Trần Nam Trung

Trần Nam Trung (born Trần Khuy) (1912–2009) was a colonel-general in the People's Army of Vietnam active during the First Indochina War and Vietnam War. He was the unique Defence Minister of Republic of South Vietnam.^[1]

Colonel General Trần Nam Trung
Defence Minister of Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam
In office 1969–1976
Prime Minister	Huỳnh Tấn Phát
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Office merged
Personal details
Born	Trần Khuy (1912-01-06)6 January 1912 Mộ Đức, Quảng Ngãi, Annam (French protectorate)
Died	10 May 2009(2009-05-10) (aged 97) Hà Nội, Việt Nam
Political party	Communist Party of Vietnam
Awards	Gold Star Order Ho Chi Minh Order
Nickname(s)	Trần Lương, Hai Hậu
Military service
Allegiance	Democratic Republic of Vietnam and later Republic of South Vietnam
Branch/service	People's Army of Vietnam
Rank	Colonel General
Battles/wars	First Indochina War Vietnam War

Early years

Trần Nam Trung was born Trần Khuy in a peasant family in Mộ Đức district, Quảng Ngãi province of the Annam Protectorate, French Indochina in 1912. He joined the Communist Party of Annam in 1927, then the Indochinese Communist Party in 1931.^[1]

Career

After Ba Tơ uprising [vi], Trần Nam Trung was appointed to Secretary of the Quảng Ngãi–Bình Định Provincial Party Committee. After August uprising, he held the position of political commissar of War Zone 5 [vi] and Buôn Hồ–An Khê front.^[2]

Since 1976, Trần Nam Trung left military, was appointed to Chief of Government Inspectorate and kept the position till he retired in 1982. He was promoted to Major General in 1962, and Colonel General in 1974.^[1]