Le Nguyen Khang

Early life Khang was born in Sơn Tây, Hanoi, Vietnam on 11 June 1931.

In early November 1960 Khang was commanding operations of the 1st and 2nd Marine Battalions in the Mekong Delta when he learned of the coup against Diem. Khang loaded his battalions on trucks and led them to Saigon where they joined companies of the 3rd Marine Battalion which had taken positions defending the Independence Palace. In addition Khang commanded the Capital Military District which controlled Saigon and its environs.

In 1972 Thiệu finally moved both Đống and Khang out of their Divisions, transferring Đống to command the Capital Military District and Khang to a nebulous "special assistant" post under General Cao Văn Viên on the Joint General Staff. Of the two, Americans considered Khang the better commander, but his past alliance with Kỳ proved a major liability.

Awards

National honours

Foreign Honours