Lam Quang Thi
Encyclopedia
General Lâm Quang Thi (born 1932) was a senior military officer in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam
during the Vietnam War
.
adherents while his mother was a Roman Catholic. His maternal grandfather was one of the richest Chinese landowners in Bac Lieu at the turn of the 20th century. Lam's parents separated in 1937 after their fourth child was born, and his mother took their four children down back to her hometown in Tam Vu. After completing his primary education there, Lam was sent Can Tho for his secondary education, where he enrolled into the Phan Thanh Gian College after passing through its tough entrance examinations.
. He held the positions of Commander of the RVNAF Artillery Training Center, Commander of the Artillery in I Corps, Deputy Commander, RVNAF Artillery; Commander, 9th Infantry Division; and Commander of the Vietnamese National Military Academy. Last position until 4 1975: Commander in Chief of Army Corp I Forward Command.
. General Lam earned a French Baccalaureate Degree in Philosophy
and an MBA
, both from Golden Gate University
in San Francisco. His son, Andrew, is a journalist.
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
The Army of the Republic of Viet Nam , sometimes parsimoniously referred to as the South Vietnamese Army , was the land-based military forces of the Republic of Vietnam , which existed from October 26, 1955 until the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Early life and family
Lam was born in Bac Lieu in 1932 to a family of wealthy landowning farmers. Lam's parents met through a matchmaker and married two years before he was born. Lam's father came from a family of Cao DaiCao Dai
Cao Đài is a syncretistic, monotheistic religion, officially established in the city of Tay Ninh, southern Vietnam, in 1926. Đạo Cao Đài is the religion's shortened name, the full name is Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ...
adherents while his mother was a Roman Catholic. His maternal grandfather was one of the richest Chinese landowners in Bac Lieu at the turn of the 20th century. Lam's parents separated in 1937 after their fourth child was born, and his mother took their four children down back to her hometown in Tam Vu. After completing his primary education there, Lam was sent Can Tho for his secondary education, where he enrolled into the Phan Thanh Gian College after passing through its tough entrance examinations.
Military service
Lam graduated from the National Military Academy, in Da Lat, South VietnamSouth Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. He held the positions of Commander of the RVNAF Artillery Training Center, Commander of the Artillery in I Corps, Deputy Commander, RVNAF Artillery; Commander, 9th Infantry Division; and Commander of the Vietnamese National Military Academy. Last position until 4 1975: Commander in Chief of Army Corp I Forward Command.
Post-war life
Lam fled with his family to the United States in May 1975, when South Vietnam fell to the invading North Vietnames Army. He now lives in Fremont, CaliforniaFremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
. General Lam earned a French Baccalaureate Degree in Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and an MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
, both from Golden Gate University
Golden Gate University
Golden Gate University is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational university located in the South of Market district, immediately south of the Financial District of downtown San Francisco, California...
in San Francisco. His son, Andrew, is a journalist.
Awards & Decorations
- Vietnam Gallantry CrossVietnam Gallantry CrossThe Vietnam Gallantry Cross was a military decoration of South Vietnam which wasestablished in August 1950. Also known as the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, the Gallantry Cross was awarded to any military personnel who have accomplished deeds of valor or displayed heroic conduct while fighting an...
, - Distinguished Service Order, 1st class,
- Vietnam Armed Forces Honor MedalVietnam Armed Forces Honor MedalThe Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal was a decoration of South Vietnam that was first created in 1953. The medal was issued in two grades and reached its height of bestowals during the years of the Vietnam War...
, 1st class, - National Order of VietnamNational Order of VietnamThe National Order of Vietnam was a combined military-civilian decoration of South Vietnam and was considered the highest honor that could be bestowed upon an individual by the Republic of Vietnam government....
, 3rd class, - Staff Service Honor Medal, 1st class,
- Vietnam Technical Service MedalVietnam Technical Service MedalThe Vietnam Technical Service Medal was a decoration of the Republic of Vietnam that was awarded between the years of 1964 and 1972 during the years of the Vietnam War....
, 1st class, - Training Service Honor Medal, 1st class,
- Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, 1st class,
- Merit Thai,
- Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
(United States), - Order of Military Merit, Chung Mu CordonOrder of Military Merit (Korea)The Order of Military Merit is the primary military decoration awarded by the government of Republic of Korea.-Classes of the Order:The order is divided into five classes:Notable recipients...
(South Korea)
External links
- Book Review of The Twenty-five Year Century: A South Vietnamese General Remembers the Indochina War to the Fall of Saigon by General Lam Thi Quang
- A Vietnamese Response to McNamara War was lost in Washington, not in Saigon by Lam Quang Thi posted by the Pacific News ServicePacific News ServicePacific News Service is a nonprofit media organization founded in 1969 by Franz Schurmann, the historian, and Orville Schell, a noted author, journalist and Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley...
- My Father's Army Uniform by Andrew LamAndrew LamAndrew Lam is a Vietnamese American writer. He was born in South Vietnam, where he led a privileged life as the son of General Lâm Quang Thi of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. He attended Lycée Yersin in Dalat....
- The Twenty-five Year Century: A South Vietnamese General Remembers the Indochina War to the Fall of Saigon
- 30 Years After the Vietnam War: China Remains a Threat
- Setting the Record Straight on South Vietnam
- Waterloo unearths some enlightening findings about the writer's father, a former general for South Vietnam.