Info Sheet - SGT Leonard "Leo" Montes
Killed in Action 16 May 1971
On May 16, 1971 a mortar/rocket attack did heavy damage to an aircraft from F Troop, that was in for maintenance. (U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 69-15272). UH-1 Mechanics SP4 Leonard D. Montes, SP4 Ralph E. Posey and SP4 Phillip C. Blackmond were performing maintenance on the helicopter when an enemy rocket landed in the revetment. SP4 Montes was killed outright. SP4 Blackmond was seriously wounded and died of wounds a few hours after arriving at the hospital. (SP4 Blackmond was pulled from the burning helicopter by CPT Skip Petrie.) SP4 Posey received what appeared to be minor wounds and burns, but died of wounds while in an Army hospital in Japan. (Posey may have inhaled hot gases from the burning helicopter.)
The VHPA Report:
Helicopter UH-1H 69-15272
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 69-15272
The Army purchased this helicopter 0470
Total flight hours at this point: 00000750
Date: 05/16/1971
Incident number: 71051616.KIA
Unit: F/4 CAV
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XT765385
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Summary: These three men were killed by an enemy rocket while working on this helicopter on the ground.
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
OG SP4 BLACKMOND PHILLIP CORNELI KIA
OG SP4 MONTES LEONARD DANIEL KIA
OG SP4 POSEY RALPH EDWARD KIA
VHPA Casualty Report attached to the aircraft.
Name: SP4 Leonard Daniel Montes (posthumously promoted)
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/16/1971 while performing the duty of Crew member unspecified.
Age at death: 20.0
Date of Birth: 06/01/1951
Home City: Woodlake, CA
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: F/4 CAV
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 03W-037
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 69-15272
SSN: 563729050
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 67N20 = UH-1 Helicopter Repairer
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: artillery or mortar
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: not a crew member
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 07/15/1970
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew
The initial status of this person was: no previous report
Length of service: *
Location: Binh Duong Province III Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: XT774385
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Roman Catholic
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 04/26/2002