Vietnam Veterans Believed Their Friend Was Gone, But 53 Years Later They Crashed His Birthday Party

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.

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.

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.

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.

If that name sounds familiar, it’s for good reason. Since its creation in the winter of 1917, the 4th Infantry Division has gone on to do some very notable things for the United States. To give you just one example, the unit was picked to lead the charge on what became known as D-Day during World War II.

So it must’ve been quite a moment for Tony, Ivis, and Jim when they joined this illustrious arm of America’s military. But still, the trio arrived in Vietnam while the war was in full-swing, and it had some way to go before ending. It was a difficult time, and that’s putting it mildly.

The war itself began back in 1954, as America joined South Vietnam in its fight with the North side of the country. The latter was run by communist officials. On that note, the entire thing was soon seen as an extension of the Cold War, which was also ticking over in the background.

In the end, America’s involvement in Vietnam didn’t conclude until 1973 — close to 20 years later. Meanwhile, the conflict as a whole finally came to a halt in 1975. In total, it’s believed that more than 58,000 soldiers from the United States lost their lives. And for the longest time, Jim and Ivis were convinced that Tony was one of them.

What actually happened to the three men, then? The year was 1966 and they found themselves under fire from enemy forces. During the chaos that ensued, Tony went on to suffer a serious injury that left him in a terrifying spot. How could he get off the battlefield alive?

Well, Jim and Ivis did all they could to help their pal when he needed it most. You see, after Tony got hurt, the duo carefully placed him inside a chopper that was evacuating the area. From there, it was expected that he’d be flown to a medical facility. Intense stuff, right?

Yet Ivis and Jim’s efforts appeared to be in vain. No news emerged about Tony’s condition, and he didn’t get in contact with either of them following that day on the battlefield. With that in mind, they couldn’t help but come to the same conclusion: their friend must not have survived his injuries.

We can only imagine how tough that must’ve been on Jim and Ivis. It was something they both carried with them as the years progressed. But regardless of the mental toll, the Vietnam veterans were able to move on once they got back home.

Yes, Ivis and Jim tied the knot with their respective partners before welcoming kids into the world. At that stage, everything appeared to be going well for the pair. In 2019, though, life as they knew it was turned upside down when the truth finally revealed itself. Tony's fate was much different than they'd assumed.

Tony hadn't died in Vietnam after all! After recovering from his injuries, Tony eventually made his way back to the U.S. and settled down in Caldwell, Idaho. How did Ivis and Jim find that out? Simple — they stumbled across his name in a social media search. That’s also how Ivis and Jim originally reconnected. Thank goodness for the internet!

Once Jim and Ivis uncovered the jaw-dropping truth, they were left with a big question. What was the next move? Well, instead of messaging Tony directly, the veterans reached out to his loved ones to devise a heartwarming plan. And as luck would have it, a celebration was already on the horizon in July 2019.

Tony was turning 76 that month, so what better time to bring the band back together again? But still, the Caldwell resident had no idea that Ivis and Jim were getting ready to visit. He was completely in the dark, with his relatives doing their part to keep it all hush-hush.

Everyone involved wanted this to be a special moment. And you can hardly blame them! Reunions of this type don’t come along every day. At the same time, though, a similar story did crop up a few months later in September 2019. Once again, it involved some separated Vietnam veterans.

Ted Cynor was just a teenager when he joined the military, unaware of what was coming next. After he arrived at his unit, the youngster quickly formed a bond with an older guy named Vern Ehnert. The pair were pals in the blink of an eye, before leaving America in 1965. Their target? Vietnam.

Touching on that period, Ted spoke to KARE 11 in September 2019. The former soldier noted, “They said your destination is Southeast Asia. We didn’t know anything about Vietnam. Nobody in our platoon [did]. ‘What the hell? Where’s Vietnam?’ That first night was all hell. Everybody was shooting at everything.”

Despite the chaos and confusion, though, Ted knew that Vern had his back. Their bond was a mirror image of Tony, Jim, and Ivis’. But the time they spent in Vietnam had a slightly clearer ending. Yes, following roughly 12 months of fighting, the pair both returned to America together.

“We used to dig holes — and fox holes at night — and sit with our backs to one another,” Ted recalled. “We were like brothers, Vern and I.” Mind you, while their relationship was rock-solid during the war, something changed when they left Southeast Asia. Upon touching down in the States, the pair went their separate ways and lost contact.

