Family biography:

In April of 1961, I was recruited to serve in the Royal Lao Army as a 12-year-old boy. I was enlisted in Battalion Volunteer (BV) 23 in Military Region 2. My role was to support the United States foreign policies, which were to protect the country of Laos against the invasion of the Communist North Vietnamese Army, to fight for our freedom and democracy for the Southeast Asian nations.

On a foggy morning in my fourth month of military duties in the village of Padong, a fellow comrade named Zeb and I went scouting for enemy movement. Nearby, we came upon an American helicopter that had crashed into the trees near the runway of the village. I ran back along the rugged trail from the crash to seek help at the camp and gathered more soldiers to rescue the kicker, the pilots, and their passengers. That was my first incident of helping Americans in Laos.  

From 1961-1965, I was assigned to provide security for General Vang Pao in his office and residences in Long Tieng and Vientiane. In February of 1966, I was sent to Thailand to begin my leadership training. In 1967, I was sent to serve as the scouting team leader in Lima Site 12A in the Naley village to watch for enemy movement and activity on Route 13, located in Luang Namtha Province, Laos. In 1968, I was transferred to serve as military commander in Lima Site 212 in the village of Na Hai Luang. My duty there was to educate the Communist-leaning villagers and help them understand democratic ideologies. The villagers in that area reverted to the friendly side and the Communist Thai people in Sayaboury Province turned to democracy. 

In 1970, I was recommended by my superior and was therefore transferred to military officer training in Thailand. There I was promoted to the rank of Captain. After completing the military officer training, I was assigned to be the commander of Company 205, GM 23. We were under the command of General Vang Pao in Long Tieng until May 14, 1975, which was the day we were forced to flee Laos.

As Laos was being overrun by the Communists, General Vang Pao reiterated to me that he cannot allow the country of Laos to fall into the hands of the enemy. Therefore, from January 1975 to April 1975, he called all of his military commanders from the frontlines to return to Long Tieng. General Vang Pao held meetings to strategize whether to continue fighting or to flee the country as recommended by the CIA. The meetings discussed the method of slowly transferring his troops and all fellow Hmong people to the province of Xieng Lome. The purpose in doing so was to have everyone come together in order to have enough strength to fight the Communists once more. However, the CIA did not agree with the General’s plan. In the end, in order to save as many loyal soldiers as he could, General Vang Pao asked the CIA to transport approximately 2,500 of his military leaders, civilian officials, and their family members to Thailand for safety, and potentially for their journeys to America. 

The CIA had instructed General Vang Pao to evacuate Long Tieng on May 12, 1975, but it was an action he could not do.That evening the General and I met in Mrs. May’s room, one of the General’s wives, where he revealed to me his own evacuation plan. He said to me, “Brother Vang Nou, the country has fallen. You along with the rest of your soldiers must stay and fight until the very end. You will leave with me the day I leave. As for your soldiers, we will send 4 airplanes to get them in the village of Phue Kar.”

The CIA then scheduled to evacuate General Vang Pao on May 13th. However, he was not able to leave yet. A transmission the CIA received in Vientiane stated that the Communist Pathet Lao would reach Long Tieng by the end of the day. It was also known that there were traitors among us who wanted to kill the General during that very critical time. We had to be careful at all times. 

General Vang Pao said to me, “Vang Nou, at this moment, we don’t have other military personnel nearby anywhere except the bodyguards that we have in hand. Now, we are facing life or death. Tell your fellow bodyguards that they must fight to the last man to stop any Communist Lao from entering Long Tieng village.”

I told my soldiers, “At this time, whether we live or die, let this be our story. Our history is to fight to protect General Vang Pao until the end!”

On May 14, 1975 at 4:30 a.m., two days after the CIA’s instruction to evacuate, General Vang Pao spoke to me that the time to leave had arrived. He instructed me to bring my military vehicle and park it in front of the steps of the house, and then get him from his office. We then headed to Jerry Daniels’ office at the CIA Headquarters compound. At approximately 8:30 a.m., I led the General on foot south for about 200 yards to where I had previously instructed his son Chu, Lt. Vang Neng, and Amounesak (a Thai soldier who worked for the CIA) to have a car waiting. We then drove about 4 miles to the fish pond on the south side where Jerry had already prepared a helicopter for the General and was just waiting for our signal. 

Once we reached the pond, we threw out yellow smoke grenades to signal the helicopter. As the smoke billowed into the air, a small helicopter landed nearby for General Vang Pao. The General, his son Chue, and Amounesak flew out to the village of Phue Kar. Lt. Vang Neng and I drove back to Long Tieng Airport to inform Jerry and Vang Nhia, the General’s interpreter, that General Vang Pao had gotten on the helicopter and departed safely. 

Vang Nhia, Jerry and the rest of us boarded the Porter airplane and flew out of Long Tieng to Phue Kar to accompany General Vang Pao’s helicopter to Mouang Cha village. When we arrived there, General Vang Pao got out of his helicopter and flew with us to Thailand on the Porter. 

In 1981, my family and I came to America to start our new lives. I was not familiar with America at all. However, I assumed that life in America would not be as difficult compared to my military life.