Khương Hữu Bá

Khương Bá Hữu
Born	1930 Vĩnh Long, VietNam
Allegiance	State of Vietnam, Republic of Vietnam
Service / branch	Republic of Vietnam Navy
Rank	Navy Captain - Functional Vice-Admiral and Rear-Admiral
Commands	HQ VN 404 Fourth Naval Command Zone Supreme Commander
Battles / wars	Vietnam War
Awards	Bão Quốc Huy Chương, đệ IV đẵng South Vietnam Naval Command Medal, 1st class Medal of Honor, 1st class

Khương Hữu Bá (born 1930) was a South Vietnamese naval officer in the Republic of Vietnam Navy.He is a direct descendant of a well established and aristocrat family Khương Hữu ̣(refer to Khuong-huu [1] family website for additional family information). He is married to Mrs. Khương Trần Ngọc Lê (sister of prominent Attorney at Law and Minister Tran Ngoc Lieng ).

Education

He completed the French Preparatory School Lasan Taberd and earned the French Baccalaureate Diploma with "Prix Excellence" recognition. He attended and graduated from the French established Merchant Marine & French Naval Academy (in Nha Trang, Viet Nam), and the following Post-Graduate schools: U.S. General Line at Monterey, U.S. Naval War College (post graduate studies), and Supreme Defense War College.

Military service

Under the command of Captain Khương, the HQ VN 404 was the very first Vietnamese Navy ship (with an entire Vietnamese crew) to have crossed the Pacific Ocean from the US back to South Vietnam, unescorted.

Reviewed Graduating Navy Officers with South VietNam CNO - Admiral Chơn

Having served in several “command-at-sea” positions, Khương was one of the most highly decorated commanding officers in the South Vietnamese Navy to have earned Bão Quốc Huy Chương, đệ IV đẵng (an equivalent to the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor), the South Vietnam Naval Command Medal, 1st class, and Medal of Honor, 1st class.

Khương held the following high ranking "Flag Commanding Officer" positions in the South Vietnamese Navy:

• Supreme Commander of Naval National Coastal Fleet - 1960-1962 (Chỉ Huy Trưởng Lực Lượng Hãi Thuyền);
• General Chief Inspector of the Navy (Chánh Thanh Tra)- 1966-1968;
• Superintendent of the South Vietnamese Naval Academy 1968-1971(Chỉ Huy Trưởng Trung Tâm Huấn Luyện Sĩ Quan Hải Quân Nha Trang);
• General Chief Inspector of the Navy (Chánh Thanh Tra)- 1972-1973;
• Fourth Coastal Zone Naval Commander & Army Regiment Military Special Zone Commander 1974-1975(Tư Lệnh Vùng IV Duyên Hải)

These positions report directly to the Chief of Naval Operations, Defense Minister, and Prime Minister, and are normally under the command of flag officers (Fleet Admiral). US Navy Flag Officers Rear Admiral Charles F Rauch and US Navy Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr. (later was US Chief of Naval Operations "CNO") served as Khương's American Navy Advivers between 1968 - 1972. The Captain of the famous Aircraft Carrier USS Enterprise the was responsible to drop over 5 million tons of Bomb in North VietNam - Navy Captain Hayvard (as seen in picture above greeted Khương as he visited the US 7th Fleet in 1970) was also Khuong's Adviver.

Photos

Bá Hữu Khương Navy Photos

-- With "US. To-Be" Chief of Navy Operations-CNO Thomas B. Hayward on US 7th Fleet Aircraft Carrier; With Defense Minister during Nany Officer Graduation Ceremony; With South Korean Bach-Ma Army Division Commanding Generals --

Life in exile

After the defeat of South Vietnam by North Vietnam in 1975, Khương commanded a South Vietnamese Naval Fleet and fled South Vietnam. He then went to the United States, (he led and returned a significant number of Navy Ships back to US. at the Philippines) and settled in Chicago where he worked as an Office Manager for a jewelry business until his retirement. Khương resides in the United States with his wife Trần Ngọc Lê - sister of prominent lawyer Tran Ngoc Lieng, 4 children and 7 Grand children.

External links

• Grand-Family History - Gia Phả Đại Gia Đình Khương Hữu [2]
• Personal History [3]
• Vietnam Navy - Hải Quân VNCH [4]
• French Preparatory School - Lasan Taberd SàiGòn [5]
• History of Khương Last Name - Dòng Họ Khương