Portions of Ohio 2, Ohio 44 renamed to honor two Marines killed in Iraq

[thedrifter]

Portions of Ohio 2, Ohio 44 renamed to honor two Marines killed in Iraq
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Maggi Martin
Plain Dealer Reporter

The sacrifices made by local Marines Brian Montgomery and Andy Nowacki will be remembered forever by their families.

Now drivers will remember them as well.

Portions of Ohio 2 and Ohio 44 have been renamed to honor the two Marines, who died in the Iraq war last year. The road signs saying so were unveiled Tuesday in a ceremony their families attended.

Drivers will see signs along a portion of Ohio 2 in Willoughby designating the stretch the Brian Montgomery Memorial Highway. Signs also will appear along a section of Ohio 44 between Ohio 2 and Headlands Beach State Park now named the Lance Cpl. Andy Nowacki Memorial Highway.

The two Marines are among three Northeast Ohio veterans with road memorials. A section of Interstate 71 through Middleburg Heights is the Cpl. Brad Squires Memorial Highway. Other memorials are expected to be unveiled in Clark, Clermont, Crawford and Guernsey counties later this year.

There are 90 memorial highways in the state, with many dedicated to fighting forces such as the Army National Guard and Pearl Harbor servicemen and women. Several are named after state troopers, firefighters and deputies killed in the line of duty. And a few celebrate the likes of Christopher Columbus, Annie Oakley and the Wright brothers.

To see a list of Ohio's memorial highways on the Internet, go to codes.ohio.gov/orc/5533

Montgomery, 26, of Willoughby died Aug. 1, 2005, in Hadithta, Iraq. Nowacki, 24, a Grand River policeman, died Feb. 26, 2005, in Babil province.

"These men made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and they will never be forgotten," said State Rep. Lorraine Fende, of Willowick. "The signs are intended to be a daily reminder of the lives and service of these heroes."

Memorial highways can only be declared by state legislators or the Ohio Department of Highway Safety.

"I'll drive by his freeway almost every day," said Grand River Mayor Chris Conley. "It is a very fitting honor."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

mmartin@plaind.com, 440-602-4782

Ellie

[thedrifter]

09/05/2007
State highways renamed to honor Marines
John Arthur Hutchison

Portions of two state highways in Lake County have been renamed to honor U.S. Marine Lance Cpls. Brian Montgomery and Andy Nowacki, who died in 2005 while serving in Iraq.

To honor these Marines Tuesday, their families were given replicas of the new state highway road signs to commemorate their loved ones' ultimate sacrifice.

State Rep. Lorraine M. Fende, D-Willowick, made the presentation during a news conference at Willoughby City Hall.

The portion of Route 2 that runs through Willoughby will be named after Montgomery, and a portion of Route 44 that runs between Route 2 and Headlands Beach State Park in Mentor will be named after Nowacki.

Permanent signs have been erected along the roads. They state:

n "LCpl Andy Nowacki Memorial Highway"
n "LCpl Brian Montgomery Memorial Highway"
Montgomery's sign was unveiled Tuesday, and Nowacki's sign will be uncovered at a later date, Fende said.

She introduced the legislation after friends of the two Marines contacted her to ask if there was a possibility of establishing a permanent memorial to honor each man.

The legislation to rename the highways finally became law when the two bills, sponsored by Fende, were added as amendments to Ohio's two-year budget bill.

Fende thanked state Sen. Tim Grendell, R-Chester Township, for his effort to get the legislation through the Ohio Senate.

She also thanked state Rep. Carol-Ann Schindel, R-Leroy Township, and former state Rep. Tim Cassell, D-Madison Village, for their roles in working on the legislation.

Those attending the news conference also had a moment of silence to honor U.S. Army Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon of Mentor-on-the-Lake, who died in Iraq on Aug. 22.

Montgomery and Nowacki were deployed to Iraq shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Montgomery, 26, was killed by enemy small-arms fire Aug. 1, 2005, while conducting dismounted operations outside of Haditha.

Nowacki, 24, was killed in action Feb. 26, 2005, in Babil Province.
Montgomery was a 1998 graduate of South High School in Willoughby. Nowacki, a Painesville Township resident, was a Grand River Village police officer.

Denis and Sheila Nowacki of Painesville Township remembered how their son would call them in the middle of the night while he served in Iraq.

Although there was a substantial time difference, it was the only time of day their son was available to talk with them.

"I still think that he will call and tell us he's coming home," Sheila Nowacki said.
Denis Nowacki said several other troops were killed
during the same incident as his son.

They attended many of those troops' funerals and got to know the Montgomery family, who was doing the same.

"It gave me an insight into the character of Brian Montgomery," Denis Nowacki said.

Brian's father, Paul Montgomery, and his stepmother, Loren, who reside in Willoughby, are proud of their son and the values he had.

Paul Montgomery said he hopes people will take a moment to reflect when they see the sign to honor his son.

"Say a prayer for those with courage and conviction," he said.

Brian's widow, Pam, said the memorial honoring her late husband is special to her.

She said she hopes to keep her composure when she initially drives past the sign.

"I'm going to try not to cry the first couple times," she said while holding their son Alexander, who just turned 3.

Pam Montgomery said she also planted a tree in downtown Willoughby to honor her late husband.

Ellie