171. I would like to advance one more theory concerning General Hieu's death. In 1974, Thieu and Khiem clashed with each other regarding the 1975 election matters. The reason was that when Thieu appointed Khiem to be the Prime Minister in replacement of Nguyen Van Loc (Ky's ally), he made the promise that Khiem would replace him in the position of President in 1975. After a few years in powers, Thieu became attached to his seat and made amendment in the Constitution which allowed him to enter the election a second time. Khiem was infuriated by this move and passed on documents pertaining to Mr. and Mrs. Thieu's corruptions to father Tran Huu Thanh, a catholic priest. Thieu retaliated by dismissing several public servants closed to Khiem. In January 1975, before the attack of Phuoc Long, Thieu was contemplating what to do with the pressing advices coming from his two counselors, Ted Serong (Australian) and Vanuxem (French, a U.S.'s secret agent). Serong advised Thieu to withdraw troops from Military Region I & II and redeploy them then request aid from another country (see the entire document on retreat in "Give me 10 more years" at the LB Johnson Library). Meanwhile, Vanuxem advised Thieu to strike a deal with France. During that period, Vietnamese embassies in Asia and Australia were approached by Chinese Communist operatives with a proposition to enter into a diplomatic understanding with China. If Thieu agreed, China would cut aid to North Vietnam and cut the North Vietnamese 5,000 km fuel pipe line reaching all the way to Loc Ninh. Thieu, relying on letters from Nixon who had guaranteed the United States would recommit militarily, refused all military and diplomatic solutions other than to continue to seek additional military aid from the Unites States. When Ban Me Thuot fell, Thieu applied the redeployment of I Corps and II Corps troops. II Corps troops retreated along Route 7b were annihilated by the VC. I Corps troops were isolated and resorted to retreat by sea and sustained heavy loss. III Corps and IV Corps became the defense lines of the Republic of Vietnam. At that time, if III Corps was able to contain the advance of the Communist, Thieu would be able to turn to France or Australian for assistance. He could also ask Chinese Communist to intervene after the establishment of diplomatic relation between the two countries. If that could be accomplished, Thieu would last a few more years. Khiem would not stand for that eventuality. Therefore, General Hieu with his general counter offensive plan in the 3rd Military Region ought to be eliminated. Who gave that order? Could it be Khiem (who was very friendly with the Americans)? How were Lieutenant Colonel Quyen and the Military Police involved in this matter? Why couldn't the Military Security came up with a positive result of the investigation? (Pham Le Hiep).

172. I was in Vietnam 68-69 and served with the USMC in northern I Corps. I did not know any ARVN's. I visited your home page and thought it was great. I admire your love for him and your quest for the truth. I wish I knew something to help you. Is there anything I can do besides write to government officials who don't want to hear about it? Please keep me updated. (Rick).

173. I was Advisor with the 5th ARVN Div. I was in MACV Team 70 in Dec of 1971 thru Nov 1972 and I was proud to serve with the 5th ARVN Div. They were outstanding soldiers. I worked with the 5th ARVN ASTD unit and was assigned to the 5th DARRS Team. (Kenneth O. Conary).

174. I was in Vietnam 70-71 and served with the USMC in HMM-262 ch46 helicopters. I flew many of the ARVN's to their zones but don't recall any as high ranking as your brother. So sorry for the loss of him. I visited your home page and it really touched me, our hearts are with you as we all fought side by side in this war. You have great admiration and love for him. Will visit your page often.

175. I must say, this is a very interesting site. Thanks for putting it up for us to read. It may enlighten us as to the role of the ARVN during the war. In Sadec we had a ARVN general named Thi. I cannot remember his full name. If you can come up with something on him, it would be appreciated. For Nam Vets: Visit this site. (Old Sarge).

176. I was introduced to General Hieu's home page. After reading a while, I noticed a scanned letter with General Hieu's own hand-writing that the General had sent to his wife. In it I found one sentence: "This month's paycheck has additional living standard subsidy and is exempted from monthly income tax deductions." This letter had a pre-printed 2 star insignia which indicated he was a Major General at that time. I reflected on stories regarding corrupted high ranking officers and generals collecting briberies, and thought this General Hieu ought to be an honest General when he wrote this sentence, which hinted to his joy in revealing to his wife the fact that he got an additional amount of money which was not large at all for a 2 star General! (Omega).

