Nguyễn Văn Vỹ | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Vỹ greeting US Secretary of DefenseMelvin Laird atTan Son Nhat Airport in 1971 | |
| Minister of National Defense | |
| In office 9 November 1967 – 6 August 1972 | |
| President | Nguyễn Văn Thiệu |
| Prime Minister | Trần Thiện Khiêm |
| Preceded by | Cao Văn Viên |
| Succeeded by | Trần Thiện Khiêm |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1916-01-16)16 January 1916 Hanoi,Tonkin,French Indochina |
| Died | 1981 (age 65) Saint-Mandé,France |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  State of VietnamRepublic of Vietnam |
| Branch/service | Vietnamese National ArmyArmy of the Republic of Vietnam |
| Years of service | 1939 – 25 October 1955 (Vietnamese National Army) 26 October 1955 – 30 April 1975 (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) |
| Rank |  Lieutenant general (Trung tướng) |
Nguyễn Văn Vỹ (Vietnamese pronunciation:[ŋwiən˦ˀ˥van˧˧vi˧˧]; 16 January 1916 – 1981) was a South Vietnamese soldier who rose to the rank ofGeneral in theArmy of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). In addition to his military career, he served asMinister of National Defense of the Republic of Vietnam from 1967 to 1972.
Vy was born in 1916 inHanoi.[1]
After graduating from the administration school, against his father wishes, joined the French Officer military academy and served as an officer of an airborne regiment. He was a veteran of the Dien Bien Phu battle and took part in the allied landing in Korea. He originally served in theVietnamese National Army under GeneralNguyễn Văn Hinh. On 1 May 1955 Vy was arrested after trying to take over the Army in the name of EmperorBảo Đại to stopNgô Đình Diệm from taking power fraudulently, and was forced to flee to France as an exile.[2][3]
Vy returned toSouth Vietnam after the 1963 coup which removed Diem from power and led to his assassination.[3] He was arrested during theJanuary 1964 South Vietnamese coup for being a member of the military committee command staff, under GeneralDương Văn Minh (or "Big Minh"). It was the late President Diem and his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu who want to open talks with the North Vietnamese.[4] Like most of the military leaders involved in the alleged plot, he was soon released. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant General, and was appointed Chief of Staff of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam in 1967.[5]
In February 1967 Prime MinisterNguyễn Cao Kỳ appointed him and the Defense Minister, GeneralCao Văn Viên, to a committee to root out corruption among senior military personnel.[5] PresidentNguyễn Văn Thiệu replaced Viên as Defense Minister with Vy on 25 May 1968.[1][3][6] As Defense Minister, Vy ran the Servicemen's Mutual Aid and Savings Fund (SMASF), a government-run and owned pension fund for South Vietnamese military personnel.[7]
In 1971 Vy allegedly embezzled millions of dollars from the fund in order to create or buy the Bank of Industry and Commerce, Vicco (a road and bridge construction company), Vi-navatco (a transportation firm), Icico (an insurance company), and Foproco (a food processing company).[7] On 22 March Thiệu dismissed five of Vy's senior aides due to a scandal relating to the SMASF.[8] Thiệu removed him from office on 6 August 1972.[9] He was placed under house arrest, and fired in March 1974.[10] He died in theBégin Military Teaching Hospital in 1981 at the age of 65.[11]
South Vietnam :
Grand Officer of theNational Order of Vietnam
ArmyDistinguished Service Order, First Class
Air ForceDistinguished Service Order, First Class