They Stood Watch: A Tribute for National Police Week
There’s a kind of courage that doesn’t crave the spotlight.
It walks into the unknown with calm resolve.
It shows up—day after day—because someone has to stand the watch.
During National Police Week, I want to honor two men whose names you may not know, but who left a deep, lasting mark on my life.
Corporal Monty Platt
We served together at WTAMU, and over the years, Monty became more than just a colleague. He was a friend, supervisor, and mentor. Sometimes—even a ride home when my car was broken.
He was constant.
A quiet strength in a noisy world, even in the face of hardship.
When my wife and I faced a personal tragedy in March 2008, Monty—and the rest of my WTAMU family—were there. He had a gift for humor and loved his wife and family SO VERY MUCH. When Monty was around, you knew he cared.
Monty answered the call too many times to count. And in one of those calls—while attempting to capture an injured feral cat on campus—he was bitten. He later died of complications related to that in-service incident in the summer of 2017.
His death wasn’t just a loss to a department.
It was a deep loss to a community.
To his wife. His son. His aunt.
To all of us who knew and loved him.
Monty was more than a badge—he was steady, dependable, and deeply kind.
Coach Gary Don McCarthy
Before the badge, he was Coach. My high school football coach. The kind of coach who taught you more off the field than on it: hustle, integrity, and showing up when it’s hard (6 a.m. practices and two-a-days included).
Before that, he was a missionary. He and his family returned to the U.S. when the country they served in became hostile to missionaries. Back home, at his sending church, he became our coach.
So it wasn’t surprising when he later became a law enforcement officer. He was always meant to protect and lead.
Just 14 months into that new role, Gary Don was taken from us—killed in the line of duty while protecting others.
But his story doesn’t end there.
It lives in every young man who still carries his lessons.
In every handshake.
In every moment, someone who knew him steps up and chooses to do what’s right—because that’s exactly what Coach would’ve wanted.
Final Thoughts
These aren’t just names etched in stone.
Their lives that shaped others.
Men who stood the watch, paid the price, and left a legacy of honor.
This Police Week, we remember Monty and Gary Don—and every officer who laces up their boots, not knowing what the day will bring, but choosing to serve anyway.
We see you.
We honor you.
And we carry your legacy forward.
So very grateful you’re walking this journey with me.
See you next time.
— Gabriel
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