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Courtesy of Shelley Fredrickson
Montgomery "Monty" Dickson, 26, "loved it there in Japan. He loved the students and he loved all the culture," says his sister, Shelley Fredrickson.
The body of a popular American teacher known as "Monty-san" has been found in the tiny coastal Japanese town where he worked, more than three weeks after the country was rocked by a powerful earthquake and devastating tsunami, his sister said Wednesday.
“We’ve got a big hole in our universe here,” said Shelley Fredrickson, a 44-year-old sales representative from Anchorage, Alaska, adding that the family was not accepting the confirmation of the death of her brother, Montgomery Dickson, officially until they travel to Japan, "for our own peace of mind."
The family received an email from the U.S. Consulate in Japan on Monday saying that police had recovered his body in the town of Rikuzentakata, said Gloria Shriver, Fredrickson's mother-in-law. Dickson's girlfriend, Naoko, then went to Rikuzentakata and identified his body.
The family knows little about the circumstances of Dickson's death. The last one to speak to the 26-year-old known as Monty was Naoko, whom he called after his students had evacuated from the school where he was teaching. Following evacuation procedure, Dickson -- a teacher with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET) -- then headed to the Board of Education office on the third floor at City Hall, which was believed to be a safe haven. Instead, it was overrun by the tsunami generated by the powerful earthquake that struck offshore.
"They said his body was found a full kilometer away from the building ... and it was lucky that they found him," said Fredrickson. "Out of the 25 people that were at the Board of Education office, only five of them survived, and out of the 20 that were missing, only three of them were found so far.
"My intention is always to bring him home, regardless -- I need to bring him home."
Dickson is the second American confirmed by the U.S. State Department to have died in the disaster in Japan, out of 12,554 confirmed deaths. The other American fatality, 24-year-old Taylor Anderson of Richmond, Va., also was a JET teacher.
Rikuzentakata was devastated by the earthquake and tsunami. An International Medical Corps team that visited soon afterward said it “was completely destroyed by the tsunami and no persons were present. Showing the depth of the tsunami wave and extent of the destruction, water marks were observed at a height of up to 10 meters (nearly 33 feet) on the sides of hills."
Fredrickson said she and other relatives plan to travel to Japan to claim his body and return it to his native Alaska.
"The Japanese they want to hurry up and cremate and get moving forward," she said. "I don't want to just receive a box of ashes at the airport. What closure do I have that this is my brother? We want to be a part of the process, I suppose, and have our own confirmation, our own closure ... and know that we're accompanying him home."
Dickson, whose parents died at different times when he was a child, lived with Fredrickson in his late teens. She said he always worked hard in school to make his mother proud, excelling in academics, and continued to strive for academic achievement after her death -- finishing among the top of his class in high school and at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, where he received a bachelor's degree in language with an emphasis in Japanese.
The search had been a full-time operation for the family, and they were only able to plan usually a day ahead, Fredrickson said. They had family in England and Hawaii helping to post word online about his disappearance, and they had been in touch with several U.S. agencies and Japanese authorities about the search.
“He loved it there in Japan. He loved the students and he loved all the culture … He always called me or wrote through emails the joy he had of living there, and I know it was a place he wanted to be. I know he lived the life that he wanted,” she said. But, “he had a lot of goals still left to fulfill and … (his life) was cut too short.”
Despite the lack of word from Dickson, who loved to compete in bike races, friends and family hadn't given up hope of finding him safe.
A hot dog vendor in Anchorage held a fundraiser on Monday -- the same day police phoned to say they had recovered his body -- called "Monty Monday," with proceeds going to support the search effort.
"It was so touching to have had that going on, waiting for confirmation," Fredrickson said, adding that she didn't even tell anyone that his body may have been located because she was hanging on to the last bit of hope. “I still didn’t want to believe it."
She said many of her brother's friends were posting messages on his Facebook page, to which their brother, Ian Dickson, was responding.
“We were all hoping that he'd be found on a mountain top, or shelter, or to simply come striding out of the rubble. This is not the case,” Dickson wrote, noting that he had been trying to find “words of solace.”
“I guess there is a peace in knowing this is part of the human condition. We all live, and we all die. If we are lucky we have a happy life. Monty's life was happy.”
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How very sad. My sincere condolences to his family. May they find some solace in the fact that Monty was doing something he loved and making the world a better place. I'm sure that he left a lasting impression on the children he educated and that his memory will live on in the hearts of many.
My sentiments exactly. I wish only peace for his family. I cannot imagine suffering such a lose.
What a terrible end to a story about a great person. I wish the family well. I understand that the surviving US teachers lived in terrible conditions for at least a week after the tsunami and before they found opportunities to return to the US. I am sure they all wish Monty was with them. He died a hero, as someone who likely helped a lot of people and had major positive impact on many young people in Japan.
