On October 22, 1957, three bombings in Saigon injure 13 American servicemen. The attacks targeted Military Assistance and Advisory Group and the U.S. Information Service facilities. These are considered the first American casualties in Vietnam, although the first American serviceman's death had occurred a day earlier.
Three Explosions in Saigon
The first explosion occurred at 7:25 a.m. local time among a group of U.S. Army officers. Ten minutes later, a bus carrying U.S. servicemen was blown up. Later that day, a bomb hit the U.S. Information Service library. The third attack caused no injuries, but the building was severely damaged.
The U.S. State Department described the attacks as part of a terrorist plot against American personnel and American services in Vietnam. History.com's historical overview puts the total number of Americans injured at 13.
Death at Nha Trang
On October 21, the day before the Saigon bombings, Captain Harry G. Kramer Jr. was killed near Nha Trang during a South Vietnamese special forces training exercise. He was leading a mobile American team sent to organize and train local forces.
According to the official report cited by the U.S. Army, a block of TNT detonated prematurely while a participant in the exercise was preparing it for throwing. Two American medics later reported that mortar fire was heard during the exercise, but this was not confirmed in the official report.
The US Army considered Kramer the first American serviceman to die in connection with the Vietnam conflict. At a memorial service in 2007, his son Harry Kramer III said: “He was the first casualty of Vietnam.“
The beginning of the escalation
In 1957, the American military presence in Vietnam was still mainly concerned with training and advising the South Vietnamese army. At the same time, armed resistance to the government in Saigon was growing. By the end of the year, about 30 attacks had been reported, and at least 75 local officials had been killed or kidnapped.
The events of October 21 and 22 showed that American personnel were now directly exposed to the violence that was gradually turning South Vietnam into a major front for American policy in Southeast Asia. Full-scale US military involvement was yet to come, but the first casualties had already been inflicted.
Sources: history.com, washingtonpost.com