Vietnam War 5 Parts Contest - To Commem "Black April Month"

Whichever way you want to do it - cut it, or keep it going, is fine with me. I know the time I spent has been a good one for me. But I have plenty of time to research anything I want to anyway. I am disabled so I have 24/7 to sit at the computer. The only thing that limits me is health. For this reason, I might have a slight advantage - so I feel kind of funny giving an opinion to go on or stop.

So whatever best fits your busy schedule, go with this. While I I have appreciated the contest (especially the learning and research aspect which I love), I have a reference book to finish in another hobby of mine so I will not be at a lack of things to do :)

Thanks again

Part 2 Answer:

#1 is as Earl42 wrote

"1.The five ARVN generals who committed suicide (on April 30, 1975) before the fall of Saigon were:

a. Brigadier General Le Nguyen VY was the commander of the 5th Infantry Division at Lai Khe and committed suicide by pistol at 11:00 AM at the division headquarters

b. General Le Van Hung - the Hero of An Loc -- commanded the 5th Division of An Loc during the Easter Offensive in 1972. At the time of the suicide he was the deputy commander under Nguyen Khoa Nam.

c. Major General Nguyen Khoa Nam was the Commander of IV Corps and Military Region 4. He died at 11:30 PM.

d. General Pham Van Phu -- who was the Commander of II Corps/Military Region II in Pleiku. He died in Saigon.

e. Brigadier General Tran Van Hai who was the Commander of 7th Infantry Division at Dong Tam, near My Tho 1974--1975. He died at midnight at the Division HQ at the Dong Tam Army base."

#2 answers are correct, except part i. "Pham Duy Chat - Commander of 2nd Corps Rangers" is wrong the correct spelling is Pham Duy Tat (Colonel as of March 9, 1975 and field promoted to Brigadier General on March 13 (http://www.generalhieu.com/vncourier39.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle...an_Me_Thuot).

Also, the concentration camp is called: Z30D aka Thủ Ðức Camp, Hàm tân.

Lastly, my source said Brigadier General Hoang Lac. Regarding "Hoang Van Lac", he's Deputy Commander, 1st Corps in 1972 (http://nguyentin.tripod.com/hvlac-2.htm) while he was a Colonel in 1968 (http://history.state.gov/historical...03/persons). So, I am not 100% sure either. I have to take time and find out about that.

Here's a good place to find Generals of RVN: http://nguyentin.tripod.com/danhtuong-2.htm

#3 answer:
a) Vo Nguyen Giap
b) General Văn Tiến Dũng, General Lê Trọng Tấn covering Corp I and Corp II, General Hoàng Minh Thảo (real name: Tạ Thái An) - covering Corp III / Central Highland, General Trần Văn Trà - covering Corp IV / Southern Region.

Final points result:
Earle42 ===> 50 + 40 + 15 == 105
Tim Stroud ===> 50
Moe145 ===> 10


Thank you everyone for your participation, kind words and support.

The South Koreans sent over 300,000 men in total to vietnam, but they were split up amonst different tours of duty and the peak stregnth was less than 60,000 personel at one time. Unlike in the USA where a draft was required in order to meet troop quotas, the Koreans actually had surplus volunteers (they only sent volunteers to Korea) because they were getting paid so much more than if they were to work at home or if they were conscripted to stay home. Park Chung Hee, the ruler of South Korea at the time, even argued with the United States to continue the war and disregard the paris peace talks simply because South Korea was making so much money off the war (the USA paid the South Korean troops salaries and also gave tons of aid money to South Korea in exchange for its involvement in Vietnam).

An excellent film about a South Korean soldiers experience in the Vietnam War is White Badge. It shows a side of the war that most Americans arn't familiar with. I seriously doubt that many Americans know there were other countries fighting along side the USA in the war.

I think one of the most interesting aspects of the War is that the USA wouldnt launch a ground invasion of North Vietnam due to fears that the Peoples Republic of China would retaliate, but that by 1969 the Chinese pulled all their troops out of Vietnam and cut aid to the communists after the 1969 sino-soviet split. Bbefore then they actually had about 100,000 troops in North Vietnam manning antiaircraft batteries and auxiliary tasks. If we had invaded the North in 1970 and razed Hanoi to the ground, South Vietnam likely would have won the war. The Viet Cong had basically wiped themselves out after the tet offensive in 1968 and afterwords it was mostly regular North Vietnamese military units doing most of the fighting all we needed to do was destroy the Norths conventional warmaking capability and the South could have won the war on their own.

