Hoang Xuan Lam
Encyclopedia
Hoàng Xuân Lãm was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam
(ARVN) and a native of the city of Huế
. Given responsibility for the I Corps Tactical Zone in 1967, Lãm coordinated the South Vietnamese offensive known as Operation Lam Sơn 719
which aimed at striking the North Vietnamese logistical corridor known as the Hồ Chí Minh Trail
in southeastern Laos
during 1971. A great deal of the blame for the failure of the operation rested on his shoulders, since he displayed little operational control over his forces and could not cope with the massive People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) counterattack that pushed South Vietnamese units back over the border.
Due to his political connections with President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu
, however, Lãm was still serving as I Corps commander when the North Vietnamese launched the Nguyên Huế Offensive (called the Easter Offensive in the West) during the spring of 1972. Once again, Lãm’s ineptitude and constant interference with his subordinates resulted in confusion and the collapse of ARVN forces in the northern three provinces. Lãm was recalled to Saigon on 2 May 1972 by Thiệu, who relieved him of his command. He was promoted to the Ministry of Defense to head an anti-corruption campaign. His replacement as I Corps commander, Lieutenant General Ngô Quang Trưởng
, said, “I had served in I Corps under General Lãm and the disaster that occurred there was no surprise to me. Neither General Lãm nor his staff were competent to maneuver and support large forces in heavy combat.”
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...
(ARVN) and a native of the city of Huế
Hue
Hue is one of the main properties of a color, defined technically , as "the degree to which a stimulus can be describedas similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, green, blue, and yellow,"...
. Given responsibility for the I Corps Tactical Zone in 1967, Lãm coordinated the South Vietnamese offensive known as Operation Lam Sơn 719
Operation Lam Son 719
Operation Lam Son 719 was a limited-objective offensive campaign conducted in southeastern portion of the Kingdom of Laos by the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam between 8 February and 25 March 1971, during the Vietnam War...
which aimed at striking the North Vietnamese logistical corridor known as the Hồ Chí Minh Trail
Ho Chi Minh trail
The Ho Chi Minh trail was a logistical system that ran from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to the Republic of Vietnam through the neighboring kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia...
in southeastern Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
during 1971. A great deal of the blame for the failure of the operation rested on his shoulders, since he displayed little operational control over his forces and could not cope with the massive People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) counterattack that pushed South Vietnamese units back over the border.
Due to his political connections with President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu
Nguyen Van Thieu
Nguyễn Văn Thiệu was president of South Vietnam from 1965 to 1975. He was a general in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam , became head of a military junta, and then president after winning a fraudulent election...
, however, Lãm was still serving as I Corps commander when the North Vietnamese launched the Nguyên Huế Offensive (called the Easter Offensive in the West) during the spring of 1972. Once again, Lãm’s ineptitude and constant interference with his subordinates resulted in confusion and the collapse of ARVN forces in the northern three provinces. Lãm was recalled to Saigon on 2 May 1972 by Thiệu, who relieved him of his command. He was promoted to the Ministry of Defense to head an anti-corruption campaign. His replacement as I Corps commander, Lieutenant General Ngô Quang Trưởng
Ngo Quang Truong
Lieutenant General Ngô Quang Trưởng was an officer in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam . He was widely regarded as South Vietnam’s best officer and well-known for his uncompromising integrity and incorruptibility...
, said, “I had served in I Corps under General Lãm and the disaster that occurred there was no surprise to me. Neither General Lãm nor his staff were competent to maneuver and support large forces in heavy combat.”