When a rocket from the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) struck Da Nang Air Base in the predawn hours of February 23, 1969, it hit a 450,000-gallon fuel tank near the base.
Nineteen-year-old Rey Ovalle’s first thought was of his father. He quickly drove 15 minutes across the base and, to his relief, found his father unharmed. Returning to his side of the base, he discovered shrapnel embedded in the ceiling of his barrack’s room.
During the Vietnam War, Da Nang Air Base was a major hub for U.S. military operations, housing Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy units. It served as a primary entry point for service members arriving in-country.
In 1969, 19-year-old Rey Ovalle Jr. was awaiting his draft notice, knowing a cousin who had been drafted and sent to Vietnam, was killed. Wanting to avoid the fate of those sent to infantry units, he enlisted in the army, hoping for more control over his assignment. But it was a bet he lost—his first post was still Vietnam.
Rey’s experience in Vietnam was different from that of many of his peers, mainly due to a clerical mix-up. With four branches of the military stationed at Da Nang, it wasn’t uncommon for close family members to serve together; Rey’s case was still unique though. Reynaldo “Rey” Ovalle, Sr., his father, was serving his second tour in Vietnam with the Air Force and had also been stationed at Da Nang. By sheer coincidence, his son, Army enlistee Rey Ovalle Jr., was assigned to the same base.
For nearly five months, the father and son met nightly for dinner at the NCO club. Even when Junior was stationed north of Da Nang in Phu Bai, he could hop on military aircraft going to Da Nang to see his father.
Eventually, someone noticed the same surname on their name tags and asked if they were related. Word of this unusual situation quickly spread, and within four days, Air Force command sent Ovalle Sr. back to the U.S. “It was his second tour and my first,” Ovalle Jr. recalled. “I wasn’t going to leave.”
Vietnam wasn’t Rey Ovalle Sr.’s first war — he had also served in World War II and the Korean War. This remarkable family connection during Vietnam is rare but not unheard of, and one might wonder if similar stories went unrecorded over time.
After completing his four-year enlistment, Rey Ovalle Jr. continued his military career, serving 23 years in total. He met and married Dora at Vint Hill Farms Chapel in June 1973, after his Vietnam service. Together, they raised two sons—one an Army Reserves Combat Engineer (who has given them two grandchildren) and the other a Manassas city police officer.
The family’s strong bond is clear; their grandson even made a point to visit Rey and Dora with his homecoming date.
Rey looks back proudly on his military service, which took him and his family to Okinawa, Japan; Panama; and across the United States before they settled in Manassas, Dora’s hometown. Among his cherished memories is the time spent with his father during those brief months in Vietnam—a unique experience few servicemen could claim.
Rey Ovalle is one of Hero’s Bridge’s veterans. Hero’s Bridge is dedicated to serving elderly veterans, aged 65 and older. We bridge our veterans to a better quality of life through our age-specific and innovative programs. These services are available to our heroes wherever they call home, at no expense to them or their families. Visit www.herosbridge.org to learn more.