Obituary of Quang Van Dang

Sacramento - ARVN Lt. General Quang Van Dang, 82, of Sacramento, California, died on July 15, 2011, of natural causes at Sky Parkway Gardens in Sacramento. Quang Van Dang was born in Ba Xuyen province (South Vietnam) at the edge of the Mekong Delta on June 21, 1929. He became an officer of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) in June 1949. He then completed: French Infantry School in Coetquidan, France (1950); US Army Command and General Staff College's regular course at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas (1957); and US Army Logistical Management Course at Ft. Lee, Virginia (1961). He became Brigadier and Major General commanding the 21st Division in 1964. On January 21, 1965, at the age of 35, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General where he commanded all forces in South Vietnam's IV Corps, which included the security of the entire Mekong Delta region of the country. In 1967 he served as the Minister for National Planning under Premier Ky and was then appointed Head - Military Study Group, reporting to South Vietnam's President Thieu in 1969. He continued to serve under President Thieu and was appointed Special Assistant to the President for Military and Security Affairs in 1971 and remained as such until President Thieu's resignation on April 21, 1975. In 1948 Quang met and married Nam Thi Do. When Saigon collapsed in April 1975, Quang and a part of his family travelled to Canada. Finally, in 1989, after enduring many challenges, Quang and Nam immigrated to the United States, settling in California. Quang and Nam were married for 63 years and had 3 sons, 4 daughters, and 9 grand children. Surviving are: his wife Nam; daughters Thu (and Thuan) Phan of Paris, France; Sang (and Anh) Dang of Roanoke, Virginia; Natalie Thuy (and Nicholas) Lieu of Sioux City, Iowa; Cang (and Quy) Dang of Sydney, Australia; Thuy (and Bruce) Schelkopf of Zionsville, Indiana; Thong (and Hanh) Dang of Montreal, Canada; and Thao (and Bao) Tran of Montreal, Canada; and four granddaughters (Irene Phan, Elizabeth Minh Xuan Dang, Angela Lieu Benson, Chantal Dang, Jasminh Duc Schelkopf); and five grandsons (Vincent Phan, Joshua Dang, Cameron Dang, Minh Quan Dang, and Minh Thien Dang). Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Marvin's nonfiction book titled "Expendable Elite - One Soldier's Journey Into Covert Warfare" featured the true story of the dramatic rescue by ARVN Lt. Gen. Quang Van Dang of eight American Green Berets (including Marvin), nine South Vietnamese Green Berets, and 264 South Vietnamese Civilian Irregulars who were fighting alongside Marvin. Marvin stated "Gen. Dang got wind of the fact that the CIA had sent a Regiment to destroy my camp, took control of the situation from Premier Nguyen Cao Ky and saved all of our lives. He is a heroic, brave and honorable man and there is much, much more to his story." Indeed General Dang's family and friends shall miss him dearly for he was a caring leader, devout Christian, and loving husband and father. Visitation will be Wednesday, July 20 (4:00 pm - 8:00 pm) at Sacramento Memorial Lawn (6100 Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95824; (916) 421-1171); Services will be Thursday, July 21 (11:00 am) at Vietnamese Martyrs Church (Roman Catholic) 8181 Florin Rd., Sacramento, CA 95828. In lieu of flowers and in tradition with the culture, your kind support for his wife Nam, via the family, is most appreciated.