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John Paul Vann: Man and LegendBy Peter Kross | Vietnam | 17 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post By 1965, as American forces increased dramatically in South Vietnam, it was obvious that the advisory mission President John F. Kennedy had begun in 1961 was now entering a new and more perilous phase. While U.S. Army and Marine units went on combat missions with South Vietnamese army (ARVN) troops, reporters on the ground began to question the conduct of the war — and so did a few U.S. Army officers. Subscribe Today
These officers knew that such questioning of the way the war was going could lead to the end of their military careers, but decided to pursue the truth regardless. One such man was a decorated veteran of the Korean War, Lt. Col. John Paul Vann. By the time of his death in Vietnam in June 1972, Vann had taken on the highest military authorities in Washington and had earned the respect and trust of a small group of newsmen whose reporting of the war began a general public questioning of how and why the conflict was being fought. John Paul Vann was born on July 2, 1924, in Norfolk, Va., the illegitimate son of Johnny Spry and Myrtle Lee Tripp, a reputed part-time prostitute. Tripp married Aaron Frank Vann in 1929, and young John took his new father’s name. In June 1942, Frank Vann officially adopted John. John Vann attended public school in Roanoke, Va. In the early 1940s he was attending junior college as the United States entered World War II. Vann was eager to join the fight, and entered the Army in 1943 intending to fly. He was accepted into the Army Air Forces training program that June and took his initial training in Rochester, N.Y. Moving from one base to the next, he finally was accepted for pilot training. While in training, he met Mary Jane Allen, whom he married on October 6, 1945. Vann received his wings and was commissioned as a lieutenant, fulfilling his boyhood ambition to become a flier. Having missed combat during World War II, he was sent to Guam, where he flew Boeing B-29 bombers to bases across the Pacific. In 1946 Vann enrolled at Rutgers University in New Jersey to earn his bachelor’s degree. He was now the father of a baby girl named Patricia. Along with almost all Army Air Forces officers of the day, Vann faced a key career decision the following year. Under newly passed legislation that reorganized the entire American defense establishment, the Army Air Forces were separated from the Army to form a new branch of the military, the U.S. Air Force. Vann decided to remain with the Army and transferred to the infantry branch. Assigned to Fort Benning, he undertook paratroop training. The Army then assigned him to Korea as a special services officer, coordinating entertainment activities for the soldiers. From Korea, Vann was sent to Japan to supervise the procurement of supplies for the 25th Infantry Division, based in Osaka. When the Korean War broke out in 1950, he deployed back to Korea with the 25th ID and was stationed near Pusan, where he oversaw the loading and unloading of the massive amount of supplies required for the military buildup. As the fighting intensified on the Korean peninsula, Vann, now a captain, assumed command of a company in the 8th Ranger Battalion and led missions behind enemy lines. One of Vann’s soldiers was a very young David Hackworth. Vann’s second son, Jesse, was born on August 5, 1950. The child’s health problems forced Vann’s early return to the United States. In 1954 he was assigned to the 16th Infantry Regiment in Schweinfurt, West Germany, to command the regiment’s Heavy Mortar Company. An officer evaluation report he received from Colonel (later General) Bruce Palmer Jr. described Vann as “one of the few highly outstanding officers I know.” In 1955 Vann was promoted to major and reassigned to U.S. Army Europe headquarters in Heidelberg, where he worked in logistics. He returned to the United States in 1957 to attend the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. While he was enrolled at Syracuse University in New York in May 1959, Vann was notified by the military police that he was being investigated on charges of statutory rape of a 15-year-old girl while he had been at Fort Leavenworth. The consequences if he was found guilty would be enormous. A jail term and dismissal from the Army were distinct possibilities. If that was not enough pressure on the family, Vann’s youngest son, Peter, was seriously ill and required extensive medical treatment. Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
            Tags: Historical Conflicts, Historical Figures, Vietnam War
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17 Comments to “John Paul Vann: Man and Legend”
Thank You for this story!
Vietnam Vet
Larry Mandrell
By mandrell_larry@yahoo.com on Jul 7, 2008 at 11:53 pm
I MEET JOHN PAUL IN 1972 HE WAS A GREAT MAN I WAS WITH THE 4TH CAV ASIGN TO HIS UNIT AND I WAS THERE. THIS IS WENT I HEARD HE GOT KILL.
By mitchell smith on Jul 18, 2008 at 11:53 pm
While the factual information presented in this biography may be true, the most important aspect of JP Vann’s life is entirely overlooked. I worked for JP Vann in the Phoenix program. Although most aspects of this program will remain classified for years to come, eventually this too will become public knowledge and the contributions of this man will be recognized.
By Wayne Marshall on Sep 16, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I am the grandson of John Paul Vann, his son Peter is my father. Thank you for taking the time to write this article.
By Ryan Vann on Dec 6, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Hello Ryan (and Peter and John A and Jesse and Patricia);
I worked for your grandfather at MAC-CORDS, IV Corps, 69-70. Considered him a mentor; changed my life along with his good friend, fellow soldier and free thinker, Col Carl Bernard.
JPV was a second father to me — though for only a short period of his life and a shorter period of mine. He was indomitable and was only brought down by the laws of physics. I have no doubt that had he survived we would have had a different and better outcome in Vietnam.
Stumbled across this article today by chance. Anyone interested should read Neil’s Bright Shining Lie. And anyone interested in contacting me, feel free; look me up on the net.
Ryan, you and your father and uncles and aunt come from the best stock. Stand proud.
