Two U.S. Military Advisers Are Killed At Bien Hoa

In 1957, remnants of the Viet Minh join forces with the remains of politico-religious dissident groups in South Vietnam in opposition to the Saigon government. The groups do not form a cohesive organization yet, but Diem has alienated large segments of the population, imprisoning between 20,000 and 50,000 political dissenters, and the small guerilla campaign grows. In early 1959, Hanoi leadership decides to provide limited support for the nascent rebellion.

On the evening of July 8, 1959, six guerillas slip into the South Vietnamese Army 7th Infantry Division compound at Bien Hoa. As the American advisers watch a movie in the mess hall, the guerillas open fire with automatic weapons. Of the 13-man American detachment, two are killed: Major Dale R. Buis and Master Sergeant Chester M. Ovnand. These are the first Americans killed in the Second Indochina War (the American war in Vietnam). The guerilla attacks escalate for the remainder of 1959.1