Luis A. Montes

SGT. Luis A. Montes

HHC Scout Platoon

Died of Wounds Received In Action September 7, 2006

September 15, 2006

This month we mourn the loss of one of America’s finest – Sergeant Luis Montes.
Sergeant Montes and his Bradley Fighting Vehicle crew were conducting a mounted patrol
when their Bradley was struck by an Improvised Explosive Device. The Bradley immediately caught fire
and severely burned Sergeant Montes, Specialist Ricky Yarosh, and Private First Class Andrew Loe.
They were quickly evacuated to the 10^th Combat Support Hospital in the International Zone of Baghdad,
and subsequently flown to Balad, Iraq and Landstuhl, Germany for advanced medical care.

All three were medically stable enough to fly to the United States where they were taken to the special burn unit
at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX. They arrived in stable condition,
but Sergeant Montes suffered from internal organ failure and passed away in the afternoon of September 7^th, 2006.
We are all deeply saddened by his loss and offer our sincerest condolences to his family and friends.
We continue to pray for them and for Specialist Yarosh, Private First Class Loe, and their families.
The road ahead will be long and the journey difficult, but the strength of family and friends will endure.

—Captain Troy Parrish (Hammer 6)

SGT Luis Montes

Valley soldier dies of wounds

By DARREN SIMON, Staff Writer

Friday, September 8, 2006 3:05 PM PDT

On Sept. 1, U.S. Army Sgt. Luis Montes was on patrol in a tank in Iraq
when it drove over a roadside bomb that exploded.

Injured, the El Centro resident found a way to crawl out of the vehicle, but, according to his family,
he was not going to leave his men. He went back in after them, and while pulling them out, the tank exploded again.

Montes, 22, suffered burns over 50 percent of his body, and on Thursday, in a San Antonio military hospital,
his life ended as, faced with mortal injuries, he was removed from life support.

Montes, a young sergeant who loved serving in the Army and had just re-enlisted,
became the fifth Imperial Valley resident to die in U.S. operations in Iraq.

Imperial Valley natives Marcus Cherry, Eric Silva, Steven Acosta and Pablo Manzano each died while serving in Iraq.

There was no official information from the military on Montes’ death by presstime today.

Since the Sept. 1 explosion, Montes had been flown to Germany and then to the military hospital in San Antonio,
where he had been on life support since Monday, his family said.

Doctors told the family this week Montes had suffered injuries “incompatible with life,”
said Montes’ uncle Miguel Vallejo, who was in San Antonio with Montes’ parents and two brothers.

Vallejo said Montes’ family was at his side Thursday as he was removed from life support and died.

Vallejo said the family was told by Montes’ commanding officer that he had pulled out two men serving under him
after the explosion despite his own wounds.

“His commanding officer told them he was very brave in saving his buddies,” Vallejo said.

Family friend and El Centro police Sgt. Eric Scoville said Montes had loved serving in the military
and had just re-enlisted for his second tour of duty.

“He was really thrilled he was promoted at such a young age,” said Scoville,
who added he had seen Montes two months earlier while Montes was on leave.

Montes was raised in El Centro and had become the first member of the El Centro Police Activities League,
Scoville said, adding Montes had helped sign up other kids into PAL in its early days.

Scoville was the first director of the El Centro PAL, and said he and Montes had become friends.

“He was a great kid,” Scoville said.

Vallejo said his nephew was a young man who loved his family and wanted to be a role model for others to follow.

“He served with honor and he signed up for a second term because he liked it so much,” Vallejo said.

There was no word on funeral arrangements,
but Vallejo said the family is expected to return Montes’ body to the Valley in coming days.

Montes is survived by his parents and two brothers, all of whom live in El Centro.

Staff Writer Darren Simon can be contacted at dsimon@ivpressonline.com or at 337-3445.

Above story from:

Imperial Valley Press

BACK