In 1947 he graduated from the French program at Quoc Hoc Khai Dinh Hue High School with a full Baccalaureate degree (Part II).

At this time, he, along with Colonel Linh Quang Viên, were observers of the Southeast Asian Inter-Defense Navy exercise on the aircraft carrier Enterprise for 15 days from Singapore to Subic Bay Philippines.

In August 1959, he was appointed as Navy Commander, replacing Major Trần Văn Chơn, who was sent to study at the Naval War College in the United States.

On 3 January 1963, he was appointed as Commander of the operation "Waves of love", to pacify and secure the people in Nam Can, Ca Mau.

These two officers were ordered by the generals leading the coup to remove him from the position of Commander of the Navy, so they tricked him into going to Thủ Đức and killed him in the rubber forest.

Immediately after, the Revolutionary Military Council, chaired by General Dương Văn Minh, appointed Colonel Chung Tấn Cang to the position of Commander of the Navy.