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.
As soon as Melvin turned around, he immediately recognized his best friend and lit up with happiness, in a moment that both Lindsey and Jen, who had tears in their eyes, captured on video.
Despite not seeing each other in more than half a century, Melvin and Ronnie then chatted just like old times, with strangers coming up and thanking them for their service, while social media viewers, who saw the video Lindsey posted, said the special reunion had made them cry.
Lindsey said: “My dad instantly knew it was Ronnie.
“Jen and I were super emotional the entire time and I was in tears even before Ronnie walked up – it was such a surreal moment.
“After my dad and Ronnie hugged, the staff at Western Sizzlin made an announcement in honor of them and even comped their meals.
“They reconnect years ago through Facebook and have remained in contact over the phone and through Facebook for the last few years.
“This was by far the hardest secret to keep from my dad, as I’ve heard so many army stories over the years and have known about my dad’s best friend, Ronnie.”
