Fatherland, Honor, Duty: The Experiences of Dr. Pham in Defense of his Country
1st ARVN Airborne Battalion Insignia
ARVN Airborne Medical Corps Insignia
ARVN Airborne Division Insignia
Introduction
Dr Phạm Gia Cổn as he is today
Fatherland, Honor, Duty. The motto of the armed forces for the Republic of Vietnam, and to which the every soldier, sailor, airman, and marine took to heart in the defense of freedom and democracy in Vietnam. Itis this motton that Dr. Phạm Gia Cổn swore to uphold on the eve of the Easter Offensive in 1971. He would be part of many who answered the call to defend the fatherland or die trying.
Born in 1943 in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam Dr. Phạm immigrated to The Republic of Vietnam with his family in 1954 during the partition in light of the Geneva Accords. He graduated from high school in 1961, and proceeded to study at the University of Sciences in Saigon, before heading to medical school at the University of Saigon, where he earned his M.D.
He was a medical officer of the South Vietnamese Airborne Medical Corps and was attached to the 1st Airborne Battalion. He served from 1971 – 1975. As a medical officer of the 1st Airborne Battalion, he was involved in the Battles of Kontum, An Lộc, and Quảng Trị .
Shortly before the collapse of South Vietnam, he was evacuated by barge and a week later was picked up by the United States Navy, who then relocated him to Guam. He was then sent to be reunited with his family in Fort Mead in Arkansas, before he was relocated again to Florida where he was sponsored by a physician.
He then moved to Georgia, then Miami, before he moved to California to work as a professor at UCLA and then retired. He lives with his family and works as a martial arts instructor at Aikido Aishinkai Dojo in Garden Grove, California.
Dalat Military Academy Emblem
Early Life
Phạm Gia Cổn was born in North Vietnam in the year of 1943, admidst the time of the rising communist-led Việt Minh insurgents whose objective was independence from France. During the time, Vietnam was more commonly refered to as French Indochina, but that name wouldn't last very long during Phạm's early childhood. After the communist takeover, the year of 1954 would see Phạm and his family immigrating to the Republic of South Vietnam. A critical moment occured in Phạm's life when he was in his early years in high school, and had surgery done on him after he had fallen ill due to his appendix. The appendectomy performed by a doctor named Bùi Măng Hủn had saved his life, and Dr. Phạm would continue to remember him to this day. From there on out, Dr. Phạm developed a sense of duty to pay forward what Dr. Bùi had given to him. He answered the call to become a doctor.
He would go on to graduate from the University of Saigon Medical School as an M.D. in 1971. However, during this time period, the Vietnam War was beginning to see its peak in fighting. Very shortly after Phạm had graduated, he enlisted in the ARVN Airborne Division, a unit of the South Vietnamese Army. Applying to be a field surgeon, Phạm underwent training that constituted joining the medical military school and basic training at Trường Võ bị Đà Lạ (The Dalat National Military Academy), essentially a military academy similar in vein to West Point.
"During training, I was trained as a soldier, exactly the soldier and physical, a lot of painful, hard training. But in spirt they create what I call “comrades’ spirit.” So, very good. The team worked, good training. So we’re athletes. Of course, everything must have a good story and bad story too O.K., but it's a nice time. Very nice time. We learn a lot. We come top and we have a comrade philosophy.
A Strategic View...
Dr. Phạm had enlisted into the 1st Battalion of the ARVN Airborne Division at an interesting time. In early summer, emboldened by the withdrawl of American ground forces and freshly resupplied with new tanks, vehicles, and weapons, the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) conducted a major invasion from both the north and the west from Cambodia in 1972. For Dr. Phạm and his compatriots within the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces, this assault would come to be known as Mùa Hè Đỏ Lửa, The Firey Red Summer. To the rest of the world, the assault would be known as the Easter offensive.
