1956年1月,從越南國軍服役到越南共和國軍隊(Quân đội Việt Nam Cộng hòa),轉入作戰單位一段時間后,他在邊和的第1戰鬥機中隊擔任小隊長,該中隊由黃有賢[註 1]上尉擔任第一任指揮官。
處決越共
在越共發動新春攻勢的次日(1968年2月1日),阮玉鸞將軍在盛怒下親自當著下屬與媒體的面前,未經移送法辦程序即在西貢街上以左輪配槍槍斃俘虜的越共游擊隊領袖阮文歛(越南语:Nguyễn Văn Lém)上尉(Nguyễn Văn Lém、真名仍存在争议);後者據傳不久前處決了包括阮玉鸞下屬 Nguyen Tuan 中校全家[3]在内34名所謂的「反革命分子」[4],但有英、美軍史學者 Max Hastings 與 Ed Moise 於2018年研究指稱阮文斂涉Nguyen Tuan家九口血案係戰後杜撰,真相至今仍不明[5]。攝影師艾迪·亚当斯捕捉到阮玉鸞扣動扳機的一刻,憑著這幀照片,亞當斯奪得1969年度的普利策獎,同時亦改變了美國人對越戰的看法[6]。
^Nguyen Ngoc Loan, 67, Dies; Executed Viet Cong Prisoner. 纽约时报. 1998-07-16 [2009-05-07]. (原始内容存档于2015-11-22). But when Brig. Gen. Nguyen Ngoc Loan raised his pistol on Feb. 1, 1968, extended his arm and fired a bullet through the head of the prisoner, who stood with his hands tied behind his back, the general did so in full view of an NBC cameraman and an Associated Press photographer.
The exact location of this event happened on the west section of "Lý Thái Tổ" street, right in the center of this satellite map (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆), and looking East as shown in the execution picture.