At 10:45 a.m., when General Hieu entered his III Corps Deputy Commander's office, the assassin jumped over from behind, delivered a chopping blow at the back of neck causing a temporary immobilization, then used a small Browning P6.35 mm caliber pistol to shoot at the left hand side of the chin. The bullet pierced the chin, traveled up to the brain and lodged inside the skull without exiting the head.

The assassin was General Toan's bodyguard, Captain Đỗ Đức, a third-degree black-belt Taekwondo.

Right after the killing, General Toan called President Thieu and reported back to him: "Mission accomplie".

Source: American military intelligence. Classified. Revealed on May 06, 2015.

Intelligence Gathering Methods in General Hieu's Assassination

- At the crime scene: an electronic sensor listening device was inserted in General Hieu's Cross pen - with his knowledge and approval. He normally carried it in his chest pocket shirt.

- At the presidential office: eavesdropping the telephone hot line between the president palace and III Corps headquarters (main station #922, Tiger).

The fate of the P6.35 mm pistol

Captain Duc returned the P6.35 mm pistol to General Toan after the assassination of General Hieu. When General Toan when to the presidential palace, as required by the protocol, he left this pistol on the presidential attaché's desk before entering the office to meet Thieu. Thieu's secret service seized the opportunity to switch Toan's personal pistol with an identical one to prevent any eventuality in which Toan could be indiscreet pertaining to the assassination..

Dialogue

-Hello, may I speak to Do Duc?
- Who is this?
- I am Tin. Is Duc available?
- Oh, hi Tin. This is Duc. Is there anything I can do for you?
- Have you been going in generalhieu.com recently?
- No, not at all. Is there anything new?
- I just updated the page about General Hieu's death. My brother let me know through "psychic pen" that you were the one who shot him.
- What did you just say? I did not hear clearly. Can you repeat? These days I have a hard-hearing.
- My brother let me know through "psychic pen" that you were the one who shot him.
- Preposterous. There is no such thing. I am a good man.
- How can I possibly know the matter. My brother let me know through "psychic pen" that you were the one who shot him.
- One has to back up one's words with proof.
- My brother told me through "psychic pen" to ask you, who gave you the pistol P6.35mm
- (long pause) I don't want to talk to you. (phone abruptly cut off)

(This telephone conversation occurred at 16:00 hours on May 17, 2015)

Photos of General Do Cao Tri's funeral (another Thieu's victim) at the Bien Hoa National Military Cemetery (February 26, 1972)

Nguyen Van Tin
07 May 2015
Updated 05/26/2015

- Cựu Tổng Thống Thiệu Trả Lời Về Cái Chết Của Tướng Hiếu
- Shroud over General Hieu's Mysterious Death Unveiled
- Why Did President Thieu Killed General Hieu?
- General Hieu As Chessman in President Thieu's Chess Game
- General Hieu's Frustration
- A Mysterious Death

generalhieu