Finding the Dragon Lady (42 page)

Pike, Douglas,
102

Political prisoners,
131

Polygamy,
19
,
102
,
126
.
See also
Vietnamese tradition

Prasso, Sheridan,
149

Presidential palace (aka Dinh Doc Lap or Independent Palace; Palais Norodom),
92–93

    
bombing of, February 11, 1962,
117
,
132–133

    
and Saigon coup of 1963, and palace siege,
205

Quang (refugee),
86

The Quiet American (Greene),
81

Quoc Mau (National Mothers),
54

Racial segregation,
30

Racism,
33
,
149

Radio Catinat,
103

Reagan, Ronald,
14

Refugees,
86
,
87
,
93

Religion,
157–158
.
See also
Buddhists
;
Catholics/Catholicism

Repression of freedoms,
97
,
122
,
126–127

Republican Youth,
129–130
,
203

Richardson, John,
199

Rock Creek Cemetery,
15

Roosevelt, Eleanor,
186

Roosevelt, Franklin,
186

Saigon,
77–79
,
83
,
120–121

Saigon coup of 1963,
198–210

    
and Kennedy, John,
1–2
,
199
,
200
,
207
,
210–211
,
217

    
and Ngo brothers, assassination of,
1–2
,
175
,
207
,
209–210
,
213

    
and Ngo brothers, in hiding,
205–206

    
and Ngo brothers, surrender of,
206

    
and Ngo children, safety of,
202
,
204
,
207
,
208–209

    
and Nhu, Madame, as responsible for,
1–2
,
210
,
216

    
and palace siege,
205

    
See also
Coup attempt of 1960

Saigon Golf Club bombing, December 1960,
123

Saint Joseph Cathedral of Hanoi,
39

Saturday Evening Post,
132
,
150
,
195

Self-immolation, of Buddhist monk,
139–140
,
145
,
160–161
,
162–163

SEPES.
See
Service for Political and Social Research of the Presidency

Service for Political and Social Research of the Presidency (SEPES),
131

Sheehan, Neil,
142

Shoot to Kill (Miers),
205

Skylstad, William,
154
,
155

Smith, Jean,
117
,
119–120
,
148

Smith, Stephen,
119
,
120

Soong May-Ling.
See
Chiang, Madame

South Vietnam

    
Americanization of, and Communists,
216

    
democracy in,
94–95

    
and fake body counts,
121–122

    
and government overthrows,
208

    
and political prisoners,
131

    
US aid to,
90
,
121
,
128
,
131

    
and Vietnamese exodus,
80–81

    
Westernization of,
128

Soviet Union,
73–74

Spellman, Francis (cardinal),
77

Spence, Virginia,
81–82

St. Elizabeth's psychiatric hospital,
13–14

Strategic Hamlets Program,
130

Sully, Francois,
139

The Tale of Kieu,
23–24

Tang Thi Ut,
124

Taoism,
157

Tassigny, Jean de Lattre de,
112–113

Taylor, Maxwell,
200
,
201
,
210

Thach, James van,
104–106

Thich Quang Duc,
160–161
,
163

Tiger Lady,
117

Time magazine,
144
,
147
,
176
,
179
,
197
,
217

Times of Vietnam,
141–143
,
162
,
206

Tokyo Rose,
2

Ton That Dinh,
203–204

Tran Thi Le Chi,
15
,
19
,
103
,
104

    
suicide attempt of,
108–109

Tran Thi Le Xuan (later Madame Nhu) and astrologer/fortune-teller's prediction,
20

    
birth of,
17–19

    
bridal portrait of,
40

    
bride price for,
39

    
and brother,
27–28

    
and Catholicism,
36
,
39

    
and domestic help, daily upbringing by,
24–25

    
education of,
27
,
30–31
,
33

    
and family move from Hanoi to countryside without,
23–26

    
in French Quarter (Hanoi),
30

    
grandparents as caretakers of,
23–25

    
and move from countryside to Hanoi,
29–30
,
31

    
as newborn,
19–20

    
and Ngo Dinh Nhu, betrothal to,
37

    
and Ngo Dinh Nhu, introduction to,
35–36

    
and Ngo Dinh Nhu, marriage to,
37
,
39–40

    
personality of,
25

    
and role as middle-daughter,
27

    
serious illness of,
25

    
as “switched” child,
25

    
and traditional Vietnamese family life,
26

    
Western influence on,
31

Tran Thi Nam Tran.
See
Tran Van Chuong, Madame

Tran Van Chuong and ambassadorial post, resignation of,
166

    
ancestry of,
9
,
18

    
burial of,
15–16

    
and communism,
47

    
in Dalat,
62

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu), and refusal to forgive,
214–215

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu), call for ouster of,
171

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu),

    
public disowning of,
9
,
10

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu), rapprochement between,
11

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu), refusal to receive, in Washington, DC,
187–190
,
214

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu) and Ngo brothers, insults to,
187–188

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu) as child, and move from Hanoi to countryside without,
23–26

    
description of,
11
,
35

    
and Diem regime, undermining of,
214–215

    
education of,
22

    
as fourteen-year-old groom,
21–22

    
and French secret police, salacious account by,
34–35

    
and Hanoi Bar, appointment to serve on,
29

    
and Ho Chi Minh, donations to government of,
60

    
and Japanese, collaboration with,
61
,
103

    
in Japanese cabinet position,
39

    
and Japanese versus French,
38–39

    
marriage of,
20–21

    
murder of,
9
,
10
,
11–14
,
215
,
220

    
retirement of,
10

    
and Saigon, safe passage to,
61

    
and son, Tran Van Khiem, and family living with,
13

    
as South Vietnamese ambassador to United States,
9–10
,
96

    
and Tuesday salons,
38

    
Western influence on,
21

    
will of,
13
,
14–15

Tran Van Chuong, Madame (also Madame Chuong, Nam Tran Tran Van Chuong; Tran Thi Nam Tran)

    
and ambassadorial post, resignation of,
166

    
ancestry of,
9
,
18

    
birth date of,
20

    
burial of,
15–16

    
and communism,
47

    
in Dalat,
62

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu), and refusal to forgive,
214–215

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu), call for ouster of,
171

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu), insults to,
190

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu), public disowning of,
9
,
10

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu), refusal to receive, in Washington, DC,
187–190
,
214

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu) as child, and move from Hanoi to countryside without,
23–26

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu) as child, and “switched” child suspicion,
25

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu) as child, birth of,
17–19

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu) as child, rescue of,
108

    
and daughter (Madame Nhu) as newborn,
19–20

    
as granddaughter of emperor,
20

    
and daughters, educational opportunities for,
26

    
and daughters, relationship with,
20

    
description of,
11
,
35

    
and Diem regime, undermining of,
214–215

    
French influences on,
33–34

    
and French secret police, salacious account by,
34–35

    
and Ho Chi Minh, donations to government of,
60

    
and Japanese, collaboration with,
61

    
and Japanese versus French,
35
,
38–39

    
and love affairs,
35
,
39

    
marriage of,
20–21