177. I received your message and have visited your Website as suggested. In Nov l965 to Dec 1966 I was assigned to the 161st Assault Helicopter Company which upon arrival in Vietnam was part of the 52nd Combat Aviation Btn and a few months latter became part of the 14th Combat Aviation Btn. This unit was based 14 miles West of Qui Nhon where the South Korean Tiger Division had its main compound. As a matter of fact while we flew the South Korean Forces Personnel we often flew the Commander of the 22nd ARVN Division to and from joint planning conferences with the ROK forces. The call sign of our helicopter was Pelican 844. If my recollection is correct the Commander had visited a house next to the American PX in Qui Nhon and I seem to recall him having a young Lt for an aide and there were children playing in front of the residence often. I assumed that he had lived there or that there might have been family there. In fact he often met with the CO of the Tiger Division and we often flew him. I believe there were several occasions where we took him to Tuy Hoa just South of Qui Nhon where the Republic of Korea 9th Marine Rgt was based. It has been a long time since I have been in Vietnam. However, my best memory of him is that he was a very proud man who was respected by his troops. Many of the Vietnamese people who worked in our base camp were Vietnamese and they came from Qui Nhon. Many were the wives and children of Vietnamese officers who had died in combat and were affiliated with the Catholic Church in Qui Nhon. I believe that many of the Catholics and elders of the Church are now in Taiwan. There were also many Buddhists among the people who worked for us during that time as well. The valley which was located directly West 14 Miles from Qui Nhon was around An Son 1 and An Son 2 which I believe were local villages, just little North and South of our base camp. It was relatively a peaceful place and one of my fondest memories of Vietnam was waking up in the morning early and walking to the top of the hill and looking out over the valley as the sun came up -- you could see for miles a beautiful green valley much of which had been cultivated with rice. Vietnamese families farmed the land there for over a hundred years and we often provided them with medical care and the children occasionally were given rides in helicopters -- we had no reason to distrust these people -- the communist had never engaged our unit or even attacked our base camp in l965-66. However, we often flew heliborne missions throughout Vietnam. I have thought out a lot about visiting Vietnam and do not know if I will ever have the opportunity to return there.

There are many Vietnamese who live in the Flushing Queens area. I do from time to time visit a Vietnamese Restaurant located on Kissina Blvd near the corner of Main Street. I am sorry to say that I do not speak Vietnamese having left Vietnam more than 30 years ago. However, my fondness for the Vietnamese culture will always be a part of me and I do have a nice collection of traditional Vietnamese music.

There are several members of my unit who live on Long Island who will also remember the General. I do monitor the press reports coming out of Vietnam via Reuters. If you desire to come and visit we have a nice back yard with a pear and towering cherry tree for shade. I have many slides photographs that were taken in Vietnam. Aside from the war Vietnam was a beautiful country with strong family ties. For a year and plus one month Vietnam was my home, not just a place where I happened to be stationed. I had volunteered to serve in Vietnam and firmly believed that the cause of the South Vietnamese people was just under the circumstances. (Jason Kaatz).

178. I guess you had served in the army before? I noticed that you seemed to know a lot about the ARVN. I have read your homepage, my condolences about your brother who had been killed. I heard the rumor that General Hieu was involved in the attempt of a coup, resulting in him being shot by Toan, a Thieu's loyalist . The explanation given by General Toan that General Hieu died from a happy triggered pistol was not plausible. A Commander of an entire army corps who did not know who killed General Hieu cannot be believed. In reading your articles dealing with the death of your brother, I don't think it was caused by the involuntary discharge of a pistol. Based on the testimonies of the people involved in this matter, I think General Hieu was assassinated, and Toan should know this 100%. Toan's explanation has no value and shows his duplicity. (Vo Truong Giang).

