Khuong Huu Ba

Khương Bá Hữu (born 1930) was a South Vietnamese naval officer in the Republic of Vietnam Navy.

Education
He completed the French Preparatory School Lasan Taberd and earned the French Baccalaureate Diploma with "Prix Excellence" recognition. He attended and graduated from the French established Merchant Marine & French Naval Academy (in Nha Trang, Viet Nam), and the following Post-Graduate schools: U.S. General Line at Monterey, U.S. Naval War College (post graduate studies), and Supreme Defense War College.

Military service
Under the command of Captain Khương, the HQ VN 404 was the very first Vietnamese Navy ship (with an entire Vietnamese crew) to have crossed the Pacific Ocean from the US back to South Vietnam, unescorted.



Having served in several “command-at-sea” positions, Khương was one of the most highly decorated commanding officers in the South Vietnamese Navy to have earned Bão Quốc Huy Chương, đệ IV đẵng (an equivalent to the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor), the South Vietnam Naval Command Medal, 1st class, and Medal of Honor, 1st class.

Khương held the following high ranking "Flag Commanding Officer" positions in the South Vietnamese Navy:
 * Supreme Commander of Naval National Coastal Fleet (Chỉ Huy Trưởng Lực Lượng Hãi Thuyền);
 * General Chief Inspector of the Navy (Chánh Thanh Tra);
 * Superintendent of the South Vietnamese Naval Academy (Chỉ Huy Trưởng Trung Tâm Huấn Luyện Sĩ Quan Hải Quân Nha Trang);
 * Fourth Coastal Zone Naval Commander & Army Regiment Military Special Zone Commander (Tư Lệnh Vùng IV Duyên Hải)

These positions report directly to the Chief of Naval Operations, and are normally under the command of flag officers (Commodore and Rear Admiral).

Photos
Bá Hữu Khương Navy Photos

Life in exile
After the defeat of South Vietnam by North Vietnam in 1975, Khương commanded a South Vietnamese Naval Fleet and fled South Vietnam. He then went to the United States, (he led and returned a significant number of Navy Ships back to US. at the Philippines) and settled in Chicago where he worked as an Office Manager for a jewelry business until his retirement. Khương resides in the United States with his wife Trần Ngọc Lê - sister of prominent lawyer Tran Ngoc Lieng, 4 children and 7 Grand children.