Vũ Ngọc Nhạ

Vũ Ngọc Nhạ died on August 7, 2002, in Ho Chi Minh City at the age of 75. He was buried at Lạc Cảnh Cemetery at the section reserved for high-rank military officers. The graves of other well-known Vietnamese intelligence agents such as Phạm Xuân Ẩn, Đặng Trần Đức and Phạm Ngọc Thảo are also there.

In 1976, Vũ Ngọc Nhạ worked at the Military Intelligence Department at the military rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel in 1981. He was tasked to collect, analyze the data and reported back to the high-rank leaders of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. His life and intelligent activities became well-know after the publish of the historical novel "Ông cố vấn" (Mr. Advisor) written by Hữu Mai. Nhạ was promoted to Major General in 1988 and was awarded the Title of "Hero of the People's Armed Forces" together with all the A.22 Group.

Nhạ was released to the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam in 1973 as a political prisoner according to Paris Peace Accords. His role as an intelligent agent was recognized and he was made a Lieutenant colonel of the People's Army of Vietnam. He was awarded for the achievements of A.22 but at the same time was also punished for his responsibility of its collapse and the arrest of A.22 members. In 1974, Nhạ returned to Saigon to resume his intelligence activities and rebuild the connection with "the third political forces", especially the Catholic population. In 1975 he worked inside the third political forces as a Catholic representative and witnessed the last moments of the Saigon regime in April 1975.

During his imprisonment, Nhạ continued to make contact, via letters or direct meeting, with many celebrities and dignitaries from South Vietnam and America. He was praised as the benefactor of the Pope in a praying mass on June 23, 1971, and was award with the Pope's blessing, a certification of merit, and an award medal. The awards were sent directly to Nhạ in prison by a Vatican ambassador on June 25.

In 1969, the A.22 group planned to create a South Vietnam "government" whose vital members were A.22 agents. However A.22's plan could not be materialized due to CIA's intervention.

The CIA became suspicious of the existence of spies at the highest levels of the South Vietnamese government and began the investigation. After a year, the CIA discovered the identity of Nhạ and his colleagues and sent the information to Saigon's Police Department for execution. As a result, almost all of A.22 members were arrested in July 1969. The A.22 network virtually collapsed. The case of A.22 was a severe shock to the Saigon government and quickly appeared on many South Vietnam newspapers at that time.

Nhạ and the A.22 network took part in the 1968 Tet Offensive. He warned the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam of U.S. intention to curtail the annual Tết ceasefire. During the battle, Nhạ was tasked to assist the NLF in the planned assault to Independence Palace, he opened the presidential wine cellar so that the palace guards would become drunk. However, as the planned attacks was abandoned and the attack's highest target, Thiệu, was on his Tết vacation in Mỹ Tho. Assuming that the wine was distributed to improve morale, Thiệu commended Nhạ when he returned to the palace a few days later. He awarded Nhạ with a sword and an authority to manage the cabinet meetings in the case of Thiệu's absence.

In the wake of unsuccessful military attempts, the United States started to decrease their involvement in the Vietnam War and took a more serious stance in negiotations with Hanoi. However, the U.S. planned to execute the Accelerated Pacification Program and other related moves in order to gain an advantage in the bargain. Tasked with the investigation of United States intentions, Nhạ then asked Thiệu to send a diplomatic delegation lead by Nhạ's colleagues Huỳnh Văn Trọng to the United States. Under the guise of preparing for the incoming diplomatic mission, Trọng went to the U.S. Ambassador to take the documents of 1968-1969 Pacification Plan, 1968 Phoenix Program and other related documents for Nhạ. Trọng's delegation later managed to secure U.S. aid for the Saigon government, which pleased Thiệu. Thiệu then reward Nhạ with the pen that Thiệu used to sign the documents for U.S. aid contracts.

At the end of 1963, Ngô Đình Nhu tasked Vũ Ngọc Nhạ with the mission of meeting with and gaining support from Catholic population. As a result, Vũ Ngọc Nhạ did not get caught into the 1963 South Vietnamese coup which ended with the collapse of Ngô Đình Diệm regime together with most of its key members. According to Nhạ, if he had get caught in the coup, he would have met the same tragic fate as Ngô Đình Diệm and Ngô Đình Nhu.

After the 1963 coup, Vũ Ngọc Nhạ could only work in the Catholic population in Bình An parish led by Hoàng Quỳnh. However, due to Hoàng's great prestige, and also due Nhạ's own talent and knowledge, the new government resumed contact with Vũ Ngọc Nhạ for his advice. Vũ Ngọc Nhạ quickly make use of the "Golden Triangle" (Vatican's Apostolic Delegate, Saigon government and American Chaplain O'Connor) to intensify his espionage activities. He later built a relationship with Nguyễn Văn Thiệu, another Catholic figure. Similar to the Ngô family, Thiệu needed Nhạ as an intermediary envoy to gather support from the Catholic faction. Nhạ also detected that Thiệu had the support of the United States for the position of President and Thiệu also had good relationship with certain Catholic dignitaries. Nhạ became the representative for Catholic electorates who supported the presidency of Thiệu, and became Thiệu's "Mr. Advisor" after Thiệu was elected. Thiệu personally recognized the great influence of Nhạ on South Vietnam politics and on Thiệu himself, he told Nhạ: "If you want to depose me, please inform me beforehand so that I won't meet a shameful death as Ngô Đình Diệm brothers.".

