lest we forget

MONTEZ, ANASTACIO

Rank / Branch:

SERGEANT FIRST CLASS, U.S. ARMY SPECIAL FORCES

Date Of Birth:

1929-11-24

Country Of Loss:

SOUTH VIETNAM

Status:

HOSTILE, DIED MISSING

Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:

GROUND

Other:

MARRIED

Unit:

5TH SPECIAL FORCES

Date Of Loss:

1969-05-24

Loss Coordinates:

143302N 1074119E (YB897102)

Catagory:

BODY NOT RETURNED

Awards & Decorations:

SEE BIO

VETERAN HAGI0GRAPHY

MONTES, ANASTACIO, SERGEANT FIRST CLASS, U. S. ARMY SPECIAL FORCES, PRESIDIO, PRESDIO COUNTY, TEXAS

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

SENIOR COMBAT INFANTRYMANS BADGE WITH STAR, MASTER PARACHUTE WINGS WITH STAR, SPECIAL FORCES BADGE, RANGER TAB, SILVER STAR, BRONZE STAR WITH V DEVICE AND OAK LEAF CLUSTER, PURPLE HEART WITH OAK LEAF CLUSTER, ARMY COMMENDATONS MEDAL WITH V DEVICE AND 2 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL WITH 3 BRONZE LOOPS, NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL WITH STAR, KOREA SERVICE MEDAL, UNITED NATON'S EXPEDIENTARY MEDAL FOR KOREA SERVICE, VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM CIVIL SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANTRY WITH PALM AND STAR, VIETNAM MILITARY MERTI MEDAL, VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL

BIOGRAPHY

Anastacio was born in Leon Valley, Texas. He was raised in the Valley of deep South Texas. The family moved with the migrate farm work and his father went to work on a ranch near Presidio. Anastacio attended Presidio schools, dropped out at age 16 and joined the Army when he turned 17 in the months before the Korean War.
He completed basic training and infantry training as well as parachute training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He joined the 101st Airborne and saw action in Korea, where he excelled as a soldier. After the war and a tour in Germany and married a German national. Stateside, he attended Ranger training and was among the first soldiers selected for the famous Green Berets in 1960. His primary specialty was indirect fire (mortars).
He had completed two previous tours as a part of the 5th Special Forces acting as advisors and teachers to the Montanards in the Central Highlands. He thought his place was in Vietnam as long as there was a need.
POW/MIA INFORMATION: 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 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.
SFC Montez was posthumously awarded the Silver Star. His MIA status was changed to Killed in Action/Body Not Returned on 12 July 1969 when his status was determined to be correct based upon witness testimony.