179. Hello from Bangkok. See your report about Gen. Hieu. I also pay a respect to him as a rare and good general of the VN army. Hope that he is in the hand of god and good health to his father. (Yothiya).

180. I am engaged in a study of several hundred political activists and revolutionaries, and your brother, Nguyen Van Hieu is in my sample. One of the biographical facts that I analyze in my study is the birth order and number of siblings that a person has. See from your most interesting web site essay that Hieu was a second born child, but I am unsure as to the number of siblings he had from his father's first marriage. Was it 4 or more than 4? I would be very grateful if you could clarify this point for me. I am author, incidentally, of "Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and Creative Lives (New York: Pantheon, 1996), which has been translated into ten languages. (Frank Sulloway, Miller Research Professor, Department of Psychology, University of California).

181. I have just used your site on General Hieu and found it most helpful. I am currently finishing a book on the ARVN and will be sure to credit your site. Thanks again. (Professor Robert K. Brigham, Vassar College).

182. I have one comment re: the home page you have established in honor of your brother. First of all, I admire your fraternal bond . I guess you have put quite some work in the realization of this task. I found the reading of this home page quite interesting - a 35 year old youth residing in Hanoi. However, one thing has caused me to laugh and upset me because in one article, you advanced a lot of hypotheses (If General Hieu...then...; If General Hieu...then...; etc and etc). It gave me the impression your Brother is superior to Khong Minh reincarnated who had gone to Ky son 6 times and still had failed. I ask myself, why didn't he go further and write: "If General Hieu was the President of the Republic of Vietnam, the North-Bound Push would have succeeded long time ago, Vietnam could have attained democracy nights ago, would have made progress equal to or far more than...Japan???"etc and etc. Enough is enough. If your Brother was reincarnated, he shouldn't have been assassinated, he shouldn't have died with such a waste. Your comments, in my opinion, made your writings less credible in the eyes of the readers. Please forgive me if I have displeased you. (Tran Thanh Hung).

183. I am a 5 year student at UCI. I am a double major in Political Science and International Studies with a minor in Global Peace and Conflict. I enjoyed the homepage you set up for General Hieu. I am writing a research paper now about "how reeducation survivors adjust to American life after their experience in the camps. I was wondering if you have any advise or information on this subject. I would appreciate any help you could give me. (Julie Pham).

184. I am a Vietnam veteran and I found your homepage very interesting. It's admirable and patriotic to create a website honoring your brother and your country. (Regis Mullaney).

185. Your website contains a lot of interesting information. It includes all types of generals, even ... pirates type, such as Toan, Quang, Thieu...If possible, please update "exploits" of these generals for everybody do see. When I was in Vietnam, I heard newspapers and magazines said that general Toan specialized in stealing cinnamon in the Center of Vietnam and thus got the nickname of Baron of cinnamon. In Pleiku, he raped a stewardess in a bar. If in the United States, he should have been discarded, stripped of his rank. Anh yet in Vietnam, he remained untouched. (Phan Minh Hoang).

186. Your webpage is huge, I am able to finish reading it only today - just perusing the main points. Very nourishing, very needed. Especially for the young generation of overseas Vietnamese and also for the foreigners. (In particular those anti-war activists).

I have a couple of suggestions pertaining to your webpage: 1. It is advisable to add a page/section honoring the ARVN soldiers, exhibiting ARVN soldiers' photos. I have read in the first section of the Readers' comments, someone questioned you regarding the authenticity of the ARVN soldiers' photos shot by western mass media, which were to our detriment; 2. the "ARVN Generals" section lacks an important figure: Major General Nguyen Ngoc Loan. Let me elaborate: Westerners - especially Americans - highly value "idols", and imitate "idols". When we state that the ARVN is a competent and valiant army, we must provide concrete images, concrete proofs. And there are no better proofs, no better images than the images of high ranking soldiers - Generals! Have you read Colin Powell's memoir? If yes, do you recall the part where he mentioned about Major General Ky? Colin is very influential with Americans, what he said about General Ky is very detrimental to the ARVN - although what he said was the truth! - In my opinion, you have presented and provided concrete proofs that General Hieu was a competent General, and honest, in the ARVN Generals section, you have showed Generals Vy, Nam, Hung - lacking General Phu - who had committed suicide rather than surrendered. Let's add Nguyen Ngoc Loan, courageous, a doer and responsible. You can use the article of Major Pham Nhu Da Lac in KBC 24 - General Loan's behavior proved that the ARVN soldiers fought the Communists to the very end. (T.).

