MONTAGUE, PAUL J.
RIP 10/24/19
Name: Paul J. Montague
Rank/Branch: O3/United States Marine Corp
Unit: HMM 165
Date of Birth:
Home City of Record: Anthony KS
Date of Loss: 28 March 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 160600N 1072300E
Status (in 1973): Releasee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: CH46A
Tail Number: 151922
Incident: Refno 1111
Other Personnel in Incident: Bruce Archer, Returnee
Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK 15 March 1997 from one or more of the
following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated 2021.
REMARKS: Released 03/16/73 by PRG
March 29, 1968, while piloting a helicopter, Major Paul J. Montague was
captured with Captain Bruce R. Archer (1st MAW). They were reported dead at
the time. Montague's weight dropped below 100 pounds due to treatment,
humiliation and degradation in 1969. Very sparse food, little water and
severe corporal punishment made imprisonment most miserable. Upon realizing
their release might be imminent, their captors gave them more food, some
sunshine, and set about making them look presentable to the world. On March
16, 1973 Archer was released weighing 145 pounds and a few months later was
at 170 pounds.
Paul Montague left the military after his release. He resides in Kansas and
is an member of NAM-POWs Inc.
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The Day I Died
A True Story of Patriotism, Faith and Survival
by J. R. Tuorila, Ph.D.
As soon as the troops were out of Paul's chopper, the recovery team got on board
and Paul pulled in power to lift off. As the helicopter got airborne,
Paul recalled that the whole side of the mountain west of the LZ lit up like a
Christmas tree. The VC had opened up on Paul's chopper with everything
they had. As he tried to climb, the helicopter began to lose power. Paul
had run out of ideas as he felt the bullets passing next to his body and face.
It was like being in a hailstorm inside the cockpit. ...
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Nov 8, 2019
MM
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Shirley Jo (Holt) Montague, 85, passed away on April 1, 2021.
A memorial service was on April 30 at 10 a.m. at Smith Family Mortuary, 1415 N. Rock Road, Derby, Kan.
She was born in Wichita and resided in Freeport,
Kan., through her formative years. Shirley graduated from Anthony
High School, where she met her husband, Paul. They were married on Dec. 25,
1955. Paul preceded her in death in 2019....
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