Lt. Thao Ma
SGU Veteran
St. Paul, MN
File No.: 46/50
August 2024

Ma Thao was born in Xieng Khouangville, Laos in 1953. He was privileged to receive an elementary education. During the Secret War, he was recruited as a SGU soldier and spent his early years at the frontline. In one of the battles, his battalion was under attack; and a company, primarily made of Yao ethnic members, suffered 59 casualties. When the enemy retreated, Ma was ordered to retrieve and bag the dead bodies. In another battle, he was also shot at by the North Vietnamese Army, wounding him on his right thigh during the fight, which left him traumatized. He requested to be assigned to a civilian role and he worked as a secretary for his uncle in Long Cheng for the remainder of the war years. He and his family exited Laos in May 1975 into Thailand after the communist Lao regime conquered the country. In 1976, he immigrated to Texas. Feeling nostalgic for his homeland, he returned to live in Thailand. He and his family eventually came back to the US, resettling in Minnesota for more economic opportunities for his children. ∆

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