187. Your memorial to your brother General Hieu captured my attention. It's been many years since my days in Vietnam...my part also was very small in comparison to your brother's part. As you well know there is an eternal reward for noble loving sons of Our Father, I cannot say that with liberty, for all men who bear arms. I do however say it for those that bear arms to save the innocent, while at the same time maintaining a love of God and all men, for those that love the enemy yet hate what the enemy does and fight to prevent the hateful actions of the enemy...my trust is with the unconditional love of Our Father.

188. Thank you very much. I find this very interesting. I was fortunate enough to have met the General. I was assigned with the ARVN Division at Chu Lai in 1972. They later went to Quang Tri after the Easter invasion of 1972. They then went to Phu Cat in August for the siege there. I happened to attend a few meetings where the General attended. These were meetings for strategy (not at Chu Lai). (Garry).

189. You are as persistent as a small mosquito. You have my attention and I will devote some time to viewing your site and direction. I do believe before I go in to it I should tell you I am a Vietnam Vet, Marine Corps and saw a lot of time in the field. I am not real high on popular forces but did have contact with arvin Rangers and they were of a high caliber. All your people are not without honor. This is a mistaken belief among many and is a very large mistake on their part. Only seeing a small part of the war I was in and only an infinitesimal part of your country does not make me an expert by any means. Only a participant in part. It was a very long struggle for your people and many died. Many forget that. I do not. The Vietnamese people were very gracious in their attempt to overcome many obstacles. The CIA being one of a dark side as far as I am concerned. They were shit on my boot.

As I contemplate your tribute to your brother I am troubled by the fact you do not own your country anymore. It is with great sadness I admit the fact we lost. Not battles, not a war, but patriots and democracy. The chance for a people to govern themselves and raise their families in a democratic country. The North Vietnamese were hell bent to vent there wrath on the people of South Vietnam. Average people did not care for government, just to raise their children in a home of their choosing and make a meager living at best. It is a burden to bear, for Americans, we did not kick the shit out of the NVA enough to deep them at bay for you and your's. You will find few who will reply or even bother with you, I am afraid. We/they are too tied up in themselves. Me, me, me. Bullshit. If you understand the meaning. I have thought long and hard about Vietnam for over thirty years. It mystifies me still. A maiden I saw in a dream and cannot possess. It is a wisp of wind and slight glimmer on the water of a bay from the sunset. A beautiful country. I wish to go back before I die. It is a dream of mine. The people were the difference.

I have not shed much light on your brother's demise at the hands of those that are on the dark side of hell. I wish you well in that endeavor, if that is what you want. Fear, hatred, and the burning in the gut will eat you up from inside. You must be the judge of that. (Ron E. McCarville, Sgt, USMC, Quang Nam Province - my field of operation).

190. I was fortunate to have just received an e-mail of your web site for your brother. From 1966 to 1968 I was with the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam, based in what was known as the "I" Corps area south of Danang. To this day many of us who served do not know the full story of the intrigue surrounding our government's involvement in your country or the real purpose we were there. Each country has its heroes and General Hieu is an excellent choice for your people. Love of country, a sense of destiny, personal character and the willingness to sacrifice oneself for principal are universal attributes of all heroes from wherever they come. I am extremely sorry for the loss of your brother and I can only pray that by remembering him, we might be able to influence the overthrow of communism in your country someday. However, the present tide is against us because the U.S. Congress and U.S. business interests want strong "economic" ties to Vietnam with no strings attached relative to establishing freedom for the Vietnamese people. May God bless you in your struggle. (Rod Sexton).

191. A very nice Web Page. The General has a very beautiful wife and looked like a real hard charger when he was younger. ( Sir Forster, Bary, CPL E-04, 2059365 USMC 1963-1966 Chu Lai RVN, Operation Starlite, Operation Harvest Moon, "All of us gave some and some gave all").

