Lt. Xang X. Vang
SGU Veteran
Circle Pines, MN
File No.: 49/50
August 2024

Born in Pon Sor, Mouang Nga District, Laos, in 1954, Xang X. Vang was able to attend school at a young age. In his teens, he went to Vientiane to learn and study English. In 1971, he joined the Special Guerrilla Units to prevent his country from failing in the war.  Since he knew English, he was recruited as a Forward Air Guide (FAG). He spent the next two years in the frontline guiding air support for the troops on the ground. After the ceasefire in 1973, he returned home to Mouang Cha to help his parents with their farm life. After the US abandoned Laos in May 1975, he moved from Mouang Cha back to his old village Pon Sor. For the next 5 years, he stayed low profile to avoid being captured by the new communist regime. Yet, he knew that other villagers would spread word of him aiding the US in its fight against communist forces during the war. In 1979, he left Laos for Thailand. In April of 1980, he departed and sought refuge in the US. He and his family landed in Montana, and then relocated to Fresno, California. He worked most of his life here. In 2021, he retired to Minnesota to be with his children. ∆

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