Findlay veteran receives national recognition after Ukraine land mine injury

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By Ethan Watts

Published: Oct. 15, 2025 at 7:23 PM EDT

FINDLAY, Ohio (WTVG) - A Findlay veteran who lost his foot to a land mine while clearing explosive hazards in Ukraine has been named the Marshall Legacy Institute’s 2025 American Survivor of the Year.

Michael Montoya, known as “Monty,” served nearly a decade in the Marine Corps as an explosive ordnance disposal specialist before transitioning to humanitarian work, training communities worldwide about explosive hazards. His journey from Marine to teacher to award recipient demonstrates extraordinary resilience in the face of life-changing adversity.

Montoya was deployed to the Middle East as a teenager, just nine days after becoming certified as an EOD Marine, during the height of the Iraq War. “I did on-the-job training for EOD in Fallujah,” Montoya said.

After his honorable discharge from the Marines in 2010, Montoya channeled his military experience into civilian service. He traveled from Africa to Asia and back to the Middle East, training teams, militaries and communities about safety and proper tactics when dealing with explosive hazards.

“We’re here to assess, identify shortcomings, identify training or equipment that you may need, give you the tools, and then advise over time,” Montoya said.

In early 2022, Montoya decided to spend months in war-torn Ukraine, clearing fields of land mines. While performing this dangerous work, he stepped on an explosive device.

“Within that first few seconds, looking down, seeing it, wave my hand, okay, I’m an amputee. That was it,” Montoya said.

The injury required amputation of part of his foot and years of surgery, rehabilitation and relearning basic tasks. However, the setback didn’t deter his commitment to service.

“So it was just part of how do I get back to doing something, whatever that looks like,” Montoya said.

Rather than stepping back from his humanitarian work, Montoya stepped up. He and friends created a nonprofit called Invictus Global Response, which has provided land mine removal, training and humanitarian aid both domestically and internationally for the past two years.

The Marshall Legacy Institute’s award highlights individuals who demonstrate extraordinary courage, resilience and service after life-changing injuries. Montoya will travel to Washington, D.C., later this month to receive the recognition.

Despite the national attention, Montoya remains focused on his mission.

“We’re here, we’re not going anywhere, and we’re gonna do everything we can, no matter what country it is, no matter what disaster,” he said.

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