Word: diem
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...Free Viet Nam is immortal! Righteous nationalism will triumph!" cried Premier Ngo Dinh Diem last week as his elated young troops cleared his enemies out of Saigon. In the streets of the city, "Da Dao Bao Dai" (Down with Bao Dai) was now the throbbing cry. As for Chief of State Bao Dai during this dark hour in his young nation's history, he continued to make his Valley Forge in sunny Cannes...
...understand you," said the Frenchman. "The palace is being shelled," Diem repeated. "If it happens again, I shall order the National Army to respond...
Twenty-five minutes later, more mortar shells dropped into the palace, and the private army of the Binh Xuyen, 2,000 terrorists in arsenic-green berets, opened concerted fire against three main Vietnamese Nationalist strongpoints. Ngo Dinh Diem, long criticized for pacifism and procrastination, first ordered counterfire against the Binh Xuyen defenses. One hour later he sharply raised the stakes, and told the army to clear the Binh Xuyen out of the city...
...smoke, the Nationalists concentrated four battalions and 18 armored cars against the sandbagged Binh Xuyen strongpoints. In the European quarter, French colonials and a few Americans sipped apéritifs on balconies and watched the distant show-most Frenchmen rooting for the terrorists and most Americans for Ngo Dinh Diem. Soon the news looked bad for the French: the young Nationalists, it seemed, were fighting with efficiency and fervor. During the night the Nationalists attacked and knocked out half a dozen Binh Xuyen strongpoints, one after the other. Paratroopers stormed the big Binh Xuyen garrison at Petrusky High School...
...terrorists clean out of town. The Nationalists destroyed the headquarters of the Binh Xuyen's General Le Van Vien, the place where he kept his pet crocodiles. Only three Binh Xuyen posts remained; they were inside the cordoned-off French quarter. "Your courage has written a glorious page," Diem proclaimed to the flushed young troops...