ARVN Command Histories (m)

Command Histories of ARVN Divisions and Corps

1st Infantry Division

dd/mm/yy dd/mm/yy
COL Lê Văn Nghiêm 01/15/55 15/12/55
COL Nguyễn Khánh 12/15/55 14/08/57
COL Tôn Thất Đính 14/08/57 09/08/58
COL Nguyễn Văn Chuân 09/08/58 30/07/59
COL Tôn Thất Xứng 30/07/59 02/12/60
COL Nguyễn Đức Thắng 02/12/60 01/10/61
COL Nguyễn Văn Thiệu 01/10/61 08/12/62
COL Đỗ Cao Trí* 08/12/62 03/11/63
COL Nguyễn Văn Hiếu** 21/08/63TD>03/11/63
COL Trần Thanh Phong 03/11/63 19/02/64
BG Nguyễn Chánh Thi 19/02/64 21/10/64
BG Nguyễn Văn Chuân 21/10/64 14/03/66
BG Phan Xuân Nhuận 14/03/66 18/16/66
MG Ngô Quang Trưởng 18/16/66 23/08/70
MG Phạm Văn Phú 23/08/70 12/11/72
BG Lê Văn Thân 12/11/72 31/10/73
COL Nguyễn Văn Điềm 31/10/73 30/04/75

* Concurrently Commander of I Corps from August 21, 1963.
** General Tri left the division on November 22, 1963 to officially assume the Command of I Corps. Colonel Hieu, 1st Division Chief of Staff, was assigned 1st Division Acting Commander by General Tri.

2nd Infantry Division

COL Tôn Thất Đính 01/01/55 02/11/56
LTC Đặng Văn Sơn 02/11/56 14/06/57
LTC Lê Quang Lưỡng 14/06/57 23/08/58
COL Dương Ngọc Lắm 23/08/58 08/06/61
COL Lâm Văn Phát 08/06/61 18/06/63
COL Trương Văn Chương 18/06/63 06/12/63
BG Tôn Thất Xứng 06/12/63 30/01/64
BG Ngô Dzu 30/01/64 29/07/64
COL Nguyễn Thanh Sằng 29/07/64 15/10/64
MG Hoàng Xuân Lãm* 15/10/64 10/01/67
MG Nguyễn Văn Toàn 10/01/67 22/01/72
BG Phan Hòa Hiệp 22/01/72 27/08/72
BG Trần Văn Nhựt 27/08/72 30/04/75

* Concurrently Commander of I Corps from May 30, 1966.

3rd Infantry Division

BG Vũ Văn Giai 01/10/71 03/05/72
MG Nguyễn Duy Hinh 03/05/72 30/04/75

5th Infantry Division

COL Vòng A Sáng 01/03/53 25/19/56
COL Phạm Văn Đổng 25/19/56 18/03/58
LTC Nguyễn Quang Thông 18/03/58 16/09/58
COL Tôn Thất Xứng 16/09/58 19/11/58
LTC Đặng Văn Sơn 19/11/58 03/08/59
COL Nguyễn Văn Chuân 03/08/59 20/05/61
BG Trần Ngọc Tám 20/05/61 16/10/61
COL Nguyễn Đức Thắng 16/10/61 12/20/62
COL Nguyễn Văn Thiệu 12/20/62 02/02/64
BG Đặng Thanh Liêm 02/02/64 05/06/64
BG Cao Hảo Hớn 05/06/64 21/10/64
BG Trần Thanh Phong 21/10/64 19/07/65
MG Phạm Quốc Thuần 19/07/65 15/08/69
MG Nguyễn Văn Hiếu 15/08/69 14/06/71
BG Lê Văn Hưng 14/06/71 04/09/72
BG Trần Quốc Lịch 04/09/72 07/11/73
COL Lê Nguyên Vỹ 07/11/73 30/04/75

7th Infantry Division

LTC Nguyễn Hữu Có 01/01/55 15/06/55
COL Tôn Thất Xứng 15/06/55 27/24/57
LTC Ngô Dzu 27/24/57 17/03/58
COL Trần Thiện Khiêm 17/03/58 30/03/59
COL Huỳnh Văn Cao 30/03/59 22/12/62
COL Bùi Đình Đạm 22/12/62 01/11/63
BG Nguyễn Hữu Có 01/11/63 05/11/63
COL Phạm Văn Đổng 05/11/63 02/12/63
BG Lâm Văn Phát 02/12/63 02/02/64
COL Bùi Hữu Nhơn 02/02/64 07/03/64
ĐTá Huỳnh Văn Tồn 07/03/64 16/09/64
BG Nguyễn Bảo Trị 16/09/64 09/10/65
BG Nguyễn Viết Thanh 09/10/65 03/07/68
BG Nguyễn Thanh Hoàng 03/07/68 16/01/70
MG Nguyễn Khoa Nam 16/01/70 01/01/74
BG Trần Văn Hai 01/01/74 30/04/75

