July 8, 1959 First Two Men of the Vietnam War Were Killed by Vietcong

What was Happening Fifty Years Ago?

Fifty years ago on July 8, 1959, two American soldiers, U.S. Major Dale Richard Buis and Master Sergeant Charles Ovnand who were in the Military Assistance Advisory Group which watching a movie in the mess hall in the village of Bien Hoa, 20 miles northeast of Saigon when two hand grenades were thrown in the hall. The two soldiers tried to run outside, but as they got right outside the door, Vietcong guerrillas used machine guns and killed them. They were part of the Military Advisory group who was sent in 1955 to train South Vietnam troops.

The Vietcong was an army in South Vietnam and Cambodia. Vietcong is also known as National Liberation Front. The Vietcong had both guerrilla and regular army units, and cadres. They were communists who were active from 1954 though 1976. The Vietnam War was a military conflict that occurred in Vietnam Laos and Cambodia, which started in 1959 and ended on April 30, 1975. The war was between North Vietnam who were communists, and the government of South Vietnam. The United States supported the South Vietnam and members of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization.

The Vietnam Wall is located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. United States Major Dale Richard Buis is the very first name that is listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. The wall now has 58,260 American Military Personnel who were direct casualties of the Vietnam War. This includes 1,300 that are still considered Missing In Action. This is a great wall that honors the Vietnam Veterans.

People magazine reported in their 1984 Volume 22, Number 2 issue that U.S. Major Dale Richard Buis's wife was at home with her children in Imperial Beach, California. Her 8-year-old son was tumbling around with his 4 year old and 6 year old brother when she heard the news. The mother was given a sedative and the boys drove off with their aunt to hear about the news.

Master Sergeant Charles Ovnand's wife was watching the NBC television network, Today Show when she heard the news at her home in Austin, Texas. Just when she heard the news from the newscaster on the Today Show, she received a telephone call about her husband.