Ba Cụt joined the Hòa Hảo militia when it was formed in 1943–44, and became a commander within a year. He was feared by his enemies, and was described as ""a sort of lean Rasputin"" who claimed to be immortal. According to historian and writer Bernard Fall, ""The hapless farmers who were under the rule of the maniacal Ba Cut fared worse those under other military leaders, for the latter Cụt was given to fits of incredible cruelty and had no sense of public duty."" American journalist Joseph Alsop described Ba Cụt as "war-drunk". Ba Cụt was famous for inventing a torture contraption that drilled a steel nail through the victim's ear, a device he used to extort villagers and wealthy landlords to fund his forces. He was said to have ""arranged temporary marriages between his troops and village girls"". He raised a large amount of funds for the Hòa Hảo and himself personally by charging traders and landlords high prices to stop pirates in the local area. The severed heads of the pirates were subsequently impaled on stakes and put on public display.