P. Mike Rattanasengchanh
Purpose
The purpose of the project was an attempt to answer several questions about the United States involvement with the Hmong people during the Vietnam War in Laos.
Main Questions
There were more questions asked during the interviews.
1. What did the U.S. promise the Hmong people if they fought the Laotian and Vietnamese communists?
2. Did the Hmong feel the promise(s) were kept?
3. How did some of the Hmong feel about fighting for the U.S.?
4. What were some of the side-effects from the Vietnam War?
Procedures
The genesis of the research project began while serving as a missionary among the Laotian and Hmong people in central California in 2002-2004. My time as a missionary brought about unanswered questions (see above). Then in the winter semester of 2009 while taking a U.S. Foreign Relations history course I decided to research U.S.’s involvement with the Hmong during the Vietnam War. From my initial research I came to the conclusion that the United States had promised some very specific things such as land. However, with the limited sources I had found at BYU, I decided to pursue further research by applying for the ORCA grant.
My approach was to challenge the sources that I had found at BYU by going to do research in St. Paul, Minnesota which has one of the highest concentrations of Hmong immigrants in America. I began working through a Hmong interpreter to set up interviews with former Hmong military personnel. Along, with setting up interviews with Hmong military soldiers I coordinated with the Marlin Heise, head of the Hmong Archives, to find primary and secondary sources to expedite my research.
Interviewees
1. Vang Xang – former soldier in the Royal Laotian Army and secretary at the Special Guerrilla Units Veterans Office
2. Xai Paw Vang – former soldier in the Royal Laotian Army and President of the Special Guerrilla Units Veterans Office
3. Long Yang – child during the Vietnam War, Hmong community leader
4. Yuepheng Xiong – child during the Vietnam War, community leader and owner of Hmong ABC store
5. Marlin Heise – Head Archivist at the Hmong Archives in St. Paul, Minnesota
6. Blong Yang – Hmong student during the time of the Vietnam War, currently a school counselor
7. Neal Thao – child during the Vietnam War, school counselor
8. Dr. Yang Dao – Hmong student during the Vietnam War, 1972-1974 was the head of the Office of Human Resources in the Ministry of Planning of the Royal Lao Government, 1974 became a member of the National Political Consultative Council (42 member advisory body to the Provisional Government of National Union), Emeritus Professor of Hamline and Metropolitan State Universities in St. Paul, Minnesota
9. Tougeu Lee Palao – former Hmong soldier in the Royal Laotian Army
10. Vang Chou – Colonel in the Royal Laotian Army, one of Major General Vang Pao’s (highest ranking Hmong army official in the Royal Laotian Army) closes army commanders
*** These interviews were supplemented by additional interviews conducted by other scholars and other secondary sources found at the Hmong Archives in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Findings
Laos was embroiled in a civil war in 1960 between the Royal Laotian Government and the Communist Pathet Lao. To keep the communists from spreading further into Laos America, under the Central Intelligence Agency, recruited the indigenous Hmong tribe. The United States promised guns, money and food. There was no exit strategy for the Hmong people so if the U.S. had to pull out of Laos, the Hmong would be left to themselves. However, this agreement was never written on paper. The Hmong were duped into fighting for a country where the majority of Laotians considered them inferior. Between 1961 and 1975 thousands of Hmong soldiers would lose their lives while thousands of others were relocated into small mountainous enclaves. Hmong way of life was disrupted and they became totally dependent on American aid. Some believed that rice came from the air. As the Vietnam War was winding down aid from the United States and the Laotian government was cut leaving the Hmong alone to defend themselves from the Pathet Lao communists and North Vietnamese Army. In fear of revenge from the communists, thousands fled into Thailand, America and several other western countries.
However, there is a split in the Hmong community. Many of the sentiments mentioned above were expressed by non-combatants and lower level soldiers. These negative feelings were found in the process of my interviews and research in other primary sources. Most of the politicians and upper-lever military commanders felt the United States kept its promises. With more analysis, I noticed that many politicians and military leaders had been air lifted before the communists took over Laos. Also, there time in the refugee camps were brief (less than six to eight months) and then they were relocated to America or France with little complications. Approximately 2500 Hmong were airlifted of Laos out while thousands were left to find their own way back. The military officers and politicians did not have to escape from Laos on foot fearing reprise from Laotian and Vietnamese communists. They did not have to endure harsh conditions in the refugee camps nor stay for an indefinite period of time as thousands of other Hmong did.
Conclusion
America’s secret in Laos devastated the Hmong people as they were recruited to fight for a winless war which brought thousands of deaths, dependence on American aid and the eventual expulsion from their home land, Laos.