property of the former Boyd dealership from the far east side and circle around the back of the building, then pick up plates by the showroom on the west side of the property.