Private First Class Montes was a member of the 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division. He was seriously wounded by the enemy in North Korea on 21 August 1951 and died of those wounds later that day.

Montes was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.