9th Infantry Division

COL Bùi Dzinh 01/01/62 07//11/63
COL Đoàn văn Quảng 07//11/63 09/02/64
BG Vĩnh Lộc 09/02/64 29/05/65
BG Lâm Quang Thi 29/05/65 03/07/68
MG Trần Bá Di 03/07/68 26/10/73
BG Huỳnh Văn Lạc 26/10/73 30/04/75

18th Infantry Division

COL Nguyễn Văn Mạnh 05/06/75 20/08/65
BG Lữ Lan 20/08/65 16/09/66
BG Đỗ Kế Giai 16/09/66 20/08/69
MG Lâm Quang Thơ 20/08/69 04/04/72
BG Lê Minh Đảo 04/04/72 30/04/75

21st Infantry Division

LTC Nguyễn Bảo Trị* 01/06/59 01/09/59
LTC Trần Thanh Chiêu 01/09/59 02/02/60
COL Trần Thiện Khiêm 02/02/60 01/12/62
COL Bùi Hữu Nhơn 01/12/62 01/11/63
COL Cao Hảo Hớn 01/11/63 01/06/64
BG Đặng Văn Quang** 01/06/64 20/01/65
COL Nguyễn Văn Phước 20/01/65 24/03/65
BG Nguyễn Văn Minh 24/03/65 15/06/68
MG Nguyễn Vĩnh Nghi 15/06/68 03/05/72
BG Hồ Trung Hậu 03/05/72 21/08/72
BG Chương Dzềnh Quây 21/08/72 09/06/73
BG Lê Văn Hưng 09/06/73 30/10/74
BG Mạch Văn Trường 30/10/74 30/04/75

* LTC Trị became Commander of the 11th Light Division, the predecesor unit of the 21st Division, on October 16, 1957.
** BG Quang left the Division on January 20. 1965. Colonel Nguyễn Văn Phước was Acting Commander in the interim period.

22nd Infantry Division

LTC Trần Thanh Chiêu* 01/04/59 08/09/59
LTC Nguyễn Bảo Trị 08/09/59 05/11/63
COL Nguyễn Thanh Sằng 05/11/63 05/02/64
BG Linh Quang Viên 05/02/64 07/09/64
COL Nguyễn Văn Hiếu 07/09/64 24/10/64
BG Nguyễn Xuân Thịnh 24/10/64 04/01/65
BG Nguyễn Thanh Sằng 04/01/65 28/06/66
BG Nguyễn Văn Hiếu 28/06/66 08/11/69
BG Lê Ngọc Triển 08/11/69 01/03/72
COL Lê Đức Đạt** 01/03/72 22/04/72
BG Phan Đình Niệm 22/04/72 30/04/75

* LTC Chiêu became Commander of the 14th Light Division, the predecessor unit of the 22nd Division, on March 28, 1958. Other Commanders of the 14th Light Division were LTC Nguyễn Văn Chuân (08/01/55), LTC Lê Huy Luyện (02/19/57), LTC Hồ Văn Tố (06/14/57).
** Missing in Action, April 22, 1972.

23rd Infantry Division*

LTC Trần Thanh Phong 19/05/59 17/05/61
COL Lê Quang Trọng 17/05/61 14/12/63
BG Hoàng Xuân Lãm 14/12/63 14/10/64
BG Lữ Lan 14/10/64 20/08/65
BG Nguyễn Văn Mạnh 20/08/65 24/11/66
BG Trương Quang Ân** 24/11/66 09/09/68
BG Võ Văn Cảnh 09/09/68 25/01/72
BG Lý Tòng Bá 25/01/72 20/10/72
BG Trần Văn Cẩm 20/10/72 14/11/73
COL Lê Trung Tường 14/11/73 23/03/75 5

* Note: LTC Bùi Dzinh became Commander of the 15th Light Division, the predecessor unit of the 23rd Division, on September 4, 1958. It is not clear whether or not he was also the first Commander of the 23rd Division when it came into being on April 1, 1959. Other Commanders of the 15th Light Division were LTC Nguyễn Thế Như (08/01/55), Nguyễn Văn Vinh ((09/16/56).
** Killed in action (helicopter crash).

