[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 51 (Friday, March 20, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E248]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN MEMORY OF COLONEL PHAN VAN HUXN

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. DEREK TRAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 20, 2026

  Mr. TRAN. Mr. Speaker, it is with solemn remembrance that I rise 
today to pay tribute to a renowned commander, distinguished veteran, 
and principled hero, Colonel Phan Van HuMn of the Army of the Republic 
of Vietnam. Colonel HuMn, a fixture in the Orange County Vietnamese 
American community, passed away on March 10, 2026, in Santa Ana, 
California at the age of 96.
  Colonel Phan Van HuMn was born in 1930 in Thura Thien, HuI, Vietnam. 
On October 1, 1953, following a national mobilization order, he 
enlisted in the military and attended Class 10 at the Vietnam National 
Military Academy in Da LAt. Following his graduation, he quickly 
established himself as a capable leader, eventually becoming commander 
of the 81st Airborne Ranger Group (Lien Doan 81 Bist Kich Nhay Du). The 
81st Airborne Ranger Group was one of the Republic of Vietnam's elite 
special operations formations, and specialized in small-team airborne 
insertions, reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and deep-
penetration missions behind enemy lines.
  During Colonel HuMn's time as commander, the 81st Airborne Ranger 
Group earned a reputation as one of the most effective fighting units 
of the South Vietnamese military. The unit played important roles in 
several major campaigns, including the 1968 Tet Offensive, and at both 
An Lrc and QuVng TrG during the North Vietnam's 1972 Easter Offensive. 
Colonel HuMn's courageous leadership at the siege of An Lrc earned him 
a promotion to the distinguished rank of Colonel.
  Colonel HuMn was widely respected as an honest and principled officer 
who simultaneously placed great importance on discipline while caring 
deeply about the welfare of his soldiers. He was known for paying close 
attention to his soldiers' living conditions, morale, and recovery 
after combat operations, and it was his dedication that allowed the 
81st Airborne Ranger Group to become known as a highly capable and 
battle-hardened unit.
  In 1975, when President DUTng Van Minh ordered the South Vietnamese 
Armed Forces to surrender, Colonel HuMn remained with his soldiers and 
was imprisoned for 13 years in hard-labor reeducation camps in Northern 
Vietnam. In 1988, he was released from prison in poor health due to the 
harsh conditions of imprisonment and lingering wounds from his military 
service. For the next four years, Colonel HuMn and his family lived in 
hardship in Ap TMn Thai STn near TMn Phu, TMn Binh District, before 
resettling in the United States under the Humanitarian Operation 
program in 1992.
  Colonel Phan Van HuMn is survived by his wife, Le Thi Thanh Nguyet, 
and their children, Dinh Van Phan, Andy Loc Phan, Son Van Phan, My Van 
Phan, Kevin Phan, Mimi Phan, Ann Phan, and Kristin Thuy Phan. Colonel 
HuMn's life remains a testament to dedication, sacrifice, and 
leadership in the service of his country. He will be dearly missed by 
his friends and family, and his legacy and service will continue to 
live on in the minds of everyone who has met him.

                          ____________________