BIOGRAPHY

DO HUU VI

 

FIRST VIETNAMESE PILOT by Email from maibatrieu@hotmail.com 2-28-03 Machine Translation      Aviation Captain Dohuu Vi was the fifth son of the honorary mayor of Cholon, Dohuu Phuong.       He was born on February 2, 1883 in Cholon      He entered the Saint-Cyr military school on September 1, 1904, after completing his secondary studies in the Janson-of-Sailly college.       In 1906, he was named second lieutenant in the 1st regiment of the French Foreign Legion.       From 1907 to August, 1908, he served in Morocco with Oudja, then in Casablanca and finally in the septentrional Haut-Guir.       From the end of 1908 to 1910, he fought against the guerrillas at the distant Algerian-Morrocan border .       Inspired by the example of Blériot who had just crossed the English Channel, Lieutenant Do Huu Vi found himself strongly attracted to aviation.      On December 10, 1910, he entered the military piloting academy and 11 months later he graduated as a pilot with license n°649 of the Aero Club of France.      In the beginning of 1912, he joined a squadron in Western Morocco where he remained until 1913. Do Huu, as a result, is considered to be one of the pioneers of military aviation in Morocco and, for this reason, a street of Casablanca bears his name.      In 1914, he returned to Saigon to study the use of the Lambert hydroplane on the Mekong and Red Rivers. Shortly thereafter, World War I erupted in Europe. On October 3, 1914, he went to join his comrades in arms in France.      In 1915, during a violent storm, scorning the advice of his fellows, he left for the enemy lines. He reached his destination and then left to return to his base when a relentless gust of wind forced him to the ground. He was found in the formless debris of his crashed plane. They transported him to Val-de-Grâce; his condition was serious, his left arm was almost torn off, his jaw and the base of his skull were both fractured; he remained in a coma for nine days. Barely recovered, he asked to be returned to the front.      He was severely crippled and was unable to control a plane, but arranged to be assigned as an observer to the 1st bombardment group. With Marc Bonnier as pilot, he flew over Germany several times. He was based in Malzéville.      But because of his infirmity, his obsession to fight in the air had to be abandoned. Then, he was ordered to join his old group and as a Captain of the French Foreign Legion, he served in the trenches of the Somme. He took command of the 7th Company, which unfortunately led an attack on the front near Chancelier, between Belloy-en-Santerre and Estrée, He was mortally wounded by being hit by several bullets on July 9, 1916 at 1600 hours.      He was buried in the small hamlet of Dompierre, in Somme. Written on his tombstone is:

Capitaine-aviator Do-Huu Died on the Field of Honor For his fatherland, Annam For his country of France.