Up to the Easter Offensive, the ARVN Airborne Division would be kept in reserved as a quick reaction force. The idea being that the Airborne could quickly deploy to any hotspots wherever the PAVN made their assault. With this doctrine, Phạm's unit would be deployed three times during the Easter Offensive.
The first deployment was to the Defense of Kontum, a region in the highlands bordering on Cambodia. Phạm's unit would be defending Firebase Delta, as a part of a series of Firebases that overlooked the highlands. Here the Airborne would make their stand and support the infantry units they were sent to supplement. They were eventually rotated back to Saigon.
Their next deployment was to reinforce the 5th ARVN Infantry Division in An Lộc. As part of their three-pronged attack on the Republic of Vietnam, An Lộc stood within the path to Saigon as PAVN forces moved from Cambodia eastward. Intense house to house fighting occurred as the 5th Infantry Division held steadfast with the assistance of American air support. the 1st Airborne Battlion, while deployed to relieve pressure around the 5th Infantry Division, were subsequently blocked by PAVN forces for the duration of the deadlock. Eventually after three major attempts, the PAVN forces would withdraw and the 1st Airborne Battalion would be involved in cleanup efforts before being rotated again back to Saigon.
Their third major deployment was during the Retaking of Quang Tri in the ensuing ARVN counterattacks. The Airborne would spearhead the initial assault to retake Quảng Trị, its goal to take retate the city's citadel. However due to overextension defending their left flank against enemy counterattacks, they were unable to gather enough personnel to conduct the assault. In its stead, the ARVN Marine Corps took over and took the credit for retaking Quảng Trị, much to the chagrin of the Airborne Division. The offensive ended shortly after and the 1st Airborne Battalion was rotated back to Saigon.
"Defense to be reserve, but different from here, we always stay there, wait until the big fight, they use airborne. So that's why our units have to go the whole three battlefields, the first in Kontum, big fighting. So I always go along with the combat battalion. So big fight. And after this, we go to An Lộc, try to fight because An Lộc was surrounded by Communists, so An Lộc/Bình Long. After this, we have to go to Quảng Trị, the big fight in Quảng Trị."
From the Ground...
Dr. Phạm during the 1972 Easter Offensive
Dr. Phạm (left) with Capt. Tran Manh Anh, a pharmaceutical specialist and a friend.
From left to right: Two unknown ARVN Airborne Medics, Dr. Phạm Gia Cổn, and Capt. Tran Manh Anh at Quảng Trị.
Phạm had participated in the fighting of numerous battles, some of the most notable being The Battle of Kontum, The Battle of An Lộc, and the retaking of Quảng Trị. As he was part of the Airborne, Phạm and the rest of the 1st Battalion of the ARVN Airborne Division were often tasked with reinforcing against attacks started by the NVA when it was clear that full scale incursions were being mounted against defending ARVN Forces. As a field surgeon, Phạm was tasked with providing medical relief to his comrades, even while he was under fire and enduring fire support from American air and artilery batteries.
When the Airborne joined the fighting at An Lộc, Phạm was to assist in the medical evacuation of civilians that were caught up in the crossfire, now adding a significant number of people to Phạm's triage in addition to the defending ARVN forces as well. Nevertheless, it was Phạm's duty to care for the injured civilians just as it was his duty to treat his wounded comrades. During the mayham, accusations of civilians being identified as VC insurgents were also being flung at numerous people, injured or otherwise. Despite these fearful reportings, Phạm treated and evacuated as many people as he could, carrying crying or motionless people over his shoulder to place into the bays of waiting helicopters. . Whether they were civilians, fellow soldiers, potential enemies, he treated them. It was his obligation, his duty as a doctor first and a soldier second. As a soldier first and a doctor second, his duty was to survive.
"I come here; I volunteer here to take care of my fellow soldiers. Now I have to take care of innocent civilians?"