However Vũ Ngọc Nhạ was suspected by South Vietnam counter-espionage agency as a North Vietnamese spy and was arrested at the end of 1958. He was jailed at Toà Khâm, Huế, together with many other suspected North Vietnamese intelligence agents, including his mentor Trần Quốc Hương. He quickly exploited that situation to established communication with his colleagues to prepare for counter-measures. Moreover, Huế leader Ngô Đình Cẩn allowed Catholic prisoners to attend Sunday church rituals. Vũ Ngọc Nhạ used that chance to make contact with Ngô Đình Cẩn and the Catholic clergy, including Bishop Lê. Knowing Vũ Ngọc Nhạ's relationship with Lê Hữu Từ and Hoàng Quỳnh, both sides decided to accept Nhạ's role as intermediary envoy. Moreover, during the imprisonment, Vũ Ngọc Nhạ's essay "The dangers threaten our [South Vietnam] regime" attracted the interest of Ngô family. Nhạ intentionally stated that he consulted the ideas of bishop Lê and other Catholic figures, tacitly implied his relationship with the people that Ngô family had to reconcile with. Furthermore, Nhạ's correct prediction of the 1960 South Vietnamese coup attempt increased his prestige in the eyes of Ngô brothers. Thanks to careful preparation and the assistance of Hoàng Quỳnh, Vũ Ngọc Nhạ was cleared of all charges but was still unofficially imprisoned until 1961.

Vũ Ngọc Nhạ was amongst many North Vietnamese intelligence agents sent to South Vietnam for intelligence activities after the 1954 Geneva Accords, under the cover of a devout Catholic adherent who were upset with Viet Minh's "discrimination" against his family and religion and them "defected" to participate in Self-Defence Militia of Phát Diệm, which were under the leadership of anti-communist Bishop Lê Hữu Từ and priest Hoàng Quỳnh. He went to the South together with the Catholic migrants in 1955, using a new identity Vũ Đình Long. The data presented in his resume were mostly the truth, including the fact that he joined the Communist Party. The only false information was "upset" with Viet Minh and his real reason for "defection".

Nhạ quickly made use of his position to build a huge espionage network inside the Saigon government named A.22, nominally led by Nguyễn Văn Lê (Tư Lê) and Nhạ himself was the deputy leader, directly supervised the network. Notable members of A.22 included Nguyễn Xuân Hoè, Vũ Hữu Ruật, Huỳnh Văn Trọng, Lê Hữu Thuý, Nguyễn Xuân Đồng... A member of A.22 network, Huỳnh Văn Trọng (a former South Vietnam Minister during the 1950s) managed to become the President's Assistant, once led a Saigon delegation to America and made use of such chances to perform his espionage activities.

Vũ Ngọc Nhạ participated in Viet Minh's resistance war against French invasion of Vietnam in 1946. After the Battle of Hà Nội, he retreated to Thái Bình and took part in Viet Minh's PR missions at the Catholic population in Thái Bình. He was appointed as Secretary of Party's Committee and then Party's Town Committee Member of Thái Bình in 1951, to revitalize Viet Minh's forces under intense French military activities in that area. Nhạ participated in a successful attack against a French prison facility, released thousands of prisoners there. In 1952, Vũ Ngọc Nhạ (under the alias Vũ Ngọc Kép), as a representative of Thái Bình province, participated at the "Conference of Guerilla Warfare in North Vietnam", held at Việt Bắc. During that conference, president Hồ Chí Minh gave Vũ Ngọc Nhạ the task of gathering information and data of United States plans and intentions in Vietnam. In 1953, via the recommendation of Đỗ Mười, Vũ Ngọc Nhạ was recruited by Trần Quốc Hương as a trainer for intelligence agents working inside the Catholic population.

Pièrre Vũ Ngọc Nhạ (1928-2002) is an intelligence officer of the People's Army of Vietnam. He carried out espionage activities during the Vietnam War under the cover of a high-rank officer of many South Vietnam governments. He was the core member of the A.22 espionage group during the late 1960s before his arrest by CIA in 1969.

Vũ Ngọc Nhạ was born as Vũ Xuân Nhã on March 30, 1928, at his paternal homeland in Vũ Hội, district Vũ Thư, Thái Bình province, however he spent much of his childhood in the maternal homeland of the Phát Diệm Parish in Ninh Bình. At the age of 15, Vũ Ngọc Nhạ went to Huế to attend the Thuận Hoá Highschool. He then made contacts with Việt Minh and was joined the Communist Party of Vietnam on June 20, 1947.