After 55 Years, Army Veteran Surprises Vietnam War Battle Buddy

A Vietnam War vet lit up with joy when he was surprised visit by his "best friend" battle buddy he hadn’t seen in 55 years. Melvin Ishcomer from Eldorado, Oklahoma, joined the United States Army when he was 18 years old, where he met Ronnie Kindred, who was two years younger. The pair were sergeants at the time, and they soon became best friends while based in Germany and serving in Vietnam together. After they returned home to the U.S., Ronnie and Melvin went their separate ways, with Ronnie growing a family in Tennessee. The veterans still kept in touch, and one day, out of the blue, Melvin's daughter, Lindsey, received a Facebook message from Ronnie's daughter, Jen, saying Ronnie wanted to plan a surprise reunion. Lindsey thought it was a great idea, so she arranged to have her dad visit his favorite restaurant, a local buffet, as part of their weekly father-daughter lunch date they share. On March 29, Melvin took his seat, while Jen, Ronnie and Ronnie's younger son, Judas – who had driven for 15 hours – waited patiently nearby. Melvin was keen to head to the salad bar, Lindsey said, but she encouraged him to wait and chat as Ronnie and his family approached behind him.