 Kiem was born in Hanoi, and by the age of 13 was a scout for the Viet Minh, fighting for Vietnam's independence from French colonial rule.Following the end of the First Indochina War, Kiem was sent to France to be trained at the "École Navale" in Brest.Kiem was the commander of the submarine chaser "Van Don" (HQ-06) during the 1963 coup.