Ngo Tuong, RIP

I only knew him about six weeks; and of course 2 there was the language barrier, and rank differences _ and oriental reticence, but he became a friend any-_ way. At least he was my friend until he was murdered : by the Vietcong; now he is my cause. Mr. Tuong was 2 the village chief of Hoa Lac village a few miles north : of Da Nang. He was appointed to that job around the middle of January. He held it for five weeks. He was — murdered. The facts of his death were in many news- papers. They were also covered quite well in an article in Time Magazine. Briefly, he was machine- gunned by two Vietcong while attending a Buddhist religious meeting in one of the hamlets in his village. Four other villagers were caught in the fire and killed as well. He was not even able to draw his pistol and defend himself. By the time Marines ar- rived he had been dead for thirty or forty minutes. The Vietcong escaped. But his death is more significant than one more bitter little killing in a bitter little war. He was an effective chief. He was not a democrat. He probably could not have defined democracy or even have un- derstood it. He was not elected to office. That was not practical. But he did understand his own people. He governed in a manner that was in keeping with

Vietnamese tradition. He established a village council of elders to help him rule. Decisions were made at town meetings. The villagers were organized to help defend their area. Payments for work projects and relief supplies were distributed honestly. In short, he did his job. The more effective he became the more his life was in danger, yet he performed to the best of his ability. He helped the people, so the Vietcong had to kill him. (That is the real horror of the anti- war demonstrations in the U.S. Those demonstrations sanction an organization that feels it must brutally murder anyone who is honestly helping the peasant.)

CD

About the Author

Capt. Peter T. Duggan

I only knew him about six weeks; and of course 2 there was the language barrier, and rank differences _ and oriental reticence, but he became a friend any-_ way. At least he was my friend until he was murdered : by the Vietcong; now he is my cause. Mr. Tuong was 2 the village chief of Hoa Lac village a few miles north : of Da Nang. He was appointed to that job around the middle of January. He held it for five weeks. He was — murdered. The facts of his death were in many news- papers. They were also covered quite well in an article in Time Magazine. Briefly, he was machine- gunned by two Vietcong while attending a Buddhist religious meeting in one of the hamlets in his village. Four other villagers were caught in the fire and killed as well. He was not even able to draw his pistol and defend himself. By the time Marines ar- rived he had been dead for thirty or forty minutes. The Vietcong escaped. But his death is more significant than one more bitter little killing in a bitter little war. He was an effective chief. He was not a democrat. He probably could not have defined democracy or even have un- derstood it. He was not elected to office. That was not practical. But he did understand his own people. He governed in a manner that was in keeping with

Vietnamese tradition. He established a village council of elders to help him rule. Decisions were made at town meetings. The villagers were organized to help defend their area. Payments for work projects and relief supplies were distributed honestly. In short, he did his job. The more effective he became the more his life was in danger, yet he performed to the best of his ability. He helped the people, so the Vietcong had to kill him. (That is the real horror of the anti- war demonstrations in the U.S. Those demonstrations sanction an organization that feels it must brutally murder anyone who is honestly helping the peasant.)