It's all so sad. No matter how we loose our loved ones the end result is the same & the pain & saddness of their loss is unbearable. My prayers are with this family. I recently lost my husband to cancer & I know how this family & friends feel. May God comfort them as He is comforting me
Rest in peace, Monty.
A horrific way to die. RIP Monty.
I can understand the family wanting to verify that it is him before accepting such painful news, though.
US Government. So it sounds like you hate our troops. If that's the case, go somewhere else and talk your trash. The vast majprity of the Iraqi and Afghani deaths were combatants in a battle zone. That said...maybe you should also go troll another thread. Semper Fi
God Bless Monty and his family. Having a family member doing good things half a world away is tough enough when everything is going as planned. To have such a horrific event take so many lives in one swoop is beyond belief. God watch over all the lost and their families.
Very sad for this young man's family and all others close to him. Blessings to all...
US.GOVERNMENT- Sounds like your a troll. Being born from somewhere doesn't indicate that country was aware of the actions of someone that is a citizen of it. Besides, the 19 dead hijackers were funded by Al-Qaida which, in Sept 2001, was being allowed to train in Afghanistan. The US involvement in Iraq was not based off of the 9/11 attacks but on the info that Iraq was in possession of a weapon of mass destruction. This article is about the death of a teacher, not politics. If your so politically inclined, I suggest you run for office at your nearest city hall.
Idaho Shooter- Semper Fi
Sent an email? Wow...what ever happened to common decency? Surely the State Department could have expended the effort to have an employee from the office closest to the family drop by and deliver the news with some degree of care.
It's just plain unacceptable to learn of the death of a loved one over email.
That line hit me pretty hard too. It's sad enough to lose someone you love, but to hear about it in an email? America is still great, but the lack of consideration is surely what will do us in. Maybe some of us need a refresher course on The Golden Rule.
US.GOVERNMENT, this is quite a jump. And you derailed the discussion in the first place to talk about troops. Stay on topic and don't make personal attacks, in the future.
You are suspended for a day for violating rule # 1 and # 4 of the Code of Honor.
I could not imagine losing a child this way. Condolences to his family.
In this case, both of his parents died when he was very young....
How sad. I hope they find closure when they go over there.
I am glad that his family will get a chance to have some closure. Montgomery sounds like he would have been a friend if I had a chance to meet him.
I have been following this story and am so sad that he did not make it. I really was hoping he would be ok and was just in a shelter helping people. I am so sorry that this family, any family for that matter, had to go through something so traumatic. He was so young and obviously very loved.
Things happen
nice sympathetic comments, asshat. Things do happen, indeed. At least, for one family at least, they will have closure once they can bury the body properlly. How many thousands more can or will never be able to say the same...
Yep, like useless comments being collapsed.
"asshat"~~ good one
Pensive's Wetness, comment # 7 isn't great, but don't respond with a personal attack. Mind # 1 of the Code of Honor.
Monty san. Your hard work is an inspiration to all those that know you and forever will respect you. You are missed and loved. You represented the U.S. well and humanity's decency in general. You live forever in many hearts.
My prayer for Monty-san. shi - ki - soku- zeku
色即是空 色即是空 色即是空 色即是空 色即是空 色即是空 色即是空 色即是空 色即是空 色即是空 色即是空 色即是空 色即是空
such is life. Monty a seemingly good man dies at such a young age. But it's all about the creator. You cannot in anyway cheat death when HE decides. As no one decides how he comes on earth, no one decides how he leaves but the Father of life. Therefore just make peace with HIM through HIS Son. Is that so hard?
Monty, thanks for living a satisfying life. You are an example to all of us.
The Japanese don't believe in your creator and this is not the place or time (and it is NEVER the place or time, for that matter) to proselytize to a person clearly not christian. What is it with zealots always having the need to force their religion down everyone's throats even at insuitable moments? Don't you have any human decency and basic respect to other people's beliefs? Apparently not.
RIP Monty.....
Sounds like a hero to me. He helped evacuate school children first and then he went to the admin building.
He KNEW his Duty and he did it. His Duty was to his students & they survived, if he is looking down he will know this & take satisfaction in that.
RIP Monty & peace to his family & friends.
Well Done!
Monty was not at Elementary school as everyone seem to believe. He was at City Hall in the center of town when the earthquake struck and He spoke to his Japanese fiancee on the phone to confirm of his whereabout. In fact there is the film in youtube shows he's walking while Tsunami warning announcement by fire fighter urging everyone to run for their lfe in hurry.
All the children at this school was guided by their teachers to run to safety to nearby hillside except some children who left the school early that day. Many of those children died along with their family member who resided in the city.
In Rikuzentakata where Monty lived there are still over 5000 people missing and even the bodies who were found are sometime unclaimed. Because most likely all the family died as well, so is no one to received and indentify the deceased.
I did understood US Embassy personnel came to the city a couple time to search him as well as his Japanese fiancee Naoko. Also this city's people and Japanese Defense Army did assist them great deal find Monty while so many other people are missing.
