Lê Văn Tỵ

In this Vietnamese name, the surname is Lê, but is often simplified to Le in English-language text. In accordance with Vietnamese custom, this person should be referred to by the given name, Tỵ.

Army General Lê Văn Tỵ (17 May 1904 – 20 October 1964)^[1] was the first chief of staff of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. He replaced Nguyễn Văn Hinh as Chief of the Joint General Staff.^[2] He was previously a general in the Vietnamese National Army of the State of Vietnam, which became the Republic of Vietnam in 1955 after Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm deposed Emperor Bảo Đại in a fraudulent referendum. He is the only general to be promoted to the Marshal.

Lê Văn Tỵ
State Counsellor of South Vietnam
In office 12 November 1963 – 1 February 1964
President	Dương Văn Minh
Prime Minister	Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ
Preceded by	Ngô Đình Nhu
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Chief of the Joint General Staff of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces
In office 29 November 1954 – December 1962
Preceded by	Nguyễn Văn Hinh
Succeeded by	Trần Thiện Khiêm
Personal details
Born	(1904-05-17)May 17, 1904 Thắng Nhì, Vũng Tàu, French Indochina
Died	October 20, 1964(1964-10-20) (aged 60) Saigon, Republic of Vietnam
Children	3 (plus one adopted daughter)
Military service
Allegiance	France State of Vietnam  South Vietnam
Branch/service	French Army Vietnamese National Army  Army of the Republic of Vietnam
Years of service	1922–1964
Rank	Marshal (Thống Tướng)

During the First Indochina War, he was appointed brigadier general in the Vietnamese National Army.^[3]

Tỵ's deteriorating health forced him to retire in 1964. He succumbed to cancer in 1964. He was a recipient of the National Order of Vietnam.

He is also the only General of the Republic of Vietnam to be promoted to the 5-star rank of Army General.