Ed
By Edward Story on Feb 14, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Mr. Story,
My Grandfather is Eugene W. Vann, better known as John’s brother. He was a CMSgt in the Air Force. I’ve been in the AF almost ten years and am proud to bear our last name on my uniform. I’m putting in my package to go Green and be a Warrant Officer… your comment about being from the best stock would be awesome somewhere in my package! Wish me luck!
Jeremy
By Jeremy Vann on Mar 5, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Does anyone know what happened to John Vann’s Vietnamese daughter? Did her family leave Vietnam after 1975?
By Gary Richardson on Apr 7, 2009 at 1:29 am
Cool article. My dad was a LtC. and named me after him out of the respect he held for him. (Vo is my mom’s family name… they were not sure if any of my mom’s relatives survived the war, so they wanted me to carry the name another generation)
By Vo Vann Decker on Apr 8, 2009 at 8:45 pm
In 1972 Gene La Rouche and I drove from Cam Ranh to Qui Nhon on the day the Tet Offensive began. We were working for ITT-Federal Electric and were delivering test equipment for calibration. Three bridges were taken out behind us and we were stuck in Qui Nhon, as it came under attack.
We hitched a ride on a Huey headed back to Nha Trang, from a young Warrant Officer Pilot we met in the Officers Mess. We were diverted to Tuy Hoa, by orders from John Paul Vann. He commandeered
the Huey and Pilot to inspect mountain top microwave communication sites, that had come under attack, during the offensive.
We met Mr. Vann in passing, as he boarded the Huey and took off
for his inspection of the mountain top sites. We sat at Tuy Hoa and
listened to his radio calls, as he flew from one mountain site to the other. One particular radio transmission will always stick in my mind. He was talking to a Vietnamese Officer and said “you tell
General(can not recall his name), that if he does not have that bridge in by noon, I will have his ass on the carpet in Saigon”.
It’s difficult to convey the aura of no nonsense and dedication he
displayed,as this civilian, retired officer worked around us. I am
proud to have met and see him in action.
When our Pilot returned from the inspection flight, he told us, one
mountain top site was held by an old Vietnamese man who was hired to run the diesel generators, that powered the site. While under attack, the ARVN company fled and he manned a M-60, killing many VC on their perimeter and held the mountain top
site by himself. On another site it was a similar situation and a
American Army Major, serving in an advisory capacity, held the
mountain top firing from a bunker, and fought the VC off killing
at least a score of them, while the ARVN company fled and his Vietnamese counterpart cowered in the bunker near him. So went the war near the end
By Jack Johnstone on Apr 11, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Please note an error that I made when submitting my original comments. The incidents I described, happened during the Easter Offensive in 1972, not during a Tet Offensive. Although the memory
fades after 37 years the incidents I described, are absolutely true.
By Jack Johnstone on Apr 12, 2009 at 11:23 am
ASSLAM O ALLAIKUM….i m ALI from PAKISTAN…i just saw the movie A BRIGHT SHINNING LIFE..and i m inspired by hius personlity..he was geius..i m also in army and i have great interest in reading and knwoing abpout military leaders..and unfortunatley most of them they could not have successfull perosnal life…but he was really a hero…nation having men like him is lucky….i would love to see ppl related to hi talking or contacting me and i salute all those soldiers who sacrified their lives in veitnam………….
By ALI HUSSAIN on May 15, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Gary,
Last I heard she and her mother relocated to the US. East coast I believe. I heard Maryland. We don’t communicate with them.
Thank you Ed. I will not forget your words.
If any of you have any questions please contact me at Ryan_Vann1@msn.com
By Ryan Vann on Jun 6, 2009 at 2:52 am
I have read about JPV for many a year and he has to me seemed like a perfect hero, flawed yet brilliant, his children can be proud of who he was and what he achieved – JPV We Salute You Sir.
By thecleaner on Jun 20, 2009 at 12:50 pm
JPV has been a hero to me for years now. I first heard of him when I joined the military book club and bought the book, A Bright Shining Lie. Later, the HBO movie brought the book to life. I share the book and movie with friends, so they may know the story about a soldier who led a very interesting life.
JPV was certainly a great American and leader of men, whose life was taken too soon, as happens to many heroes.
I am just an enlisted soldier who has served in Desert Storm and Afghanistan, and respect what JPV stood for- the courage to lead from the front and tell it like it is…
By Ruperto Fiories on Aug 22, 2009 at 6:00 am
I am Eugene W. Vann, the youngest brother of John Paul Vann. I want to thank everyone for their comments about my brother who adored his family and was adored by his Mom and Dad and brothers and sister. He was our hero and is missed every day. My grandson, Jeremy R. Vann is doing his best to follow in the footsteps of this great man and we are extremely proud of him, just as we were of John. John had a human side that has never been written about. He was kind, loving , gentle and generous and that is the part of him that lives in our hearts. To put into feelings simply….he was my brother.
By Eugene W. Vann on Oct 3, 2009 at 11:18 pm
My name is Jo Vann, John Paul Vann’s sisiter-in-law. Reading the comments about John, one from Ruperto Fiores struck me…he referred to himself as,”just an enlisted soldier.” There is no such thing…every man who puts on a uniform and heads off to war to defend this great country is a National Hero and deserves the respect and gratitude of every citizen in the USA. Ruperto, you are no less a hero to me than John was and I, personally, want to thank you for your service and thank God you returned home safely. If only 15 minutes of time was bought for our country as a result of your service, that is a great tribute to John for all his efforts and it is greatly appreciated by the Vann family. May all the good things in life come your way and again, thank you.
By Jo Vann on Oct 3, 2009 at 11:40 pm