Minnesota Advances Recognition for Secret War Veterans
Minnesota lawmakers are working to provide official recognition to Hmong and other indigenous veterans who served in the Secret War in Laos from 1961 to 1975, according to discussions surrounding House File 1845.
The legislation would recognize veterans who served in CIA-recruited guerrilla units during the conflict, which operated under restrictions imposed by the Geneva Accords that prevented American troops from being stationed in Laos. The secret units were tasked with protecting the Ho Chi Minh Trail supply route and American radar sites during the Vietnam War era.
Veterans who testified described dangerous missions and the subsequent persecution they faced when the Pathet Lao took control, forcing many to seek refuge in Thailand. Many Hmong families later resettled in the United States, including Minnesota, but the veterans' service remained largely unrecognized.
House File 1845 would provide benefits including grave markers, honor guard services for burials, and fee-free driver's license renewals with veteran identification. The legislation also would allow veterans to receive recognition such as free meals on Veterans Day.
Advocates emphasized that while the benefits may seem modest, they represent important steps toward restoring dignity and honor to veterans whose service was previously unacknowledged by official channels.
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Full analysis
This meeting focused on Minnesota's legislative efforts to recognize Hmong veterans who served in the Secret War in Laos from 1961-1975. The discussion covered the historical context of the CIA-recruited guerrilla units, personal testimonies from veterans, and House File 1845 which would provide official recognition and benefits to these previously unrecognized veterans.
Source document
[0:00] So he said then
why don't you go be a pilot?
[0:03] You speak English,
you are pretty good height.
[0:07] So you're qualified to go
be a pilot.
[0:10] So I ask,
I say, when they need a pilot?
[0:14] In three days.
[0:16] The time my heart drop.
[0:19] I say shoot, one step closer
[0:21] to war.
[0:25] To understand
the secret war of Laos,
[0:26] you have to understand
the Geneva Accords
[0:29] and how the peace
treaties affected countries
[0:31] like Laos and Thailand
from interfering
[0:33] in a southeastern war
called the Vietnam War.
[0:36] This means that American troops
couldn’t be in Laos.
[0:39] It means that the CIA
had to recruit local natives
[0:42] to fight a war to defend the Ho
Chi Minh Trail,
[0:46] a supply route
[0:46] that came from North Vietnam
that went into Laos
[0:49] and then went into
South Vietnam.
[0:52] So the objective of the, you
know, secret guerrilla units,
[0:55] where one is to protect the
Ho Chi Minh Trail and two,
[0:58] to protect radar sites
set up by Americans.
[1:02] The goal of Hmong
[1:03] SGU’s at the time
was to protect American lives.
[1:10] I do it for the country.
[1:11] Do it for America.
[1:13] You know that
the Raven actually,
[1:16] it's the most dangerous job
because,
[1:21] every time we looking for
target, we are there first.
[1:25] If they have an
anti-aircraft gun,
[1:27] they are goiong to open on us
first.
[1:30] My primary responsibility
is to talk to ground troops.
[1:35] And then I talk to the pilot
and have him
[1:39] call out the air strike.
[1:43] What we are looking for is Viet
Cong.
[1:46] And suddenly, only two of us.
[1:49] Suddenly you see the flashing
come across the front.
[1:54] He dived.
[1:54] I know that he dived left.
[1:56] I dive right.
[1:58] You will be so scared that...I’m
a Christian
[2:04] and I say
God that was a close one.
[2:09] Please protect me.
[2:22] So when
the Pathet Lao took over,
[2:25] I knew
that time is coming to move.
[2:28] Because Hmong had sided
with the Americans.
[2:31] They had to seek refuge
in Thailand.
[2:34] And if they didn't,
they were executed.
[2:37] We carry the scar of the war.
[2:43] We also carry the burden
that being forgotten.
[2:47] Because what we did was we
[2:51] fight for America.
[2:52] We fight for America.
[2:54] And, not recognizing us as
[2:59] the soldier is something
we are very disappointed.
[3:03] My father served
the secret war in Laos from 1961
[3:06] to 75, in the secret
guerrilla unit.
[3:10] As you know it's a secret war.
[3:11] And, a lot of young
Hmong Americans like myself
[3:14] didn't
believe that war even existed
[3:16] because we didn't
learn about in schools.
[3:19] And so when I found out
that the participation of Hmong
[3:24] veterans were indeed validated
through their service.
[3:29] And then I realized
that I had to do something.
[3:33] I had to recognize them
[3:34] or give them recognition
or advocate for them.
[3:36] This bill includes
a long overdue
[3:39] recognition of veterans
of the Secret War in Laos.
[3:47] House file 1845
[3:49] is about giving recognition
[3:50] to not only Hmong,
but Laos and other indigenous
[3:54] groups that were involved
in the Secret War of Laos.
[3:57] Grave markers, grave site,
honor guard for burial,
[4:02] and also allow them
[4:03] to renew their driver's license
without a fee and something
[4:06] as simple as having a veteran's
ID on their driver's license.
[4:11] They can get a free meal
on Veterans Day at a buffet.
[4:14] These things are very,
very little,
[4:16] but they're so instrumental
in restoring their dignity,
[4:19] their honor,
and recognizing them,
[4:21] you know, for the
the sacrifices they've made.
[4:25] Can you imagine a refugee
[4:28] like myself coming to America
[4:31] now, a lawmaker
in the state of Minnesota,
[4:34] passing legislation
to impact communities
[4:37] to protect Minnesotans.
[4:38] I mean, if that
[4:39] is not the land of opportunity
or the state of opportunity.
[4:43] I don't know what is.
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