Early life and education
Khôi was born in Đa Phước Hội village, Mỏ Cày district, Bến Tre Province, in South Vietnam to his father Trần Quang Chiêu and mother Lê Thị Hòa. He grew up in Vĩnh Thanh Vân village, Châu Thành Rạch Giá, Kiên Giang Province. After having arrived in the United States in May 1993 under the Humanitarian Resettlement Program (HO), part of the Orderly Departure Program (ODP), Khôi studied at theBiography
Read by Senator Richard H. Black before theSenate of Virginia The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Virg ...On the 10th of February 2014 BG Tran Quang Khoi is a 1952 graduate of theVietnamese National Military Academy The Vietnamese National Army or Vietnam National Army ( vi, Quân đội Quốc gia Việt Nam, lit=Army of the State of Vietnam, french: Armée Nationale Vietnamienne, lit=Vietnamese National Army) was the State of Vietnam's military force create .... He received an MA in French Studies from George Mason University in Virginia. His Military education included: the French Cavalry School atSaumur Saumur () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur statio ...in 1955 (Advanced Course), the US Army Armor School atFort Knox Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold res ...in 1959 (Advanced Course), and theUS Army Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...at Fort Leavenworth in 1972-1973 In early 1970, his combined-arms Task Force 318 spearheaded the US/VN incursion into Cambodia destroying large NVA logistical installations and damaging heavily NVA main forces. In November 1970, he organized, trained 3rd Armored Cavalry Brigade and commanded it in Cambodia to secure the border against NVA infiltrations into III Corps area. The Paris Peace Accords signed on 27 January 1973 nominally ended the VN War but in fact, provided opportunity for North VN to take over South VN. As the U.S. withdrew troops and cut support, the military situation grew increasingly serious. Finally, North VN supported by the Soviet Union and Communist China used armed aggression against the Republic of South VN. In March 1974, NVA 5th Infantry Division surrounded DUC Hue Base defended by ARVN 83rd Ranger Battalion. In 3 days the ARVN 3rd Cav. Brigade (+) broke the siege defeating the NVA 5th Division by a night river crossing and a surprise counterattack in Cambodia. During the last days if the VN War, the III Corps Assault Force (IIICAF) under BG Tran Q. Khoi command defended Bien Hoa City, defeated NVA 341st Division in its vicinity, forcing the enemy to give up the fight an withdraw with very heavy casualties. Then the NVA concentrated all of his forces (15 divisions) to attackSaigon , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ .... In the morning of 30 April 1975, the IIICAF left Bien Hoa rushed to rescue Saigon but had to stop the fighting when BG Khoi heard the President’s voice on the radio ordering all ARVN to cease fire and surrender. In the end, BG Khoi refused to flee the country with his C and C ship and joined his fighting men in captivity in North VN. Only with the help of SenatorJohn McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...did the Communists release him from concentration camps after 17 years and let him go to the U. S. to reunite with his family in Virginia in May 1993.
Military education
* Vietnamese National Military Academy in Đà Lạt, class of 1952 *French Cavalry School at Saumur, France, in 1955 (Advanced Course) * United States Army Armor School in Fort Knox, Kentucky, in 1959 (Advanced Course) *Master of Military Arts and Sciences (MMAS) degree from US Army, Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, class of 1972-1973.Military service
He served with the ARVN 5th Cavalry to Xuan Loc. His combined-arms Task Force 318 spearheaded the Cambodian Campaign. He organized and trained III Armor Brigade and commanded it in Cambodia. Tran was captured at the end of the battle and spent 17 years in a re-education camp. In 1992, he was released and in 1993, he received political asylum from the United States.Quotes
* I was most sorry for the outcome of the war, but I had done my best. I let my troops execute the President's final order for themselves: I had nothing more to say. But deep in my heart, I silently thanked all of them for their courage, sacrifice, and dedication until the very last minute of the war. Together, we had fulfilled our obligation and oath of allegianceReferences
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