Vang Pao

Vang Pao
source
Name	Vang Pao
Birth date	December 8, 1929
Death date	January 6, 2011
Birth place	Nong Het, French Indochina
Death place	Clovis, California, U.S.
Allegiance	Kingdom of Laos, Hmong
Serviceyears	1950s–1975
Rank	Major general
Battles	First Indochina War, Laotian Civil War, Vietnam War
Laterwork	Community leader

Vang Pao was a prominent Hmong military leader and political figure who played a central role in the Laotian Civil War as a key ally of the United States and the Royal Lao Government. Rising from a local militia commander to a Major general in the Royal Lao Army, he led a large, U.S.-backed irregular force of Hmong and other ethnic minorities in a covert campaign against Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese Army forces. Following the communist victory in 1975, he became a major leader and symbolic figure for the Hmong American diaspora, though his later years were marked by significant legal controversies.

Early life and military career

Born in the village of Nong Het in Xieng Khouang Province, he was the son of a local Hmong clan leader. He received a basic education at a French-run school in Vientiane before beginning his military service with the French Union forces during the First Indochina War. His leadership skills and familiarity with the strategic Plain of Jars region were quickly recognized, leading to his commission as an officer in the newly independent Royal Lao Army in the early 1950s. During this period, he forged critical relationships with key CIA operatives, including James William Lair and Anthony Poshepny, who were organizing anti-communist resistance.

Role in the Laotian Civil War

As commander of Military Region 2 in northern Laos, he organized and led the Secret Army, a guerrilla force largely composed of Hmong tribesmen, which became the primary indigenous component of the CIA's covert war in Laos, known as the Secret War. His forces, supported by Air America and Royal Thai Army volunteers, conducted critical operations, including intelligence gathering, rescuing downed U.S. pilots, and interdicting traffic along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Major campaigns, such as the defense of Site 85 and the Battle of Lima Site 85, underscored the strategic importance of his units, though they suffered heavy casualties against the better-equipped People's Army of Vietnam.

Leadership of the Hmong American community

After the fall of Vientiane to the Pathet Lao in 1975, he was evacuated by the CIA to Thailand and subsequently resettled in the United States, first in Montana and later in California. In exile, he became the de facto political and spiritual leader for tens of thousands of Hmong refugees who resettled across the country, particularly in states like California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. He founded several influential organizations, including Lao Family Community, and was a pivotal figure in preserving Hmong cultural identity, mediating internal disputes, and advocating for refugees left in Ban Vinai and other camps in Thailand.

Legal issues and controversies

In June 2007, he and several associates were arrested following a federal investigation led by the ATF and charged with conspiracy to overthrow the government of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in violation of the Neutrality Acts. The alleged plot involved the purchase of weapons, including AK-47 rifles and Stinger missiles, to foment a rebellion. The case sparked significant protest and fundraising within the Hmong American community. In September 2009, all charges were abruptly dismissed by a federal judge, who cited "serious irregularities" in the government's investigation and prosecutorial misconduct.

Later life and death

Following the dismissal of the charges, he returned to his home in Clovis, California, where his health continued to decline. He remained a revered but polarizing patriarch within the global Hmong community until his death from pneumonia at Clovis Community Medical Center in January 2011. His funeral in Fresno, California, spanned six days and attracted over 20,000 mourners from across the world, including prominent political figures and former Green Berets, highlighting his enduring legacy. He was initially buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California, but his remains were later moved to a private cemetery.

Category:Hmong military personnel Category:Royal Lao Army generals Category:American people of Laotian descent Category:2007 in American law Category:Secret War (Laos)