The Special Guerrilla Units (SGU) Veterans and Families of USA was established in 2004 in Minnesota by Hmong veterans of the Secret War as a nonprofit organization. The organization’s mission is to serve and provide social and emotional support to veterans, widows, and their families. SGU also continues to advocate with state and federal leaders to pass legislation that would expand access to VA benefits for its veterans.

From 1961 to 1975, Hmong SGU veterans played a crucial role in supporting U.S. military efforts in Laos during the Vietnam War era. Recruited, financed, and supported by the Central Intelligence Agency where they were formed into a secret army known as the SGU and carried out critical paramilitary operations in support of the United States’ objectives in Laos. Approximately 35,000 SGU soldiers lost their lives while assisting the United States.

Following the end of the Secret War, many SGU veterans and their families made perilous journeys to the United States as war-torn refugees from Southeast Asia. Since then, these veterans have continued to stand proudly in service to this great nation—the United States of America.