Montiel and his family visited his son’s local coffee shop, Sala Coffee and Wine Bar on Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach, on Friday morning, which began normally. Instead, the retired U.S. Marine Corps sergeant and Purple Heart recipient found himself standing in front of a brand-new 2026 Honda CR-V, gifted to him with no payments required.
The vehicle was gifted through Transportation4Heroes, a program run by the Military Warriors Support Foundation, with sponsorship from SoCal Helpful Honda Dealers and Wells Fargo, according to Press Telegram. Montiel, who joined the Marine Corps in 1994 and served 10 years, deployed to Iraq, where he was wounded in combat and later received the Purple Heart and the Combat Action Ribbon. He lives in South El Monte, where he cares for his mother and is raising four children.
Montiel said he could see how people get overwhelmed and added, “I’m kind of speechless,” per the same Long Beach presentation covered by the outlet. Representatives from Mayor Rex Richardson's office and Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal's office were on hand to join the surprise, the report notes.
A Program Built to Ease the Transition Home
Transportation4Heroes is designed to hand brand-new, payment-free vehicles to combat-wounded veterans and Gold Star families as they move from military to civilian life. The Military Warriors Support Foundation describes the effort as one piece of a broader mission to support combat-wounded service members, Gold Star spouses and their families, according to militarywarriors.org. The foundation's program page states that vehicle recipients also receive two years of family and financial mentoring, though a separate account from autoremarketing.com describes the mentorship period as one year — a discrepancy the available sourcing does not resolve.
Eligibility generally requires applicants to be combat-wounded veterans or unmarried Gold Star spouses who are honorably retired or separated from the military, or within 90 days of discharge, along with the ability to obtain vehicle insurance and no more than one existing vehicle loan or lease per household, per the Military Warriors Support Foundation's program criteria.
Wells Fargo's Decade-Long Push
Since 2015, Wells Fargo has supported vehicle donations with dealers across the U.S. to help military members adjust to civilian life. Mike Meganck, executive director of the West Market at Wells Fargo, said the bank supports the financial and transportation needs of service members, veterans and their families, per Press Telegram's account of the Long Beach event.
Auto Remarketing reports more than 30 recipients and $1 million in payment-free vehicle donations. It also reports that program graduates reduced their total debt by nearly $10,100 on average.
Service That Didn't Stop at the Battlefield
Montiel's community involvement extends well beyond his military record. He supports fellow veterans through the Veterans of Foreign Wars color guard and serves on his city's Patriotic Commission, which in South El Monte acts in an advisory capacity to the City Council on matters of patriotism and civic recognition for active and veteran military personnel, according to the City of South El Monte. He also mentors at-risk youth through the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program and coaches local sports teams.
The CR-V is expected to provide reliable transportation for Montiel's family's daily needs, organizers of the Long Beach presentation noted. Drew A. Kelley photographed the event for the Press Telegram and Southern California News Group.
Montiel isn't the only veteran who has been surprised with a Transportation4Heroes vehicle this year. In Edmond, Oklahoma, U.S. Army veteran and rodeo mentor Eric Walnofer received a payment-free hybrid Kia in June through a partnership between Wells Fargo and Kalidy Kia, according to The Oklahoman. That report notes the program awards vehicles to both combat-wounded veterans and spouses whose husband or wife died in the line of duty, part of the same program through which Montiel received his CR-V in Long Beach.
