Xia Ying Her was born in 1953 in Pha Khao, Laos. He was recruited in the Secret War by his uncle in 1965 and was in military training for 6 months. From 1966-1971, Her was mostly in combat defending his country against the North Vietnamese Army in Northern Laos. He was awarded a medal for bravery for taking out an enemy before launching an attack near Long Cheng. Before the ceasefire, Her enlisted to become a bomber pilot. The program was shut down as the war was entering its final stage with the U.S. defunding its military efforts in the Vietnam War. In May of 1975, Her and his family escaped and sought refuge in Thailand. They stayed in Thailand for a year. In summer of 1976 they immigrated to St. Paul, Minnesota. Her and his family were among the very first Hmong refugees to settle in the state.