Ngo quang truong biography images

Why was the buddhist protest in south vietnam so widespread

Ngo Quang Truong was widely considered one of the most honest and capable generals of the South Vietnamese army during the long war in Southeast Asia. After graduation,Truong went immediately to airborne school in Da Lat. Upon completion of parachute training, he was assigned as commander of 1st Company, 5th Airborne Battalion.

He helped rebuild the battalion,which had been decimated fighting alongside French forces at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. For his actions during that operation, Truong was awarded a battlefield promotion to first lieutenant. Truong was promoted to captain in , and just a year later he was promoted to major and appointed commander of 5th Airborne Battalion.

During this operation, Truong continued to build his growing reputation as a charismatic leader who led from the front and took care of his soldiers. In late , he was appointed as chief of staff of the Airborne Division. In , when violent civil disorders broke out in Central Vietnam by Buddhists protesting military control of the government, Truong was appointed as acting commander of ARVN 1st Infantry Division in Hue.

As a Buddhist, he was uncomfortable commanding a unit charged with quelling the Buddhist demonstrations, but he carried out his duties with his customary professionalism, and Saigon subsequently made his appointment as division commander permanent. Truong, with his usual brand of hands-on leadership, quickly molded the division, which did not have a very good reputation prior to his arrival, into one of the best units in the South Vietnamese army.

Marine Lieutenant General Robert E. Stilwell, commander of U. After this battle, Truong was promoted to brigadier general. When the night passed uneventfully, he dismissed his U.