Rest in peace Monty.
My sincerest condolences to Monty's family. I am a JET alumna recently returned from Shiga Prefecture, Japan (an unaffected region) and Monty-san sounds like he represents the very best of JET participants. Though I didn't know Monty, he reminds me of my friends and I am imagining losing them; it makes me remember how fortunate I am to know these people. I'm sorry I didn't have the opportunity to know Monty. I have been thinking of him and his family during the search and was truly saddened to hear this news. 冥福を祈って致します。
冥福を祈って致します。
Yes, I understand very well how you feel. I am a JET alumn. My younger brother Joshua also is a JET alumn. Like Monty-san, our precious Joshua lived a full and beautiful life. That is the solace we have knowing they lived the life they created with an abundance of love, laughter, compassion and service...
We lost Joshua in 2004 when he was murdered while serving in Armenia on a US State Department Teaching program. In May it will be 7 years since we lost him, still with many questions related to his murder unsolved. We have moved forward in celebrating Joshua's beautiful life by creating a scholarship fund for students to follow their passion in service while studying abroad in the various countries Joshua lived and worked in. Some of these countries include Japan, India, Thailand and others.
To learn more visit: joshuahaglund.com
OM MANI PADME HUM...Namaste and Peace to all...
My condolences. I am so sorry for this loss.
Nothing can ease the pain of loosing a child. Especially so tragically. But a hero he was to the end. His star shines brightly I know.
He wasn't a "child" to anyone, since both of his parents are deceased.
What an incredible young man. God rest his soul, and may his example inspire all Americans to express the greatest character, the strongest commitment to others, the deepest compassion, all exemplified by his short life.
" Monty-san" The "-san" denotes great respect for the children's teacher. How sad when the "good guys" die young.
For Monty-san.
Remember
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.
Christina Rosetti.
Andres- how beautiful - I can say nothing to add to that - love and prayers to all te family and friends who have lost someone so special.
not many of use find our true place in life-Monty was blessed to find his, and it wil be forever. god bless him
this poem is for his dear family-I wrote it years ago for things like this for my patients ...............................ALWAYS--should it be that I am gone, and nowhere to be found, remember me, and there within your heart will I reside for you are loved, and love is not bound by time and space, therefor, be at peace , and, whatever tears you shed, there shall be an unseen hand, gently wiping them away, whispering, always, I LOVE YOU.
an outstanding and a beautiful poem Andres. what fitting tribute to this man.
denise your poem is extrodinary and full of LOVE
THANK YOU Andres and denise
Denise, your poem is also very beautiful. I love the sentiments you expressed. God bless.
It is a real tragedy when someone dies so young. Who knows what he could have gone on to accomplish twenty years from now. We are all sad that this happened, but the important thing is that this young man died making a difference in the lives of other people. He died while doing something that he truly loved.
It's always a tragedy when someone dies so young. Who knows what he might have gone on to accomplish 20 years from now? The important thing here is that he made a positive difference in the lives of others. He died doing something that he loved.
I too wish there was a different outcome for Monty and that he was able to be on Earth much longer. My prayers are there for the family, I am with you as you bring Monty home. I pray that he can rejoice in seeing his mother in Heaven now.
This is so saddening, especially because he died so far from home, but I know he would have considered Rikuzentakata his home. Monty was my successor’s successor. He arrived one year after I left, and we lived in the same apartment which no longer exists. My heartfelt empathy goes out to his sister, family and friends.
Alison
Rikuzentakata ALT, 2005-2008
its people like montysan that makes the whole world a better place to live in. What saddens me is that Japan is our closest friend and ally and we should do a whole lot more to help our friend japan when she needs us most not just moneterally but also in spirit too
The love that you have shown has touched the hearts of many. You will forever be missed. Like you, I too love the true spirit of the Japanese culture. Your love for Japan, its culture and its people will live forever.
Being an active participant and dance at Obon Festivals (a time when we honor those that have passed on)
I will dance for you.
I have lived in Japan for almost 30 years, I was 26 when first went to Japan. I continued to live there, because of the people, and the country. They are beloved people. Always ready to help. I can understand well, why Monty San had so much joy living there. I live in Kyushu, and enjoy every moment of my life. Losing a son is unthinkable. I have one son too. But Monty San, I hope you will be re-born in Japan, and may you fulfill that unfinished dream. May your soul rest in peace.
May the Good Lord be with him and his family.
We need more Montys in this world. His shoes will be difficult to fill. May his family find comfort knowing that he was living his dream. Deepest condolences.
This lovely young man no long breathes, smiles, holds your hands. As a mother and grandmother, my heart cries out to all who loved him so much, and mourn his absence. But keep talking about him. Call him by name. Share the memories. Remember him at every sunrise and sunset. Keep him living with you always, and pass his spirit on to everyone.
May piece be with you always, Monty.