The Seventh Division was based in My Tho, and due to the division's close proximity to the capital Saigon was a key factor in the success or failure of the various coup attempts in the nation's history. As a result, the loyalty of the commanding officer of the division was crucial in maintaining power. In the coup attempt of 1960, the loyalist General Huynh Van Cao used the Seventh Division, commanded by Tran Thien Khiem to storm into Saigon to save President Ngo Dinh Diem.