Nguyễn Văn Minh (1929-2006) was a general in the

Army of the Republic of Vietnam The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN; ; french: Armée de la république du Viêt Nam) composed the ground forces of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces, South Vietnamese military from its inception in 1955 to the Fall of Saigon in April ...

(ARVN) during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. Minh entered military service during the

First Indochina War The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam) began in French Indochina from 19 December 1946 to 20 July 1954 between France and Việt Minh (Democratic Republic of Vi ...

in 1950 as an airborne officer serving in the French colonial forces. Minh was dispatched to An Giang Province, in the

Mekong Delta The Mekong Delta ( vi, Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long, lit=Nine Dragon River Delta or simply vi, Đồng Bằng Sông Mê Kông, lit=Mekong River Delta, label=none), also known as the Western Region ( vi, Miền Tây, links=no) or South-weste ...

, and served as provincial chief until Diem's death in 1963. He was sometimes known as "Little Minh" to distinguish him from the much larger (physically)

Dương Văn Minh Dương Văn Minh (; 16 February 19166 August 2001), popularly known as Big Minh, was a South Vietnamese politician and a senior general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and a politician during the presidency of Ngô Đình Diệm. ...

, known as "Big Minh". In 1964, he became deputy commander of the 21st Division in the IV Corps Tactical Zone. In 1965 Minh was promoted to brigadier general and given command of the division. During the Tet offensive in 1968, he was given the command of the Capital Military District. Upon the death of the commander of

III Corps 3rd Corps, Third Corps, III Corps, or 3rd Army Corps may refer to: France * 3rd Army Corps (France) * III Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * III Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of th ...

, Lieutenant General

Do Cao Tri Do, DO or D.O. may refer to: Languages * The English verb, ''do'', which may serve as an auxiliary verb; see do-support * ''Do'' (kana), a mora symbol in Japanese writing * Ditto mark People * Đỗ, a Vietnamese surname * Do (surname), include ...

during the Cambodian Incursion of 1970, Minh was promoted and became Corps commander. He now held what was the most important South Vietnamese field command in the war. In 1971, he commanded his unit during the

Battle of Snuol The Battle of Snuol, fought over the border inside Snuol a Cambodian district, was a major battle of the Vietnam War, conducted by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) as part of ''Operation Toàn Thắng TT02''. The battle lasted from 5 J ...

. Minh managed to convince President Thieu that An Lộc, not Tây Ninh, was the major objective during the third phase of the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive of 1972. He successfully commanded his forces in the city's defense.

References

Army of the Republic of Vietnam generals South Vietnamese military personnel of the Vietnam War People of the First Indochina War 1929 births 2006 deaths {{Vietnam-mil-bio-stub