MONTEZ, ANASTACIO
Name: Anastacio Montez
Rank/Branch: E7/US Army Special Forces
Unit: Detachment B-20, 5th Special Forces
Date of Birth: 24 November 1929 (Leon Valley TX)
Home City of Record: Presidio TX
Date of Loss: 24 May 1969
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 143302N 1074119E (YB897102)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground
Refno: 1449
Source: Compiled from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S.
Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families,
published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK in 1998.
Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: SFC Anastacio Montez commanded a company of civilian irregulars in
a strike force (MSFC) and was assigned to Detachment B-20, 5th Special
Forces Group. The 2nd Mobile Strike Force Command, assigned to Detachment
B-20 at Pleiku had during 1968 contained 3 battalions and also satellited
separate battalions under Detachment B-22 at Qui Nhon, B-23 at Ban Me Thuot,
and B-24 at Kontum. On April 1, 1969, the mobile strike force companies in
II CTZ (Montez' area of operations) were reconsolidated at Pleiku and
trimmed down to a total of six companies.
On May 24, 1969, Montez's company encountered a numerically superior group
in a fire fight in Kontum Province, South Vietnam. The American members of
the team tried to defend a small hill. During this time, Montez was badly
wounded and, according to survivors, later died.
As the enemy pressed the attack, surviving members of the team had to
abandon the position, leaving Montez behind. Because of heavy enemy
concentration in the area, it was never possible to reenter the area of loss
to recover Montez.
Montez is one of nearly 2500 Americans who remain prisoner, missing or
unaccounted for from American involvement in Vietnam. For his family, there
can be little doubt what happened that day in May, 1969. For other families,
however, doubts remain. Many of the missing were known to be alive and well
when they were last seen. Some were known to be prisoners and simply were
not released at the end of the war. Others were injured and left behind.
Some, like Montez, tragically were killed and left behind.
Even more tragic is the continual flow of reports indicating that many, many
Americans are still alive, held captive in Southeast Asia. Although Montez
is almost certainly not among them, one can imagine his willingness to lead
one more team to help them to freedom.
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