End of Watch: The tragic death of Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Milan Hendrix – June 1, 1989

An excerpt from the book, “Some Gave All,” available on Amazon.

By Mike Simmons

If a person were considering moving to the community of Walling, found in northern Santa Rosa County, Florida, and they wished to have a quiet and peaceful life, they wouldn’t go wrong. The land is beautiful and, for the most part, unmolested. But if a person wished to have a full social life, Walling would not be the place to be. Want to go out and eat at a restaurant tonight? It’s 25 miles to the nearest restaurant. The nearest gas station is 20 miles. Walling is situated kinda between Allentown, Berrydale and Cobbtown. Farm country.

Milan Hendrix was born on March 1, 1944, in Walling. His sibilings – all older, were Charles, Linda, and Marque. Their childhood was happy. The family was close and made fun of whatever they could. The kids were not pampered. They were a rough bunch. Like the time when little Milan – 5 years old – went on an adventure through the woods with his big brother Marque, who was seven years old. Both boys were barefooted as usual. Many kids went around like that, including the Hendrix brothers…they were close.

During their adventure into the woods, they came across a rattlesnake. Marque, in charge, commanded that Milan wait right there while he went home to get a shovel so he could kill the reptile. To Marque’s surprise when he returned, Milan had stomped the snake to death with his bare feet!

When Marque and Milan reached the age where they must decide what they wanted to do for a living. It kinda felt right that they should be law enforcement officers. The Florida Highway Patrol had the reputation of being the most professional law enforcement agency in the state of Florida. Both Marque and Milan were soon wearing the light brown uniform with the sharp-looking cowboy hat on top. Not only that, but they were able to work together…on the same shift…from the same office…in the same place. It was great!

On June 1, 1989, both brothers were working in the Cantonment area, along Highway 29, north of Pensacola in Escambia County, Florida. Marque hadn’t talked to his little brother for a few days, so he was glad to see him sitting in the median on Highway 29. “I should stop and touch base with him,” Marque told himself. “Naw…I’ll see him later.” So, he drove on. He never saw his little brother and best friend again.

It wasn’t long before a car passed Milan headed south at a fast clip. He was speeding, and it would take some doing to catch him. Milan started out after him.

Champion Paper Company (later International Paper) was very community oriented. They spend a lot of time and money taking care of their employees and investing in the neighborhoods. It makes for a better place to work. One problem they had, though, was the traffic problems that their trucks caused as they entered onto Highway 29, especially headed northbound. It caused a dangerous situation. At night, if the truck is pulling out into the road, none of its lights are visible. So, in essence, it becomes a huge, black, steel barrier that stretches across the southbound lanes.

Milan never saw it. His prey likely never saw it either. As he was in pursuit, an empty tractor-trailer log truck pulled out onto Highway 29 to head north toward the town of Century. The driver pulled out but didn’t see the Trooper’s cruiser headed south. The car went under the trailer, killing Milan.

Marque didn’t know it, but he no longer had a brother. He heard the call go out and felt a sinking feeling deep in his gut. He rushed to the scene, the whole time not wanting to be there. When he pulled up, he knew. No one other than Milan knew that car better than Marque. His heart began to break.

There was an outpouring of love and support from the community. Many people wanted to blame the driver, but all acknowledged that it is a bad intersection. A lobby began to look at ways to make it safer, including a traffic light. That idea gained traction and a traffic light is working at that intersection still today.

Milan was the first trooper killed in the line of duty in the Florida Panhandle – ever. His funeral took place on June 5, 1989, at the Gateway Church of Christ. Over 300 troopers, deputies, and police officers attended, dressed in their dress uniforms, complete with hats. The troopers, of course, wore their iconic campaign hats, or, as some people refer to them, their “trooper hats.” 1000 people crowded into the beautiful sanctuary to hear the brief sermons by Fred Tate and Ronald Nunn.

On January 15, 1993, the Florida Highway Patrol held a building dedication for their new communications building on Stumpfield Road. Then, on July 18, 2019, the Pensacola News Journal reported that a part of Highway 29 from Neal Road to Nine Mile Road was being named “Trooper Milan Hendrix Memorial Highway. Fitting.

He loved what he did. He had been there nine years and, although it was a dangerous job, Milan loved it. And to die doing what you love is the way to go out.