Saigon general killed

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32539, 24 February 1971, Page 15

Saigon general killed

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

SAIGON, February 23.

General Do Cao Tri, one of South Vietnam’s top military commanders and the flamboyant leader of forces fighting in Cambodia, was killed today when his helicopter crashed, a South Vietnamese military spokesman said in Saigon.

The 41-year-old general died in Tay Ninh Province, bordering Cambodia, as he flew on his daily visit to units of the 23,000-man South Vietnamese force battling Viet Cong across the frontier in operation Toan Thang (Complete Victory). The crash was caused by technical failure, the spokesman said.

General Tri, who has variously been described as the “Patton” or “Moshe Dayan” of South Vietnam, spearheaded the thrust of Saigon forces into Cambodia last year. The spokesman said that first, reports indicated that seven out of the nine persons aboard the helicopter were killed. There were two survivors, one the co-pilot, but both were seriously injured. General Tri, married, with six children, took up command of the Military Region Three, the 16 provinces round Saigon, after the Viet Cong’s devastating Tet offensive of January, 1968. A slightly-built man, who wore a distinctive black baseball cap with three stars and carried a swagger stick, could frequently be seen during battle as Viet Cong bullets flew round his head.

In a statement from the American Embassy, the United States Ambassador (Mr Ellsworth Bunker) said that he was “shocked and saddened” to learn of General Tri’s death.

“He was a courageous officer and a fine person,” said Mr Bunker. “His dedication and drive were an inspiration to all, Vietnamese and allies alike, who worked with him. I knew him well and feel a personal loss.” Reliable sources said that General Tri’s helicopter went down one mile from Tay Ninh, 62 miles north-east of Saigon after exploding. A lieutenant colonel, a major, and two captains—all Vietnamese—were on board and also died. One of the survivors was a "Newsweek” correspondent, Francois Sully, who was seriously injured. Sully was taken to the South Vietnamese military hospital at Tay Ninh. He was

later reported to have died there. General Tri’s death was. the second setback for Saigon forces in recent days. It comes in the wake of the over-running by North Vietnamese troops of a crack Ranger battalion fighting near the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, and could be an adverse morale factor for South Vietnamese troops in Cambodia, observers said. The military governor of Saigon, Lieutenant-General Nguyen Van Minh, had been appointed acting commander of Military Region Three, the 16 provinces round Saigon, after General Tri’s death, a defence spokesman said.