Ngo Quang Truong - Corps Commander

Corps Commander

During his tenure in the Mekong Delta, Trưởng established a system of outposts along the border with Cambodia to block infiltration of communist personnel and supplies into the region. He used the three divisions in his corps in regimental-sized combined arms task forces and staged sweeps to seek and destroy communist forces in their strongholds. He increased the capability of the Regional Forces and Popular Forces—which had a reputation for unreliability—in his area, making them a productive part of his anti-communist apparatus. Trưởng later said that these forces “shed their paramilitary origins and increasingly became full-fledged soldiers”. It was estimated that although they provided 50% of the manpower, the RF and PF cost only 5% of total military costs. During his period in charge of IV Corps, the region’s regular forces were depleted because a proportion of them were across the border as part of the Cambodian Campaign, seeking to destroy communist jungle bases, supplies and staging grounds for an invasion into South Vietnam.

Trưởng used the Regional and Popular Forces that he had enhanced to fill the void, and they strengthened the government control in the region despite having nominally less resources. In the forests surrounding U Minh, Trưởng's outpost building programs resulted in a record number of communist defectors as the populace became more confident in his forces' ability to provide security. When American Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker came to inspect an outlying military base that Trưởng had built, he asked if the general intended to stay there. Trưởng replied "Yes, forever". Trưởng was so successful in pacifying the Mekong Delta that he allowed some of his forces to be redeployed to other parts of South Vietnam.

Known for his unbending integrity, Trưởng vigorously moved against "ghost" and "ornamental" soldiers, deserters and conscription evaders in his region. Abrams said that only Trưởng and Phạm Văn Phú among the division and corps commanders had not begun to psychologically crack under the pressure of the communist onslaught.

During the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) Nguyen Hue Offensive (known in the West as the Easter Offensive) of 1972, he was given command of I Corps, replacing the disgraced Lieutenant General Hoàng Xuân Lãm. General Trưởng held communist forces at bay before Huế and then launched (against the initial resistance of President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu and MACV) Operation Lam Son 72. During the counteroffensive, he successfully pushed PAVN forces back to the city of Quang Tri (which was retaken in September) and advanced on to the Cửa Việt river.