7th Division (South Vietnam)

7th Division
7th Division SSI
Active	October 1955 – 1975
Country	South Vietnam
Branch	Army of the Republic of Vietnam
Part of	IV Corps
Garrison/HQ	Mỹ Tho
Engagements	Vietnam War 1960 South Vietnamese coup attempt 1963 South Vietnamese coup
Commanders
Notable commanders	Huynh Van Cao Tran Thien Khiem
Insignia
Division flag

The Seventh Division was part of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), the army of the nation state of South Vietnam that existed from 1955 to 1975. It was part of the IV Corps, which oversaw the Mekong Delta region of the country.

History

The Seventh Division was based in My Tho, and due to the division's close proximity to the capital Saigon was a key factor in the success or failure of the various coup attempts in the nation's history. As a result, the loyalty of the commanding officer of the division was crucial in maintaining power.

In the coup attempt of 1960, the loyalist General Huynh Van Cao used the Seventh Division, commanded by Tran Thien Khiem to storm into Saigon to save President Ngo Dinh Diem.

However, in the successful coup attempt of 1963, the plotters managed to have the Seventh Division transferred temporarily to the III Corps of Ton That Dinh, with Diem unaware that Dinh was with the rebels. Dinh then placed a rebel subordinate in command of the Seventh Division, preventing the rest of Cao's IV Corps from saving Diem.

References

• Tucker, Spencer C. (2000). Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. pp. 526–533. ISBN 1-57607-040-9.