Nguen Van Troi
VietnamBiography of Nguyen Van Choy
Nguyen Van Choy was a national hero of Vietnam. He was born into a poor peasant family in the province of Quang Nam. At the age of 14, he started working as an apprentice electrician and later became an electrician in Saigon. In 1962, he joined the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, also known as Viet Cong.
Involvement in the Assassination Attempt
In May 1963, Nguyen Van Choy participated in the failed assassination attempt on Henry Cabot Lodge, the American ambassador to South Vietnam, and Robert McNamara, the visiting U.S. Secretary of Defense. Following the unsuccessful attempt, Nguyen Van Choy was arrested and sentenced to death. His execution in Saigon marked the first public execution of a NLF activist during the Vietnam War.
Legacy
Nguyen Van Choy's memory is honored through various means. A street in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) is named after him, as well as a school and an award. In Cuba, schools and a stadium bear his name. The American actress Jane Fonda named her son Troy in his honor, using the English transcription of his Vietnamese name.
According to press reports, Nguyen Van Choy's final words before his execution were "Long live Ho Chi Minh!" His confident demeanor leading up to his execution is evident in the published photographs of the event, which were widely covered in the Western press.
