Trinh Minh The

Trình Minh Thế was a Vietnamese nationalist and military leader. Born in 1922 in Tây Ninh Province, he was raised in the Cao Đài religion. Trained in military officer school by the Japanese Kempeitai, he became an officer in the Cao Đài militia. In 1951, he formed his own militia, the Liên Minh, to combat both the French and the Việt Minh. His forces were implicated in terrorist bombings in Saigon and may have been responsible for the assassination of French General Chanson. In 1954, he negotiated with U.S. military advisor Edward Lansdale to support Ngô Đình Diệm and the ARVN. On February 13, 1955, his troops were integrated into the South Vietnamese army, and he led them on a march into Saigon. However, his loyalties were unclear during the attempted coup against Diệm. On May 3, 1955, he was assassinated by an unknown sniper in Sài Gòn.