Former president of South Vietnam, Nguyen Van Thieu, dead at 78

<br>BOSTON (AP) _ Former South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu, who led his nation in the war that shattered Vietnam and severely divided the United States, has died. He was 78. <br><br>Thieu collapsed

Sunday, September 30th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

BOSTON (AP) _ Former South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu, who led his nation in the war that shattered Vietnam and severely divided the United States, has died. He was 78.

Thieu collapsed at his home in Foxboro on Thursday, and died late Saturday at a Boston hospital, according to his cousin, Hoang Duc Nha.

Thieu assumed power in 1965 and presided over the U.S.-backed South Vietnam until the fall of its capital city, Saigon, in 1975, to Communist-led troops from North Vietnam.