Mrs. Yorani Heu
Nurse During the Secret War
Oakdale, MN
File No.: 06/50
Feb. 2024

Yorani Heu (“Youa Her”) was the youngest daughter in her family. As a teen, she attended school and helped her parents with farming. As the Secret War raged on, there was a demand for nurses to treat the wounded soldiers at medical hub Sam Thong, near the CIA airbase Long Cheng in Military Region 2. In 1971, she enrolled in the nursing program and was sent to Vang Vieng, Laos, to advance her education and training. When she returned to the new medical center at Na Su, she began working in treating those at the hospital there. In May 1975, the communists took over Laos. She sensed danger because she had worked for the Americans during the war. Within months, she left Laos for Thailand. At the refugee camp Nong Khai in Thailand, many families sought Heu to help treat their sick family members, including women in labor. In 1976, she made the journey to America to start her life over. ∆

*** Video has been edited and modified, which the correspondence from the video may different from the transcription. Please review the transcription as needed to reflect video flow. English transcription for this interview is available upon request.