192. I am not sure why you invited me to visit your web page. It is true that I served in Vietnam with the United States Marines in Da Nang, but I had no contact with any ARVN units other than being shot at by two drunken ARVN's on a motorcycle. I was only a CPL then and had no influence. I did my job, put in my time and went home. I hope that you find out the truth, but I really don't see how I could in any way help you other than to give you encouragement. (Roy Dobbs, San Diego CA).

193. Things like this must be published, so that future generations will learn of the truth of the history past. If you don't learn this, you are doomed to repeat the past again. I served in DaNang in 1965 as a Sergeant in the USMC. I was attached to the Marine Aviation Recon Squadron VMCJ-1. I was only 21 years old and at that time did not really understand the whole scope of the things that were going on in your county at the time. My first and only thought was staying alive. I see now as I'm older and read on the events of the time, that things were not as I perceived them to in my youth. I will read your site in detail and will have comments and questions for you. It is a sad thing that fellow man has to war for ill-gotten gains. Many good men on the side of South Viet Nam, and the Allis that helped, died. A black moment for humanity, for sure. Tin, I look forward to a friendship with you. I hope you will look forward to it also. I to have lost a few friends, fighting for the freedom of your county and still have a hard time, in my mind, justifying it. It was justifiable, as it was for freedom. Maybe, sometime in the future, it will come to man, that the only thing worth of life is freedom. (Paul Sisak).

194. I remember when you were worried that you would not get too many visitors (I looked at your counter statistics...well done Tin). I knew you would have many, many visitors...your Brother speaks and is heard and your garden is admired...you are a good gardener Tin. (Brenda Montgomery).

195. I have very little contact with people from Vietnam. While serving with the Marines we were not allowed to have personal contacts with the people there. The only contact I ever had was with the children in the China Beach Orphanage that I sponsored during my tour there. I would like to ask you one question, if you don't mind. I was told that the orphanage in China Beach was overran by the NVA and the children there were killed. Is this true? Do you know where I could find out if this is true or not? Thank you for your kind words, and I hope that the answers you seek in your brothers death will be found. I salute you and your brother. (Roy Dobbs).

196. The page is a fine memorial to the General. (Robert J. Mattson).

197. He seemed like an honorable man. (Robert Vann Smith).

198. A very nice site Tin and a wonderful tribute to your brother. I hope you visit my growing site some time: www.ac-119gunships.com. (Bill Petrie, CMSgt, USAF, ret.).

199. Great link you just sent over Re; General Nguyen Van Hieu... Have been working on a positive piece Re: the ARVN and also the South Vietnamese Marine Corps for our website ... Should be up and running soon and would like to incorporate some of this information and also cross link that piece back to your website... And it's relevant as many of us worked with ARVN troops almost on a daily basis... We lost a lot and the guys are still remembering after 30 years... And the South lost many times more good men and then everything else on top of that... I've always thought it was only fitting that we should honor those men who were there along side us... (C.B. Doten).

200. Thank you for giving me the webpage related to General Hieu's life. I have read all the details in this page and it brought back reminiscence of the heroic life span of a competent general of the ARVN. I also have many memories during the many years I served at the 2nd Corps Headquarters with General Hieu who was at that time Colonel 2nd Corps Chief of Staff and I was a Lieutenant working at the 2nd Corps Signal Center (1962-1966). In 1982-83, I had the opportunity to be put in the same reeducation camp with Papa Huong (that was the name we gave to General Hieu's father when we were incarcerated in Z30-D reeducation camp) after I was transferred from reeducation camps in the north to the south. ( Hoai Phan Vu Dinh Thach).

Section 1: 001 - 050.
Section 2: 051 - 100.
Section 3: 101 - 150.
Section 5: 201 - 250.
Section 6: 251 - 300.
Section 7: 301 - 350.
Section 8: 351 - 400.
Section 9: 401 - 450.
Section 10: 451 - 500.
Section 11: 501 - 550.

Table Of Contents