When his 18th birthday arrived in 1968, the draft was breathing down Vietnam veteran Leo Montoya’s neck. Faced with an uncertain future at the peak of the Vietnam War, he decided to take control of his path by enlisting before an induction notice forced his hand.

"I had to — my parents kind of said, you know, the draft — my number was coming up," Montoya said. "So, I went down to the Air Force and took the test... I liked airplanes."

Vietnam Veteran Military Service Story: Life at a Combat-Zone Postal Unit

After spending his first year learning the ropes of service life on a domestic base, Montoya was deployed overseas to a combat-zone installation along the Vietnamese coast. Assigned to the base postal unit, his daily duties centered on keeping lines of communication open for troops across the perimeter. He drove large box trucks to the airstrip, sorted care packages from families back home, and hauled mail sacks weighing up to 80 pounds.

Though he was stationed behind the front lines rather than out in the jungle, one morning halfway through his tour, enemy forces breached the perimeter and detonated the base ammunition and fuel dump — which sat on the sand dunes directly above the airmen's living quarters.

"In the middle of the night, like 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning, all these explosions start going," Montoya said. "By the morning time, I took pictures, and they're still exploding. That was a pretty scary situation at that time."

Moments of Camaraderie Amid the Heat

Between the stifling heat, long work shifts, and curtained bunks in six-man hoochs built on the sand, brief moments of camaraderie kept morale steady. 

"Because it was so hot, you know... normally they're working, it's just very hot and humid there, so anything for refreshing is a nice thing," Montoya said about how they sometimes got steak and beer for dinner. "We had USO shows come in... beauty pageant winners, you know, like Miss Texas. They came and performed, and we took pictures and everything, and that was a highlight... just something different."

From Air Force Postal Service to a 35-Year Civilian Career

After finishing his yearlong overseas tour, Montoya returned stateside to complete the remainder of his four-year enlistment at George Air Force Base in Victorville. When his military contract ended, he separated from active duty without fanfare — only to spot a bulletin board notice that set the course for his civilian life.

"They don't tell you very much when you're exiting back then, nothing of benefits or anything. It was just like, 'Okay, here's your paperwork, you're done,'" he said. "As I was checking out, when I was leaving the Air Force, I saw the sign, and it said, 'Take the postal service test.'"

Passing that exam opened the door to a 35-year civilian career with the U.S. Postal Service, where he worked until his retirement.

What Health Effects Did Montoya's Vietnam Service Leave Behind?

Decades after hanging up his uniform, the physical toll of his wartime deployment never left him. The base in Vietnam routinely burned waste in open pits around the clock — incinerating aircraft tires, black rubber, medical supplies, and chemicals — alongside nearby aerial spraying of Agent Orange.

The Department of Veterans Affairs eventually granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy and severe chemical sensitivities. Contact with black rubber or related industrial chemicals now triggers debilitating eczema flare-ups across his arms.

In 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, addressing the generations of service personnel exposed to burn pits. 

It provides health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic substances, burn pits, and Agent Orange during their military service. The former President believes his late son Beau’s terminal brain cancer may be the result of his exposure while deployed in Kosovo and Iraq. 

"The Air Force base I was on, they burned everything. Chemicals, black rubber, tires... because they didn't dump anything, they burned everything. Everything! I mean, everything," Montoya said. "This last one (eczema flare-up) I had has lasted like five months. It just wouldn't go away... and they give you like steroid cream, which thins your skin. It just barely hit something and my skin comes open. So all that gives me, you know, long-term anxiety."

Honored as Menifee's Outstanding Citizen

Montoya now spends his time helping fellow veterans at MilVet. Volunteering weekly, he helps set up community events, assists visitors walking through the doors, and lends a sympathetic ear to those managing their own physical and emotional wounds — service that recently earned him the city of Menifee’s Outstanding Citizen award.

"I just enjoy helping and helping MilVet out, and you know, just make sure everything's going smooth," he said. "Some people are — everybody has different variations of their anxiety, and this helps with my anxiety. I'm just trying to keep moving. At my age, I just want to keep moving."