Linh D Dang

Dang Dinh Linh was born on April 29, 1929 with charisma to spare in the village of Hà Đông in the District of Hanoi, Việt Nam. Affectionately known as the General, he spent 91 wonderful years on three continents and was beloved by many until his passing on December 9, 2020.

Brigadier General Dang was that rarest of Generals, one who never forgot the ordinary, even though his role in his nation’s history and the world at large was extraordinary. He loved to laugh, loved to tease, loved to dance, loved a glass of wine, his wife, and their six daughters, who also adored him. An avid learner, he spent childhood summers picking up Mandarin Chinese in his father’s house. Eventually, he pursued aeronautical engineering at the prestigious École de l’air in Salon de Provence, a military school and grande école that trains line officers in the French Air Force and today’s astronauts. After returning to Vietnam, he continued with law studies, and joined the Republic of Vietnam Air Force—Không lực Việt Nam Cộng hòa—where the General received his star in 1970.

A global logistics liaison with the U.S. military during the war years, he emigrated with his family to America in 1975—starting with a military transport to a waiting aircraft carrier and completing the journey with them in Garland, Texas, where he lived until his passing. He raised exceptional children—brilliant, focused, loving—who raised ten gifted children, themselves, all living alongside him in the North Texas area. And each and every one of them devoted to their mischievous grandpa who loved to play pranks on them and their moms.

As President of the Air Force Association for the Dallas/Fort Worth region (Hội Ái Hữu Không Quân), he spoke powerfully in the postwar years across the United States, while also earning renown as a charming, funny, insightful, inspiring banquet speaker. He was honored repeatedly, and proudly took part in the creation of the landmark Vietnam War Memorial in Arlington, Texas—which, unlike nearly all Vietnam-era war memorials in Texas, honors brave members of the South Vietnamese military. Many of these ex-military families emigrated with him, and he enjoyed a lifelong bond filled with weekend mah jongg and parties. Every friendship he made was always precious to him.

In his last decade of life, he was able to explore deeply and joyfully his boyhood village and beloved country of Vietnam via the internet and Vietnamese broadcasts. He was never so happy as showing YouTube videos of his “hometown,” as he called Hanoi. He was also able to reunite joyfully with his sister and brother as well many extended family that he knew and cherished back home.

General Dang served with distinction, he loved and was loved by his officers, men, colleagues, peers, friends, family—everybody who ever knew him. He will be missed.

Visitation will be held on December 12, 2020 at 2:00-4:00 pm at Sparkman Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 1029 South Greenville Ave, Richardson, TX. Because of COVID concerns, or if you cannot attend in person, please feel free to join the livestream of General Dang’s visitation.

Cremation will be held at Ted Dickey West Crematory 7990 President George Bush, Dallas, TX 75252, on Thursday December 17, 2020 at 10:00 am.