Long Tieng

Long Tieng. It was a clandestine military installation and the principal headquarters for Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operations in northern Laos during the Laotian Civil War and the Vietnam War. Often described as the largest secret city in the world, this remote base served as the central hub for the Hmong Armée Clandestine under General Vang Pao and was a critical node in the Studies and Observations Group (SOG) covert campaign known as the Secret War. Its strategic location in the Xiangkhouang Province allowed it to function as a major airbase, logistics center, and staging ground for operations against Pathet Lao and People's Army of Vietnam forces along the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

History

The site was originally a small Hmong village before being transformed into a military outpost in the early 1960s following the escalation of the Laotian Civil War. Its development accelerated after the signing of the 1962 Geneva Accords, which officially declared Laos neutral but failed to halt the fighting, prompting the Central Intelligence Agency to expand its covert support for anti-communist forces. Under the direction of the CIA's James William Lair and later Theodore Shackley, the base grew rapidly to support General Vang Pao's Armée Clandestine. Key events included its role as the launch point for the pivotal Battle of Lima Site 85 and as a refuge during the communist offensive of 1975 that ended the war.

Geography and climate

Located in a secluded valley within the Annamite Range in Xiangkhouang Province, the base was surrounded by steep, jungle-covered karst mountains, notably the distinctive Phou Pha Thi massif to the northeast. This topography provided natural concealment and a defensive perimeter but also limited approaches for aircraft. The climate is characterized by a tropical monsoon pattern, with a pronounced rainy season from May to October that often turned the valley floor into mud, complicating air operations at the unpaved airstrip. The rugged terrain and dense foliage of the surrounding Xiangkhouang Plateau made overland travel difficult, reinforcing the base's reliance on Air America and Royal Lao Air Force for all logistics and troop movements.

Military significance

As the primary military hub for the Secret War, it housed the headquarters of General Vang Pao and the CIA's Studies and Observations Group (SOG) operations center. The extensive airbase, with its notoriously short and hazardous runway, was vital for launching close air support, reconnaissance, and psychological operations missions across northern Laos and into North Vietnam. It served as the main logistics and training center for the Hmong army and was a key site for directing interdiction campaigns against the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The base's strategic value was underscored by the fierce fighting to protect it, including the critical defense during the Battle of Lima Site 85 and the Battle of Skyline Ridge.

CIA involvement and Secret War

The Central Intelligence Agency was the architect and primary manager of the base, operating through front companies like Air America and Continental Air Services to supply it. CIA case officers, including James William Lair, Tony Poe, and Jerry "Hog" Daniels, coordinated directly with General Vang Pao to recruit, train, and lead the Hmong Armée Clandestine from this location. The base was the nerve center for the Studies and Observations Group's covert operations, which included Project 404, Operation Barrel Roll, and Operation Steel Tiger. This partnership made the site the most important facility in the Secret War, a massive clandestine effort funded by the United States Department of Defense and directed against Pathet Lao and People's Army of Vietnam forces.

Post-war developments

Following the communist victory in the Laotian Civil War and the 1975 Laotian coup d'état, the base was swiftly abandoned in May 1975 as General Vang Pao and thousands of Hmong refugees were evacuated in a final Air America airlift. The victorious Pathet Lao and People's Army of Vietnam forces occupied the site, which subsequently fell into disrepair. The area remains under the control of the Lao People's Army and access is heavily restricted. In the decades since, the base has become a symbol of the Hmong American diaspora, with former veterans and refugees making pilgrimages to the overgrown runway and surrounding hillsides that hold remnants of the Secret War.