Arturo Daniel Montion
Specialist Four
191ST AHC, 214TH AVN BN, 12TH AVN GROUP, 1ST AVIATION BDE, USARV
Army of the United States
Stockton, California
January 21, 1947 to August 12, 1968
ARTURO D MONTION is on the Wall at Panel W48, Line 1

Army Aircrew
 
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Expert with Autorifle & Rifle bars
 
Arturo D Montion
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A Note from The Virtual Wall

On 12 Aug 1968 the 191st Assault Helicopter Company was conducting operations in support of the 1st Brigade, 9th Infantry Division. After a rather full day of flying four aircraft were released to return to Bear Cat. The VHPA database contains the following description of what occurred.

"The flight picked up passengers that were returning to Bear Cat and White 5 [UH-1D 66-00820] loaded six passengers, then the flight departed for Bear Cat at approximately 1650 hours. The flight was at 1500 feet in a diamond formation with White 5 in the slot. Approximately 10 minutes out of Dong Tam White 5 transmitted, "White 5 going down, tail rotor failure." The aircraft was observed to descend in a relatively level attitude with the main rotor turning very slowly. The number two aircraft in the formation, flown by aircraft commander CW2 Wiegman, broke from the formation and followed the aircraft down. The aircraft struck the ground in a slightly nose low attitude in a rice paddy with apparently very little forward motion. The aircraft commander and the pilot were pinned in the wreckage by the instrument panel. The passenger compartment was on fire. An attempt was made to extract the personnel from the burning wreckage and one passenger was removed but was apparently killed upon impact."

The ten men who died in the crash were:

As noted, only one body could be removed from the wreckage before the fire made further rescue efforts impossible - that was SFC Merlin H. Bergan. The remains of the other nine men were recovered the following day, 13 Aug, and seven of the Americans were identified within a reasonable period - but SSG Lonnie Tullier's body could not be positively identified. He was carried as Missing in Action until 30 April 1973, when a positive identification could be made.


 
Arturo D Montion

Arturo was born in San Francisco and they were living on Bowdoin Street until after 1948. His family eventually settled in Stockton California, which is where Arturo grew up, and attended High School.

SP4 Arturo D. Montion was survived by his parents, Juanita L Montion (1925-2007) and Steve G Montion (1911-1986). He was also survived by his brother Jesse Lozano Montion (1942-1998), David, Steve Jr. (Dolores) (1945-2011), and sisters Mary Martin and Renee Montion, all of Stockton, California.

Arturo is buried with his parents and brothers Jesse and Steve, Jr. in San Joaquin Catholic Cemetery, Stockton, San Joaquin County, California.

Arturo D Montion


- - - The Virtual Wall, September 9, 2016


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