An Loc: The Unfinished War

“The struggle for freedom in Vietnam goes on,” said General Tran Van Nhut on the occasion of a Vietnam memorial’s dedication in 2004. “It is a peaceful but unfinished war.” Tran Van Nhut grew up with a great love for his country’s history and served in the Army of South Vietnam from the Republic’s inception in 1954 until its demise in 1975. In 1970, he was appointed province chief of Binh Long (Peaceful Dragon) Province and commander of its Regional, Popular, and People’s Self Defense Forces. It was in that capacity that he became involved in the sixty-six-day Battle of An Loc, in 1972, which ended in a significant South Vietnamese victory.

"The author, an officer in the military service of the Republic of Vietnam from the late 1950s on, participated in pivotal events including the North Vietnamese attack on the province capital of An Loc, April-May 1970. He discusses Vietnam's leadership, U.S. advisors, and South Vietnam's relationships with the United States"--Provided by publisher.

The recipient of more than sixty South Vietnamese medals as well as many U.S. decorations, Tran Van Nhut ended his career as a brigadier general. He and his family are members of the expatriate Vietnamese community in Santa Ana, California. Christian L. Arevian, who assisted General Tran in editing his reflections, is author of A Conservative View of the Vietnam Era (2006). A native of Aleppo, Syria, Arevian currently resides in Greensboro, North Carolina.