Item # 725682
February 19, 1965
LEOMINSTER ENTERPRISE, Mass. Feb. 19, 1965
* South Vietnamese Coup attempt
* General Lâm Văn Phát - Colonel Phạm Ngọc Thảo
* General Nguyễn Khánh - Saigon siege
The top of the front page has a three column headline: "Saigon Seized; Coup Directed At Khanh" (see images)
Complete with 14 pages, light toning a the margins, tiny binding holes along the spine, generally nice.
background: On February 19, 1965, Saigon was gripped by a high-stakes military coup attempt led by General Lâm Văn Phát and Colonel Phạm Ngọc Thảo that effectively ended the political career of South Vietnam’s strongman, General Nguyễn Khánh. Rebel forces supported by tanks seized control of the city’s strategic hubs, including the national radio station and Tan Son Nhut Air Base, forcing Khánh to flee the capital in a narrow escape by aircraft. While the coup eventually collapsed after Air Marshal Nguyễn Cao Kỳ threatened to launch air strikes against the rebels, the day’s chaos provided a convenient pretext for a group of younger officers—known as the "Young Turks"—to permanently oust Khánh from power under the guise of restoring order. This internal power struggle occurred at a pivotal moment in history, as the persistent instability in the South Vietnamese leadership fueled the U.S. government’s decision to transition from an advisory role to direct combat involvement, leading to the deployment of the first American ground troops to Da Nang just weeks later.
* South Vietnamese Coup attempt
* General Lâm Văn Phát - Colonel Phạm Ngọc Thảo
* General Nguyễn Khánh - Saigon siege
The top of the front page has a three column headline: "Saigon Seized; Coup Directed At Khanh" (see images)
Complete with 14 pages, light toning a the margins, tiny binding holes along the spine, generally nice.
background: On February 19, 1965, Saigon was gripped by a high-stakes military coup attempt led by General Lâm Văn Phát and Colonel Phạm Ngọc Thảo that effectively ended the political career of South Vietnam’s strongman, General Nguyễn Khánh. Rebel forces supported by tanks seized control of the city’s strategic hubs, including the national radio station and Tan Son Nhut Air Base, forcing Khánh to flee the capital in a narrow escape by aircraft. While the coup eventually collapsed after Air Marshal Nguyễn Cao Kỳ threatened to launch air strikes against the rebels, the day’s chaos provided a convenient pretext for a group of younger officers—known as the "Young Turks"—to permanently oust Khánh from power under the guise of restoring order. This internal power struggle occurred at a pivotal moment in history, as the persistent instability in the South Vietnamese leadership fueled the U.S. government’s decision to transition from an advisory role to direct combat involvement, leading to the deployment of the first American ground troops to Da Nang just weeks later.
Category: The 20th Century