25th Infantry Division

COL Nguyễn Văn Chuân 01/07/62 28/12/62
COL Lữ Lan 28/12/62 19/04/64
COL Nguyễn Viết Đạm 19/04/64 01/12/64
BG Nguyễn Thanh Sằng 01/12/64 06/04/65
BG Phan Trọng Chinh 06/04/65 10/01/68
LTG Nguyễn Xuân Thịnh 10/01/68 25/01/72
BG Lê Văn Tư 25/01/72 07/11/73
COL Nguyển Hữu Toán 07/11/73 01/11/74
BG Lý Tòng Bá 01/11/74 30/04/75

Airborne Division

LTC Đỗ Cao Trí 01/03/55 01/09/56
COL Nguyễn Chánh Thi 01/09/56 12/11/60
COL Cao Văn Viên 12/11/60 19/12/64
LTG Dư Quốc Đống 19/12/64 11/11/72
BG Lê Quang Lưỡng 11/11/72 30/04/75

Marine Corps Division

LTC Lê Quang Trọng 01/10/54 16/01/56
MAJ Phạm Văn Liễu 16/01/56 31/07/56
CPT Bùi Phó Chí* 31/07/56 30/09/56
MAJ Lê Như Hùng 30/09/56 07/05/60
MAJ Lê Nguyên Khang 07/05/60 16/12/63
LTC Nguyễn Bá Liên 16/12/63 26/02/64
LTC Lê Nguyên Khang 26/02/64 05/05/72
BG Bùi Thế Lân 05/05/72 30/04/75

* Acting Commander.

I Corps

LTG Thái Quang Hoàng 23/11/56 15/10/57
LTG Trần Văn Đôn 15/10/57 07/12/62
MG Lê Văn Nghiêm 07/12/62 21/08/63
MG Đỗ Cao Trí 21/08/63 12/12/63
LTG Nguyễn Khánh 11/12/63 30/01/64
MG Tôn Thất Xứng 30/01/64 14/11/64
LTG Nguyễn Chánh Thi 14/11/64 14/03/66
MG Nguyễn Văn Chuân 14/03/66 09/04/66
LTG Tôn Thất Đính 09/04/66 15/05/66
MG Huỳnh Văn Cao 15/05/66 30/05/66
LTG Hoàng Xuân Lãm 30/05/66 03/05/72
LTG Ngô Quang Trưởng 03/05/72 30/03/75

II Corps

MG Trần Ngọc Tám 01/10/57 13/08/58
MG Tôn Thất Đính 13/08/58 20/12/62
LTG Nguyễn Khánh 20/12/62 12/12/63
LTG Đỗ Cao Trí 12/12/63 15/09/64
MG Nguyễn Hữu Có 15/09/64 25/06/65
LTG Vĩnh Lộc 25/06/65 28/02/68
LTG Lữ Lan 28/02/68 28/09/70
LTG Ngô Dzu 28/09/70 10/05/72
LTG Nguyễn Văn Toàn 10/05/72 01/12/74
MG Phạm Văn Phú 01/12/74 02/02/75

III Corps

LTG Thái Quang Hoàng 01/03/59 11/10/59
LTG Nguyễn Ngọc Lễ 11/10/59 06/05/60
MG Lê Văn Nghiêm 06/05/60 07/12/62
MG Tôn Thất Đính 07/12/62 05/01/64
LTG Trần Thiện Khiêm 05/01/64 02/02/64
MG Lâm Văn Phát 02/02/64 04/04/64
LTG Trần Ngọc Tám 04/04/64 21/10/64
BG Cao Văn Viên 21/10/64 11/10/65
MG Nguyễn Bảo Trị 11/10/65 09/06/66
LTG Lê Nguyên Khang 09/06/66 05/08/68
LTG Đỗ Cao Trí* 05/08/68 23/02/71
LTG Nguyễn Văn Minh 23/02/71 29/10/73
LTG Phạm Quốc Thuần 29/10/73 23/10/74
LTG Dư Quốc Đống 23/10/74 01/02/75
LTG Nguyễn Văn Toàn 01/02/75 30/04/75

* Killed in a helicopter crash February 23, 1971.

IV Corps

MG Huỳnh Văn Cao 01/01/63 04/11/63
MG Nguyễn Hữu Có 04/11/63 04/03/64
MG Dương Văn Đức 04/03/64 13/09/64
MG Nguyễn Văn Thiệu 13/09/64 20/01/65
LTG Đặng Văn Quang 20/01/65 23/11/66
MG Nguyễn Văn Mạnh 23/11/66 29/02/68
LTG Nguyễn Đức Thắng 29/02/68 01/07/68
LTG Nguyễn Viết Thanh* 01/07/68 04/05/70
MG Ngô Dzu 04/05/70 24/08/70
LTG Ngô Quang Trưởng 24/08/70 04/05/72
MG Nguyễn Vĩnh Nghi 04/05/72 01/01/74
LTG Nguyễn Khoa Nam 01/01/74 30/04/75

* Killed in a helicopter crash, May 2, 1970.

(Exerpt -with some revisions - from: Airgram from American Embassy Saigon to Department of State, February 6, 1973, Subject: Command Histories and Historical Sketches of RVANF Divisions. This document is a courtesy of Bùi Dzũng. Tin, 05/14/2006).

generalhieu