Working during the Siege of An Lộc, conditions were difficult to say the least. In the case of Dr. Phạm's triage, it quickly overflowed with wounded. He recounts how even with the dead and dying, given the circumstances there were times when they couldn't be airlifted immediately for a proper burial. As such, he had no choice but to sleep next to them, as artillery and gunfire rained all around him. Regardless, he continued to press on in fulfilling his duties.
South Vietnamese Gallantry Cross
Army Commedation Medal
Dr. Phạm at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C Circa 1991
Immigration/Post-War
In 1975, hearing about the overunning of Phan Rang, Phạm had moved back to Saigon and worked tirelessly in the ARVN hospital rear base at Biên Hòa. During this time, Phạm's family had already fled the country as the communist forces were advancing closer and closer to Saigon. On April 29th, one day before Saigon would fall, Phạm evacuated from his home country by managing to hitch a ride on a barge named The Beacon Salon. The barge was tugged out to the ocean, where Phạm had spent a grueling week onboard awaiting rescue of any kind, drifting around the South China Sea.
His salvation would come when the 7th Fleet of the United States Navy came across the barge. They were then processed in Guam as refugees. During this time, the only news of his family's wereabouts came from a rumor that there had been a pickup from the island of Côn Sơn. Coming out of Guam, rescuers sent Phạm to Fort Smith Refugee Camp in Arkansas to reunite with his family.
For his bravery in the battles of An Lộc, the retaking of Quảng Trị, he was reccomended by an American advisor named Jacob, to recieve the American Army Commendation Medal, signed by President Nixon himself, as did all soldiers in the 1st Battalion of the ARVN Airborne Division. The unit would additionally be awared the Presidential Unit Citation, and Phạm himself would also be awarded the South Vietnamese Gallantry Cross.
"Every soldier in this unit have the right to carry this one. Presidential citation. That's for the whole unit and commendation is for me and to my advisor. He bring it for me, like a gift for me."
Dr. Phạm had answered the call of duty to serve his country, first as a doctor, then as a soldier. In the process, he recieved horrific trauma and at one point in time lost everything. However, when he was asked whether or not he regretted his time in the service, he answered with a resounding "no". For him, it was a matter of defending his home, of saving lives, nothing more, nothing less.
Dr. Phạm (center) guest speaking at the Museum of the Republic of Vietnam
Disclaimer: Upon request by the narrator, one part of the interview has been omitted due to personal reasons.
Key Words
Army Commendation Medal: American military award for military personnel for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service.
M*A*S*H: Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.
Medevac: Medical evacuation.
Mùa Hè Đỏ Lửa: "The Firey Red Summer", the Republic of Vietnam's term for the 1972 Easter Offensive.
South Vietnamese Gallantry Cross: Award given by the Republic of Vietnam to military personnel, civilians, and Armed Forces units for valor or heroic conduct while in combat.
TACAIR: Tactical air support provided to ground forces.
Trường Võ bị Quốc gia Đà Lạt: Da Lat National Military Academy, the Republic of Vietnam’s training school for officer cadets, equivalent to West Point.
Sources
Fulghum, David, and Terrence Maitland. South Vietnam on Trial, Mid-1970 to 1972. 10. 1st ed. Vol. 10. 25 vols. The Vietnam Experience. Boston, MA: The Boston Publication Company, 1984.
“Operation New Life.” n.d. www.globalsecurity.org. Accessed November 7, 2021. https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/new_life.htm.
Republic of Vietnam Museum and Historical Society. “Quân-Y trong Mùa Hè Đo Lửa 1972 với BS Phạm Gia Cổn (pt 2).” YouTube video. May 25, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxO1nU6MUao&t=432s
Thi, Lam Quang. Twenty-Five Year Century: A South Vietnamese General Remembers the Indochina War to the Fall ... of Saigon. Denton, TX: Univ Of North Texas Press, 2015.
Võ, Tín Trung, and Viên Hữu Nguyễn. Binh Chủng Nhảy Dù: 20 Nâm Chiến Sự. San Jose, CA: Huong Que Incorporated, 2010.