"The struggle for freedom in Vietnam goes on," said General Tran Van Nhut on the occasion of a Vietnam memorial's dedication in 2004. "It is a peaceful but unfinished war." Tran Van Nhut grew up with a great love for his country's history and served in the Army of South Vietnam from the Republic's inception in 1954 until its demise in 1975. In 1970, he was appointed province chief of Binh Long (Peaceful Dragon) Province and commander of its Regional, Popular, and People's Self Defense Forces. It was in that capacity that he became involved in the sixty-six-day Battle of An Loc, in 1972, which ended in a significant South Vietnamese victory.