Trần Hanh, realname is Trần Huy Hanh, was born in 1932 to a poor family in Lộc Vượng commune, Mỹ Lộc, Nam Định. He began to participate in Youth Union in December 1946 and the revolutionary movement in April 1947.
Career
Trần Hanh joined the Vietnam People's Army in September 1949 and became a student of the Lê Lợi School for Officers and later Nguyễn Huệ School in December 1950. In his early career, Trần Hanh often served as political commissar of various military units, he was appointed political commissar of the 23rd Company of 680th Battalion, 48th Regiment, 320th Division in February 1954 and afterwards deputy political commissar of the 680th Battalion in June 1954. In September 1956, Trần Hanh was chosen to study to fly the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 in a school of People's Liberation Army Air Force in China. After four years studying, Trần Hanh became commander of the newly found 2nd Company of the Vietnam People's Air Force. In August 1964, Trần Hanh was appointed commander of the 1st Company, 921st Regiment of the Vietnam People's Air Force. On April 4, 1965, Trần Hanh shot down the F-105D No. 59-1754 of the 355th Fighter Wing near Ham Rong Bridge. Later this year, Trần Hanh participated in the formation of 4 MIG-17s that shot down a US helicopter over Hòa Bình in November. Trần Hanh was promoted to deputy commander in May 1965 and commander of this regiment in October 1969. In March 1972, he became the Deputy Commander of the Vietnam People's Air Force, or the 371st Division at that time, two years later Trần Hanh held the position of Commander of the 371st Division. After the war, Trần Hanh was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the Vietnam People's Air Force in August 1976. In January 1977 Trần Hanh was sent by the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam to be the Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union for a short time before returned to the Air Force as Deputy Commander in June 1977. Trần Hanh became the Commander of the Air Force in March 1986 and Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army from April 1989 to October 1996. From November 1996 to December 1999 Trần Hanh was appointed to the position of Deputy Minister of Defence of Vietnam before retired in 2000. He was also deputy of the National Assembly of Vietnam and member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam. After retired, Trần Hanh was elected to the General Secretary of the Vietnam War Veterans Association.