In life, he often said to his friends who wanted to moderate his recklessness: "It is necessary for me to be doubly courageous, because I am at the same time both French and Annamite."       In 1921, the mortal remains of Do Huu VI were brought back from France by his brother ainé, colonel Do-Huu-Chan, and buried in the district wood, close to Cholon, in the garden of his ancestors. THE END from:maibatrieu@hotmail.com   BIOGRAPH OF DOHUUVI by Email from maibatrieu@hotmail.com 2-26-03 Original French Version      Le capitaine-aviateur DohuuVi etait le 5è fils de DohuuPhuong maire honoraire de Cholon .      IL est ne le 17-2-1883 à Cholon      Entre à Saint-Cyr le 1-10-1904,apres des etudes secondaires au lycee Janson-de-Sailly.      En 1906,il est nommé sous-lieutenant au 1er regiment Etranger.      De1907à 8-1908,il fait campagne au Maroc à Oudja puis à Casablanca et enfin dans le Haut-Guir septentrional.      De la fin de 1908 à 1910,il lutta contre la guerilla à l'extrême frontière algero-marocaine.      Suivant l'exploit de Blériot qui vient de traverser la Manche,le lieutenant DohuuVi se sent violemment attirer vers l'aviation.      Le 10-12-1910,il entre dans l'ecole militaire de pilotage et 11 mois plus tard il devient pilote avec le brevet n°649 d'Aero Club de Franc      Au debut de 1912,il est affecté à une esquadrille au Maroc occidental ou il reste jusqu'ent 1913. Dohuu,c'est ainsi qu il se fait appeler, est consideré comme un des précurseurs de l'aviation militaire au Maroc et,à ce titre,une rue de Casablanca porte son nom.      En 1914,il retourne à Saigon pour faire une etude sur la pratique de l'hydro-glisseur Lambert sur le Mekong et le Fleuve Rouge.      Mais,bientôt,la Grande-Guerre éclate en Europe.      Le 3-10-1914,il doit rejoindre ses camarades de combat en France.      En1915,un jour de violent tempête,méprisant les conseils qui lui sont prodigués,il part vers les lignes ennemies.Le but est atteint et dejà il a pris le chemin de retour quand une bourrasque implacable le precipite au sol.IL git dans les debris informes de son avion brisé.On le transporte au Val-de-Grâce;son état est grave,presque desespéré:le bras gauche,la mâchoire et la base du crâne fracturés;il reste 9 jours dans le coma.      A peine retabli,il parle de rejoindre le front ! IL est incontestablement infirme et se trouve dans l'impossibilité de piloter,mais il obtient d'être attaché comme observateur au 1er groupe de bombardement.Et,partant avec Marc Bonnier, il survole plusieurs fois l'Allemagne.IL est basé à Malzéville.      Mais à cause de son infirmité,l'aviation doit refuser à son obsession de combattre dans l'air.Alors,il demande à servir dans son ancien arme et comme capitaine de la Légion ,il rejoint dans les tranchées de la Somme ,le 1er Etranger:il recoit le commandement de la 7e compagnie.Malheureusement,en tête d'un assaut à s'emparer du boyau du Chancelier,entre Belloy-en-Santerre et Estrée, il a touché par plusieurs balles qui le tuent net:nous sommes le 9-7-1916 à 16 heures.      IL repose au petit hameau de Dompierre,dans la Somme.On a mis sur son épithaphe:

Capitaine-aviateur Do-Huu Mort au Champ d'Honneur Pour son pays d'Annam Pour sa patrie,la France.

En vie,il disait souvent à ses amis qui voulaient modérer son ardeur:"IL me faut être doublement courageux,car je suis à la fois Français et Annamite."      En 1921,la depouille mortelle de Do-Huu-Vi est ramenée de France par son frère ainé, le colonel Do-Huu-Chan, et deposée au Bois du Phu,pres de Cholon,dans le jardin des ancêtre. THE END from:maibatrieu@hotmail.com

 

FIRST VIETNAMESE PILOT by Email from Dave Lam, 2-21-03      Do Huu Vi was probably the first Vietnamese pilot. Coming from an aristocratic family in Cochin China, he attended the French Military Academy at St. Cyr, graduating as a Lieutenant in 1904. He was assigned to the Foreign Legion.      Later, he learned to fly, gaining military license #78 on 18 December 1911. In 1912, with the "Colonial Squadron", he participated in operations against the rebels in Morocco. In 1913, he took part in a tour of France with Adjutant Menard.      In March 1914, he returned to Indochina to study the use of hydroplanes on the Mekong and Red Rivers. He was then called back to France for the War. In early 1915, he was shot and severely wounded, and after a long recovery he was felt to be no longer physically qualified as a pilot.      He then asked for return to the Infantry, and was killed on 9 July 1916 leading his company against Fort Dompierre.

 

FIRST VIETNAMESE PILOT? Do Huu Tay? by email from Dave Lam, 2-23-03      Ralph, more on Do Huu Vi-- I have found another listing for a Pilot named Do Huu Tay, born 31 Oct 1879 in Cholon (Cochinchina-- French Indochina). Interestingly, he is listed as French, not Vietnamese, though with that name, he certainly is a Viet. He got French Aero Club License # 649 on 6 Oct 1911, flying a Blériot. Now, I am getting confused.... If this is the same person, he has both a military brevet and a civil one (not impossible, but relatively unusual at that time). If it is another person, then Do Huu Vi may not be the first Viet to get his license. I suspect it is the same person with typographical errors on the name, but I have no way of telling. Have fun. Dave Editor's Note:According to information supplied by Canh Tran-Minh, the two names refer to the same person. He mentions that "Tay" should be spelled "Ty."

 

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