Vietnam Veterans Believed Their Friend Was Gone, But 53 Years Later They Crashed His Birthday Party
The Vietnam War was a long and brutal affair, resulting in countless heartbreaking stories. But in this instance, a long-presumed tragedy was actually turned on its head. You see, over 50 years after Tony Solis’ apparent passing in the conflict, he came together with two old friends in what turned out to be a beautiful reunion.
Tony’s pals
The reunion was 53 years in the making, but that doesn't mean anyone saw it coming — especially Tony's long lost pals. So who were these men, and when did the trio actually serve together during the sprawling conflict in Vietnam? Well, the names of Tony's two old friends are Jim Mattis and Ivis Sloane.
A strong bond
Tony, Jim, and Ivis traveled to the Southeast Asian country with the U.S. Armed Forces in the mid-1960s, joining countless other soldiers. They eventually formed a tight-knit bond together. But following a horrible event on the battlefield, the latter two believed that they’d seen their friend for the last time.
Learning the truth
So, after serving their time in Vietnam, Ivis and Jim returned to America to rebuild their lives. And over the next five-plus decades, they had no reason to think that Tony made it back with them. Yet everything changed for the pair in the summer of 2019 — a whopping 53 years after the incident that kept that apart.
Back to Vietnam...
It’s a truly remarkable tale that no one could’ve foreseen. To start, let’s cast our minds back to Tony, Jim, and Ivis’ time in Vietnam. What unit were the trio part of while the conflict raged on in the ’60s? Well, they were members of the United States’ 4th Infantry Division.
