陳光魁:戰鬥至最後一刻
陳光魁準將於1952 年畢業於越南大叻國家軍事學院,1955 年畢業於法國索米爾騎兵學校,1959 年畢業於美國諾克斯堡陸軍裝甲兵學校。
身為越南裝甲兵總司令的高級顧問,我第一次見到他是在 1966 年,當時他將南越陸軍第 5 騎兵團部署到春祿。我陪同他進行了幾次行動,偵察即將到來的美國第 11 裝甲騎兵團。
1966 年 5 月,他派出自己的 1/5 戰車部隊(M41A3)空運至峴港(《戰車展翅高飛》,《裝甲》,1994 年 5 月至 6 月)。
1970 年初,他指揮的第 318 聯合兵種特遣部隊率先發動了美越聯合入侵柬埔寨的行動,使他的軍長獲得了“鸚鵡嘴巴的巴頓”的綽號。
1970 年 11 月,他組織並訓練了第三裝甲旅,並在柬埔寨指揮該旅。此前和之後,他於 1972-73 年在萊文沃思堡的美國陸軍指揮與參謀學院學習。
1971-72年,我經常在安祿和祿寧等地見到他,當時他的部隊在柬埔寨的衝突熱點地區之間奔波。
在“再教育營”服刑 17 年後獲釋,他現在住在弗吉尼亞州斯普林菲爾德。
他是我見過的最優秀的裝甲部隊指揮官之一:膽識過人,卻不魯莽;他深諳如何運用機動性和火力,即使在越南那樣的地形中也能造成震懾。他也具備豐富的想像和靈活的戰術組織能力,能夠最大限度地發揮現有資源的效用。如果陳光魁在二戰期間擔任第三集團軍的坦克營營長,巴頓將軍一定會承認他有兩位同僚:克雷頓·艾布拉姆斯和陳光魁。
雷蒙德·R·巴特雷爾
上校,裝甲兵(退役)
(裝甲兵,1996年3月-4月)
備註:「我剛剛閱讀了您網站上關於我祖父陳光魁的一些資料。他現在住在南萊丁,已經很多年沒去過斯普林菲爾德了。如果您想更新網站上的信息,這只是一個小細節……謝謝您抽出時間。」(陳光富,2008年8月31日)
II Armor Brigade and III Corps ATF. The Last Five Days of the Viet Nam War
After five days of recuperation, the 18th Infantry Division was ordered to move east on 25 April and replace III Corps ATF on the front line at Hung Loc-Dau Giay. The ATF returned to its base in Bien Hoa for equipment maintenance and rest. The 8th Infantry Regiment returned to its parent unit. That evening, the enemy seized the ARVN Armor School at Long Thanh. On corps order, I immediately sent TF 322 and a Marine Battalion to meet the enemy. They engaged heavily with a strong enemy force supported by tanks, destroying 12 T54 tanks and forcing the enemy to withdraw by midnight. This victory raised the morale and fighting spirit of all combat units in Bien Hoa. After inspecting the battlefield, LTG Toan promised a 1.2 million piastre reward (100,00 piastres per tank) to those who had contributed to the destruction of the T54s. From now on, the ATF became III Corps reserve.
On 29 April, III Corps ATF was reinforced by the 2d Marine Brigade and 4th Airborne Brigade. At noon, General Toan held an urgent conference at 18th Infantry Division Headquarters in Long Binh. Only General Toan, General Le Minh Dao, and myself were present. Dao was ordered to defend Long Binh and control the Bien Hoa highway. My ATF was to defend the City of Bien Hoa with all Regional and Popular Forces in the area under my control. At that time, Cu Chi had been lost; the 25th Infantry Division had been overrun; and its commander, BG Ly Tong Ba, had been captured. General Toan withheld that information from us, as he was preparing to desert. Dao and I later learned the truth when we met Ba in a Communist concentration camp.
As the meeting concluded, Colonel Hieu, commander of the 18th Division's 43rd Regiment, burst into the room to report in an emotional tone that the enemy was attacking Trang Bom and his regiment was retreating to Long Binh. General Dao's facial expression changed as he heard the news. General Toan reacted furiously and screamed his orders: Hieu was to take his regiment and return to Trang Bom. He pretended to accept the order, saluted, and left. I knew, however, that the 18th Division could not sustain the front at Trang Bom. It was already weakened by the fighting at Xuan Loc, had had only five days to recuperate, and the inevitable would happen in time.
General Toan stood up, shook my hand and Dao's, and said, "I wish you both the best of luck in combat. I will fly back to JGS to request support for you." He then turned to me and said, "As for the 1.2 million piastres, I will send someone to deliver the money to your headquarters." These were his last words to me before he deserted.