-XavierOfGreen (a east asian studies minor and military history enthusiast)

So sorry for the long delay. Too many thing coming and I was overwhelm.

On the Part 3, ONLY Earle42 made a complete entry & XavierOfGreen did made a partial entry. On one else tried, so I guess I will have to end the contest here..... it had been lengthy one. I really appreciated all the efforts and contributions from everyone & I have learned quite a few things from each and everyone of you.

So the result of Part 3: Earle42 (100 points) got first prize and XavierOfGreen got bonus prize.

Grand total (Final):
1st Prize = Earle42 (120 + 105 + 100)
2nd Prize = Tim Stroud (100 + 50 + 0)
3rd Prize = Nod2003 (46 + 0 + 0)
Bonus Prize = wolf-n-wa, Moe, amassey08873, XavierOfGreen

So,

Earl42 had 3 entries, won 3x 1st prize for the 3 elimination round and won 1st prize for the final = 3x 1975 Proof Set (I may have to substitude the year, unless you don't want to) AND 1x Uncirculated Morgan dollar. I need your mailing address.

Tim Stroud had 2 entries, won 2x 2nd prize for 2 out of 3 elimination round & won 2nd prize for the final = 2x 1975 Mint Set (I may have to substitude the year, unless you don't want to) AND 1x Uncirculated ASE dollar. I need your mailing address.

Nod2003 had 1 entries, won 1x 3rd prize & wond 3rd prize for the final = 1x Coins/Currency(ies) during the Vietnam War era (from one of those countries that participated in the war) with the current value of about 5USD AND 1x Uncirculated Franklin half dollar. I need your mailing address

Moe will receive 2x bonus prize for having family member served & partial entry.

Wolf-n-wa & amassey08873 will receive 1x bonus prize each for having family member served

XavierOfGreen will receive 1x bonus prize for partial entry.

I need all of your mailing address.

Last words: I've created this contest to remember those who have fallen and/or sacrified part of their body for the freedom of others, to thanks those who have made it possible for my family and many other have a second chance and to remember those hardships that my family had to go through. Note: The Moving Wall (http://www.themovingwall.org/) is traveling around the country, if you have a chance, please check it out and visit it when it get in your town.

My family is considered "political refugee" since my dad was a Lieutentant in the National Police force (nick named "The Control Engine of the South" for preventing the Vietcong from infiltrating the villages and the local political system) and was sent to almost 6yrs in the concentration camp (called "re-education camp" by the Communist) at the fall of Saigon.

Our family went through all the hardship of the 'second class citizents' that's immaginable in a Communist country. The worst part is when I entering school. Because of my dad history, I was being put on the 'black list' - no matter how good I am, I can never be 1st in the class, I have to pay full amount of tution on the first day of each quarter, no exception and no assistant/help from any agencies (when I was in elementary school, one time my parents didn't have enough money to pay, they were waiting to sell some crops; the teachers kicked me out of the class on the morning that I supposed to pay, I was about 6yrs or so, and I had to walk about 2 miles home under the scroting sun - my parent usually picked me up after school and didn't expect what happened - we didn't have any cellphone back then - just in case you didn't know....). My schooling was continued to be hampered by my dad's past until the US created the Humanitairan Operation (nick name "HO") and we able to immigrated here.

The Humanitairan Operation started around 1990. It allowed all those officers of the former Republic of Vietnam who went to concentration of 3+ years and their family to immigrate to the US. We came here in 1994

I am forever graceful for the opportunity that the US and its citizents give us. Without such opportunity, I don't know how my future and the future of our family will be like. We are all US citizents now and we are here to make a different, a better future for the next generation - I am a proud Boy Scout of America Leader for 10+ yrs and my brother is a proud Eagle Scout.

Did you get my PM?

I want to thank SilentAsian for the wonderful "excuse" to do some good research and the wonderful prizes he sent me. I hope to post some pics later. He sent me three clad proof sets (1975, 1983, and 1984), and a beautiful Morgan 1883-O (of which I have yet to ID the VAM). I hope to post pics of the Morgan by next week.

Thanks again for this great opportunity and reminder to treasure our American freedoms.

Thanks for the great learning experience Bruce and sorry for the grief your country men and family had to endure. It was a nasty, needless war. Which one is not though. WOLF