 Tung was born in 1923 in central Vietnam , which was then the protectorate of Annam in French Indochina . The former servant of the Ngô family was devoutly Roman Catholic , short and bespectacled . Tung had a military background almost entirely in security and counterespionage , which was an unusual basis for leading the special forces . Tung had first served the French as a security officer in Central Vietnam . He then worked for Diệm as a lieutenant in the military security service in Central Vietnam . As a high @-@ ranking official in Nhu 's Cần Lao , the secret Catholic political apparatus which maintained the Ngô family 's grip on power , Tung raised party funds by extorting money from wealthy businessmen . Tung was primarily known among colleagues for his unwavering loyalty to Diệm . In 1960 , he was promoted straight to the rank of colonel and placed in charge of the special forces . The Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ) regarded Tung as the third most powerful man in South Vietnam behind Diệm and Nhu , thereby ranking him as South Vietnam 's most powerful military officer . 