Yet that doesn’t tell the whole story. From Ted’s perspective, he didn’t have much interest in rekindling their friendship. And the veteran found it tough to offer up an explanation why. He had no idea what was holding him back. His daughter thought that she had an answer, though.

Speaking to KARE 11, Cindy Wirth said, “When they came back, I think they just wanted to forget what actually happened — just the horror of it. My father never spoke about anybody. I remember being a little girl, he would wake up with night terrors. I’d hear him scream. He’d wake up in the middle of the night just soaking in sweat.”

That couldn’t have been easy, right? So when did Ted’s mindset start to change, then? Well, after learning that Cindy was going to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., he had a request for his daughter. “He asked me to look up a few names for him that were on the wall,” she said.

Cindy then added, “When [Ted] asked me to bring those names home, I knew it was time to start reaching out to find his buddies that were still alive.” From there, she quickly located Vern, who was now living in Frazee, Minnesota. That was only a few hours from where her dad was.

After Cindy made contact with Vern, Ted then visited his pal in September 2019, bringing their 53-year separation to an end. It was a beautifully understated reunion, with KARE 11 capturing it on camera. On the flipside of that, Ivis and Jim’s plan to see Tony again was as far from low-key as you can imagine!

Like we mentioned earlier, Tony wasn’t told about Ivis and Jim prior to his birthday in the summer of 2019. And while his loved ones were doing their best to stay quiet, his pals from Vietnam wanted to make the grandest of entrances outside his Caldwell home.

To pull that off, Ivis and Jim reached out to the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association. With the motorists by their side, they aimed to travel along Tony’s neighborhood in a big group before reaching his driveway. At that point, the duo would then surprise their old buddy. Talk about elaborate!

Would it work, though? We won’t leave you in suspense, folks — it most certainly did! Yes, Tony couldn’t believe his eyes when Jim and Ivis drove up outside his house. He was overcome with emotion, and let the tears flow as he hugged his two friends. It made for a pretty wonderful sight.

But while it proved to be a memorable moment, something became very clear once the three men sat down afterwards. Tony shared his thoughts about what happened in Vietnam all those years ago, focusing on his separation from Ivis and Jim. To say it hit him hard would be an understatement.

While talking to KTVB in July 2019, Tony said, “I left [the combat zone] before [Jim and Ivis] and I felt guilty leaving them behind. I felt bad.” The pain was etched all over his face and he barely got the words out. Suddenly, 53 years worth of anguish could be contained no more.

Yet unlike before, Tony’s two old friends were there to help ease the internal pain. Regardless of what transpired on that battlefield in 1966, they all managed to get home safe and sound, which the Caldwell resident acknowledged. “We made it,” he told the KTVB cameras in a relieved tone.

We don’t blame you if you’ve shed a few tears — the raw emotion on display here was off the charts! It’s easy to get choked up. Then again, this reunion wasn’t just about dealing with regrets over the previous five decades. There was a lighter side to it as well, which we’ll soon discover.

Without wishing to state the obvious, a person’s appearance will change a lot over 53 years. And Tony picked up on that when meeting his Vietnam buddies. As he said to KTVB, “I was trying to figure out who [Jim] was! I recognized Ivis right away, but Jim, no.” We’re sure Jim didn’t hold it against him!

Anyway, there was another twist in store on that fantastic day, too. With Jim and Ivis by his side, Tony was handed a birthday present to remember. Yes, he received a Purple Heart award. In case you weren’t aware, that’s an honor given to soldiers who suffer injuries or pass away in the line of duty.

Quite a way to cap off the day, right? KTVB caught it on camera, but they weren’t the only crew on-hand. Yep, a nearby business named Two Wolves Media also got involved, shooting the action. And it clearly had an effect on the person in charge, who took part in a later interview.

As quoted by Happily News, Reed Pacheco said, “I was completely overwhelmed with emotion watching these three men, who didn’t know if the others made it home. So, seeing these men meet was a tearful experience. They all lived with regret, sadness, and questions that they couldn’t answer.”

“In this time of social media, we are blessed like never before,” Pacheco continued. “In times of such negativity there’s good if we just open our eyes. These men used social media to reconnect with someone they thought they’d lost. They found out they didn’t have to carry those burdens after all.”

Then, to conclude, Pacheco added, “[Tony, Jim, and Ivis] realized the impact and value of what they had over 50 years ago, and it still remained today.” We’d say he’s summed it all up quite nicely! But even so, it seems fitting to finish with Tony’s final thoughts here. As he told KTVB, “[This was the] best surprise of my life.”