Cliff ‘Monty’ Montgomery, 94; World War II Naval Hero Had Led Columbia to Rose Bowl Win
Cliff “Monty” Montgomery, 94, the captain and quarterback of Columbia University’s winning Rose Bowl team in 1934 and a World War II hero, died Thursday at a hospital in Mineola, N.Y.
Montgomery arrived at Columbia the same year as famed coach Lou Little, and his teams lost three times in three varsity seasons. He concluded his college career by leading the underdog Lions to a 7-0 victory over Stanford in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day 1934, and was named the game’s MVP. He played one season of pro football with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Montgomery served in the Navy in World War II. He is credited with saving the lives of 400 sailors at Okinawa on April 6, 1945.
As commander of a group of support ships, he brought his flagship alongside a burning destroyer in rough seas to bring the sailors aboard before the destroyer exploded, according to the then-secretary of the Navy. He was awarded the Silver Star.
A college football official for more than 25 years, Montgomery was inducted into its hall of fame in 1963.
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