As soon as I returned to my headquarters, I held a meeting with my unit commanders. Everyone was present except the Bien Hoa sector commander and his assistant. They had deserted a few days earlier.
These were my orders as of 1300 hours, 29 April 1975:
To defend Bien Hoa I organized the following:
Around 1500 hours, while I was having lunch with my staff in the palace, General Toan's helicopter landed next to mine in the garden. His pilot, Major Co, reported that he had flown General Toan and his aides to Vung Tau (Cap St. Jacques) where they were met by LTG Hoang Xuan Lam and BG Phan Hoa Hiep. The generals and their aides then booked a fishing boat to rendezvous with the U.S. fleet at sea. This didn't surprise me. Major Co then asked if he could stay and work for me. I agreed.
At 1700 hours, I rode in an escorted jeep to inspect inside and outside the city. The people were absent from the streets, and the shops were closed. Everything seemed to be in order.
At around 1800 hours, the enemy began to infiltrate from the north. They were met by TF 322. A Ranger unit of TF 315 also engaged them near Camp Ngo Van Sang. The enemy hugged close to our positions, and both sides exchanged continous fire fire at a distance of 15-20 meters. Even so, our men fought courageously and confidently. There was no incident of desertion within the ATF. Under strong fire support from Armor strong fire support from Armor units, the enemy was pushed back.
At 2000 hours, I called Camp Phu Dong near Saigon. This was the location of Armor Command, where III Corps headquarters had settled a couple of days ago. There was an answer, but no one had the authority to receive my report. I then called the Operations Center of the Joint General Staff without avail. Finally, I was forced simply to wait impatiently for further orders from Saigon. I wondered if the new President and commander-in-chief had a solution to this national disaster and if he had any further mission for us.
Around 2200 hours, I was called by LTG Nguyen Huu Co. He was a former cief of the Joint General Staff and Minister of Defense in 1965. Because of his political differences with then Prime Minsiter Nguyen Cao Ky, he had been forced to resign in 1966. He said, "I am General Co. Right now I am standing next to the President. We want to know your current situation in Bien Hoa." I replied, "I am defending Bien Hoa. Le Minh Dao is defending Long Binh. Nguyen Van Toan has deserted. The airfield has been seized by the enemy. Heavy enemy pressure is coming from the north and northeast."
A few minutes passed, then General Co said, "The President wants to now whether you can defend Bien Hoa until 0800 tomorrow so that negotiation with the other side can take place." I replied without hesitation, "Yes, I can do that." At the other end of the line I heard General Co's voice reporting to the President. Finally he said to me, "General Khoi, this is your order from the President: Defend the City of Bien Hoa until 0800 hours, 30 April 1975. I wish you good luck." I responded, "Yes, sir."
Around 2345 hours, the enemy opened heavy artillery fire on the city. Then a regimental-size combined armor-infantry force attacked along National Route 1 from Ho Nai to the III Corps headquarters. TF 315, under LTC Do Duc Thao, engaged them and broke their attack. Many T54 tanks were destroyed, and the enemy retreated.
At 0200 hours, 30 April, BG Dao of the 18th Infantry Division called me on the radio and sai, "I have been overwhelemed and Long Binh is lost." I asked, "Where are your now? Do you need any help?" He replied, "I am at the National Military Cemetery and retreating toward Thu Duc." I felt very sorry for Dao. During the last two years, he and I had worked very hard together, always on the move, and against time. We had been together at all the battlefield in III Corps Tactical Zone because my ATF was Corps Mobile Force 1 and Dao's 18th Division was Corps Mobile Force 2, according to General Do Cao Tri's SOP. When we were toghter in prison, the Communists kept a close watch on both of us because we had caused the most damage to their forces and were considered the two most anti-Communist "fanatics".
Around 0300 hours, the enemy bombarded Bien Hoa again. This time their fire was stronger and more accurate. I guessed their intention was to control Bien Hoa at all costs after seizing Long Binh. I was prepareing to engage in this decisive battle with my entire force; but surprisingly, TF 315 stopped their frontal attack, enveloped their left flank, and inflicted serious casualties upon them. They were force to retreat to the Bien Hoa Highway, adn the city returned to calm.
