September 1964 South Vietnamese coup attempt
The September 1964 South Vietnamese coup attempt took place before dawn on September 13, 1964, when the ruling military junta of South Vietnam, led by General Nguyễn Khánh, was threatened by a coup attempt headed by Generals Lâm Văn Phát and Dương Văn Đức, who sent dissident units into the capital Saigon. They captured various key points and announced over national radio the overthrow of the incumbent regime. With the help of the Americans, Khánh was able to rally support and the coup collapsed the next morning without any casualties.
Maxwell Taylor, the US Ambassador to South Vietnam, opposed a coup.
Tan Son Nhut Air Base, pictured here in 1962, was the headquarters of both the US and South Vietnamese military and a key target in any coup.
Kỳ was prominent in putting down the coup.
Thi (left) and Thieu (right) during the 1960s. Thi helped stop the coup, while Thieu was regarded as a tacit supporter of the rebellion.
Nguyễn Chánh Thi was an officer in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). He is best known for being involved in frequent coups in the 1960s and wielding substantial influence as a key member of various juntas that ruled South Vietnam from 1964 until 1966, when he was overpowered by Republic of Vietnam Air Force chief and Prime Minister Nguyễn Cao Kỳ in a power struggle and exiled to the United States. Known for his flamboyant style and hostility to US advice, Thi's ouster was supported by the American leadership, who backed Kỳ's pro-US regime.
Nguyễn Chánh Thi
Thi (left) and Thiệu (right) during the 1960s. Both were prominent in Saigon military politics in the 1960s.
Nguyễn Cao Kỳ, Thi's fiercest rival.
William Westmoreland, the US commander in Vietnam, disapproved of Thi and supported his removal from command.
