Trần Văn Minh (aviator)

Trần Văn Minh
Lieutenant General Tran Van Minh 1974 portrait
Born(1932-07-21)21 July 1932
Bạc Liêu, French Indochina
Died27 August 1997(1997-08-27) (aged 65)
Los Gatos, California, U.S.
Allegiance South Vietnam
Branch Republic of Vietnam Air Force
Rank Lieutenant general
(Trung Tướng)
Major General Tran Van Minh in 1974

Trần Văn Minh (21 July 1932 – 27 August 1997) was the last commander of the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF).

Career

In 1956 Minh was promoted to captain. In 1958 he received jet-training on the Cessna T-37 and was promoted to major. In 1960 he attended the Air Command and Staff School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama, United States. On his return to South Vietnam he served as deputy base commander of Nha Trang Air Base, then deputy commander Bien Hoa Air Base, then Command Assistant Deputy at Danang Air Base. In 1964 he was appointed commander of the 62nd Tactical Wing at Pleiku Air Base.

In November 1967 Minh was promoted to brigadier-general and commander of the RVNAF, succeeding Nguyễn Cao Kỳ who was elected as Vice-President of the Republic of Vietnam. Minh would be the longest-serving commander of the RVNAF holding command from 1967 until the Fall of Saigon in April 1975. In 1968 he was promoted to major-general (Thiếu Tướng).

At 08:00 on 29 April 1975, Minh and 30 of his staff arrived at the Defense Attaché Office (DAO) compound demanding evacuation, signifying the complete loss of RVNAF command and control.[1]

Honour

National honours

Unit Citation

Foreign honours

References

  1. ^ Tobin, Thomas (1978). USAF Southeast Asia Monograph Series Volume IV Monograph 6: Last Flight from Saigon. US Government Printing Office. pp. 85–7. ISBN 978-1-4102-0571-1.
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