Foreword

There are two ways from which you can select in reading this homepage: 1. either by topics; 2. or by chronological order of the posted articles.

First Way. Consider this home page as a finished product, and read the articles grouped in topics:

1. life: in order to grasp General Hieu as a human being through various portraits depicted under different angles: a brother, a valiant general, in his dealings with others, a patriot, a son, a husband and father, a religious individual, a competent warrior, a low-key and discreet personality, a lonesome knight, a likable fellow and a revered commander, a martial arts master, a saint, a quarterback and a coach.

2. photos album: to contemplate a majestic General, a handsome and affable youth.

3. death: to understand the mysteries surrounding General Hieu's death.

4. commanding general: to follow the various aspects of General Hieu's activities as a Commander of the 22nd and 5th Divisions.

5. military exploits: to enjoy and to admire General Hieu's various epic battles.

6. cadets of 3rd Class/VNMA: to find out what 3rd Class/VNMA cadets thought of their classmate General Hieu.

7. ARVN generals:to see where General Hieu stood among his peers.

8. readers' comments: to view readers' opinions regarding General Hieu and General Hieu's home page.

Second Way. Observe this homepage in the making, and read the articles in the chronological order of their appearance. In adopting this way, you will, along with me, the instrument of this homepage:

1. progressively discover the documents, and together with me read them in the following order: The Fate of a Patriot, Letters from the Front Line, Portrait of a General perfect in both competency and virtue, The First Letter Stating the Fact, UPI News, Operation Total Victory 46, Operation Total Victory 8/B/5, Operation Implanting Sensors, Evaluation of 5th and 22nd Divisions Commanding General, Dialogue with General McAuliffe, Operational Orders, Commanders' Meeting, High Command School Report Card, Moving Headquarters to Lai Khe, Combined Operation with US 1st Infantry Division Meeting Report, The Second Letter Stating the Fact.

(*) then from these documents, progressively draw up the different traits of General Hieu's personality: Valiant, Religious, Competent, Low-Key, Lonesome.

2. progressively receive testimonies from witnesses: Nguyen Khuyen, Vu Quyen, Phan Huy Luong, Dao Duy An, Ta Thanh Long, Le Khac Ly, Lu Lan, Nguyen Van Toan, Do Duc.

(*) then from these testimonies construe: Cover-Up, Chess game, Dead in the Afternoon or in the Evening, Who Wanted General Hieu Dead.

3. come to realize with progressive clarity the psychic pen phenomenon through the different articles: Cover-Up, Preface, Epilogue, Psychic Pen Phenomenon (2).

4. progressively discover General Hieu's expertise in the usage of armored vehicles: His Unique Combat Style, Pictures of Armored Vehicles, "Blitzkrieg" Tactic, Tandem Infantry Armor Formula, Pleime Battle.

5. progressively discover General Hieu, initially as an ordinary general, then a valiant general, further a competent general, and finally the best general.

In a nutshell, if you choose to read in a second way, you will experience with me

+ how General Hieu progressively led me to the various documents sources (family, National Archives, New York City 42nd Street Public Library, Texas Tech University, West Point, President Ford Library);
+ how General Hieu put me in contact with the witnesses in Pennsylvania, Oregon, California, Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, Connecticut, Arkansas, and even as far as France;
+ how General Hieu guided my hand in the drawing of his different portraits;
+ how General Hieu himself described his different battles (especially the battles of Snoul and Pleime);
+ how General Hieu progressively unveiled the curtain of mystery covering his death.


Nguyen Van Tin
12 October 1999
Updated on 03.01.2001

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