Senior military officer active in central Vietnam during the Franco-Vietnamese war. He was a teacher of history by profession and apparently relished his work. Cao Van Khanh was an accomplished scout during World War II and a dedicated nationalist. This served him well when he joined the Viet Minh in 1945 and enlisted in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam’s (DRV) fledgling army. Cao Van Khanh received military training in the Front Line Youth Military School (Truong Quan Su Thanh Nien Tien Tuyen) in Hue. Thanks to his scouting and military experience, he became vice chairman of the liberation army committee for Hue. Although he was very close to the ranking communist military leaders Nguyen Chi Thanh and Nguyen Chanh, Cao Van Khanh refused to join the Indochinese Communist Party, explaining that his nationalism was sufficient and that he did not want to get involved in politics. In October 1945, he served as platoon leader and led a military delegation from Binh Dinh province. Between December 1946 and November 1948, he was the military commander for Zone V (Khu V). In late 1948 he transferred to northern Vietnam and played an important role in the creation of the 308th division. Until 1954, despite not being a party member, he served as deputy divisional commander of 308th Division taking part in the battles of Cao Bang and Dien Bien Phu among others. He married Nguyen Thi Ngoc Toan days after the guns went silent. The ceremony was held on the battlefield of Dien Bien Phu itself. See also EXPERIENCE OF WAR; INTELLIGENCE SERVICE; LOVE AND WAR.