At exactly 0800 hours, 30 April, I tried to call General Co or the JGS headquarters in Saigon, but to no avail. I then held a conference with all my unit commanders to exchange information concerning the internal and external situation of the city. The enemy had retreated, leaving only minor guerrilla activity outside the city. Inside, it was calm. Everyone stayed indoos in compliance with the curfew, and the streets were deserted. The night before, I had helped the city police with additional manpower to prevent any outbreak from the jail. I was so happy to see that our troops' morale was still high. They had plenty of courage and discipline. There was no rioting, looting, raping, or other activity in the streets. The city was under complete control. Also, the night before, a group of disbanded 18th Division soldiers had tried to enter under curfew. I had ordered them driven out because their presence might have caused major security porblems to the civilians and loss of morale and discipline among our troops leading to chain-reaction disintegration, as had occured last month in the Central Highlands.
Now it was 0830, I concluded that Bien Hoa was no longer the enemy's objective, he was concentrating all his forces to attack Saigon. We had no communications with any higher headquarters, so I decided to pull out of Bien Hoa and march to rescue the capital. All the unit commanders present supported my decision. I immediately issued an operation order. III Corps ATF was to move toward Saigon as follows:
a. 4th Airborne Brigade, LTC Lo:
b. 2d Marine Brigade. LTC Lien:
c. III Corps ATF:
Before boarding my helicopter, I inspected my troops for the last time. They were departing the City of Bien Hoa in an organized formation. Each man was neatly dressed, of dignified bearing, with a look of self-confidence and resignation on his face, showing no fear. They looked just as proud as they had in earlier times when we fought in Cambodia under General Do Cao Tri. I looked at my watch: it was 0900.
I boarded General Toan's helicopter, piloted by Major Co. My own helicopter, piloted by Captain Tan, followed. We flew over Bien Hoa at low altitude and saw that the city was still calm and apparently in good order. My forces moved steadily toward Saigon, destroying all enemy blocking positions in their path.
Then an anxious thought came to mind: what would happen if our forces approaching Saigon were mistaken for the enemy and fired upon? Without communications, this was a great risk to my men. While I was pondering a solution to this problem, Major Co interrupted and asked, "Sir, if you wish to flee the country, I can help you." I replied, "What about you?" he said, "After flying you out there, I will return to my family in Bien Hoa." I responded, "Thanks very much for your concern, but I have decided to stay with my men."
We flew at high altitude toward the Armor Command and III Corps headquarters in Camp Phu Dong. Far below, I saw a huge concentration of enemy guns, tanks, and troop-carrying trucks stretched out along Bien Hoa Highway and Route 13, like tow long snakes crawling into the Capital. We landed at Camp Phu Dong, and I dashed inside looking for an officer on duty. People were pacing back forth anxiously, and I didn't meet anyone in authority, except a young lieutennt wearing III Corps insignia. I told him that I needed to use the telephone to contact the Capital Military District to inform them that my troops were approaching and shoudl not be fired upon.
I made countless attempts to contact CMD, but it was hopeless. I then tried calling the JGS Operations Center, also without success. In the meantime, I heard volleys of enemy artillery fire coming from the direction of Tan Son Nhut Air Base. AT that moment my Armor units arrived at the Binh Trieu bridge.
Then I heard the President's voice on the radio ordering all Republic of Viet Nam Armed Forces to cease fire and surrender. It was 1025 hours, 30 April 1975 by my watch. this was the end. I was most sorry for the outcome of the war, but I had done my best. I let my troops execute the President's final order for themselves: I had nothing more to say. But deep in my heart, I silently thanked all of them for their courage, sacrifice, and dedication until the very last minute of the war. Together, we had fulfilled our obligation and oath of allegiance.
Conclusion
I was, of course, arrested by the Communists and held captive in various concentration camps for 17 years. After my release in 1992, I came to the U.S. as a political refugee in 1993.
During the early years of captivity, I was interrogated intensively. The Communists were puzzled by the effectiveness of III Armor Brigade/III ATF. They studied our organization and operations and made me write an essay entitled "How could III Armor Brigade/III Corps ATF fight unfailingly against the Revolutionary Forces during the Spring Offensive?" They told me that III Corps ATF had been the only ARVN unit to confront them successfully until the last minute of the war.
Later on, we were transferred from the management of the Communist Ministry of Defense to that of the Ministry of Interior. They investigated our past military activities and were shocked by our exploits, which they regarded as war crimes. They accused me of prolonging the war for years, and, along with the other commanding generals, I was selected to be prosecuted as a war criminal. Fortunnately, the U.S. the UN, and the international media intervened on our behalf.
I shall never repent having done what I did, nor complain about the consequences of my captivity. If history were to repeat itself, I would choose the same path. By so doing, I know from experience that I would lose everything but HONOR.
Brigadier General Tran Quang Khoi
(ARMOR, March-April 1996)
generalhieu

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