Johnny Villareal Mata

Johnny Villareal Mata {mata}

Rank/Branch: CWO/Army
Unit: 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas
Age: 38
Date of Birth
Home City of Record: El Paso, Texas
Date of Loss: 23 March 2003
Remains recovered and identified - Reported April 04, 2003
Country of Loss: Iraq
Loss Coordinates: An Nasiriyah
Status: MIA/Iraq
Category:
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: Convoy
Personnel in Incident: Army Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Villareal Mata, 38, El Paso, Texas, Army Master Sgt. Robert J. Dowdy, 38, Cleveland, Army Sgt. James Riley, 31, Pennsauken; N.J., Army Sgt. Donald Walters, 33, Salem, Ore., Army Spc. James Kiehl, 22, Comfort, Texas, Army Pvt. Brandon Sloan, 19, Bedford Heights, Ohio, Spc. Edgar Hernandez, 21, of Mission, Texas, Army Pfc Jessica Lynch, 19, of Palestine, West Virginia, Army Spc. Joseph Hudson, 23, Alamogordo, N.M., Army Spc. Shoshana Johnson, 30, Fort Bliss, Texas, Army Pfc. Patrick Miller, 23, Park City, Kan,, Army Pvt. Ruben Estrella-Soto, 18, El Paso, Texas.

Source: Compiled by Last Firebase Veterans Archives Project from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.
Date Updated:

REMARKS:
Army Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Villareal Mata, 35, was among a dozen soldiers with a U.S. Army supply convoy who are now listed missing in action or prisoners of war. CWO Mata's convoy was ambushed March 23 by Iraqi soldiers near An Nasiriyah when it took a wrong turn.
There has been bitter fighting around Nasiriyah, a vital crossing point of the River Euphrates about 225 miles southeast of Baghdad.
Family members have identified five POWs after Iraqi television video showed the captured soldiers who range in age from 19 to 31.
CWO Mata was not identified as one of the video taped prisoners of war.
The five identified are Spc. Edgar Hernandez, 21, of Mission, Texas; Spc. Joseph Hudson, 23, of Alamogordo, N.M.; Spc. Shoshanna Johnson, 30, of Medina, Texas; Pfc. Patrick Miller, 23, of Valley Center, Kan., and Sgt. James Riley, 31, Pennsauken, N.J.
They were all trained at Fort Bliss as a support unit to supply mechanics to repair the Patriot missile trucks based at the Texas army post.
Fort Bliss is about 600 miles west of Fort Hood.

The Mata family was contacted by the military and told Mata was missing in action, said Javier Contreras, a family spokesman.
The news of Mata's status saddened the West Texas town.
"People around here have been talking about it since Monday, but it was not confirmed until (Wednesday)," said John Fulbright, the editor of the Pecos Enterprise, the daily newspaper.
"The family does not wish to comment on this matter," Contreras said. "For security and safety reasons, they do not want to release any information. The family wants the media to respect their wishes at this time."
CWO Mata played for the Pecos High School Eagles football team and graduated in 1986.
CWO Mata's parents, Domingo and Elvira Mata, said through Contreras that they are concerned and are praying for the troops and the families of those who have someone in the service.

U.S. Veteran Dispatch
www.usvetdsp.com/main.shtml