Ngo Dzu

EN Texto en inglés Aún no hay artículo en tu idioma: extracto en inglés.

Ngô Du (1925–1977) was a Lieutenant general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). A Catholic from Qui Nhơn and the son of a government official, he was educated at a French Catholic boys' school in Huế. He held few combat commands and had few connections with the South Vietnamese political elite. Du held low-key planning positions on the Joint General Staff until he was propelled into the role of acting commander of the IV Corps Tactical Zone upon the accidental death of Brigadier General Nguyen Viet Thanh in 1970. In August 1970 Du was promoted to command of the II Corps Tactical Zone in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. In June 1971 27 ARVN colonels and majors in II Corps wrote to commanders in Saigon complaining of Du's corruption. Du claimed that the charges were made by his enemies and no action was taken against him. During July 1971 allegations were raised in the US Congress that Du was deeply involved in the drug trade. Du's senior U.S. advisor, John Paul Vann acknowledged forthrightly that Du was corrupt and that, whatever his interest in drugs, his lifestyle far exceeded his legal income. Yet he was, said Vann, so amenable to American instruction that, to maintain respect for him within the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), his American advisers had even on occasion warned him to be more independent. On that account, said Vann, "Despite some obvious shortcomings, I would rate Ngo Dzu as second... [among] the eight corps commanders I have worked with." With Vann's rejoinder on record, the US dropped the issue and never pursued the allegations against Du. From his headquarters at Pleiku, he and Vann commanded ARVN forces during the Battle of Kontum, part of the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive of...