Remembering and Honoring Hmong and Lao Vietnam War Veterans

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Updated: 9:43 AM Aug 29, 2005

Remembering and Honoring Hmong and Lao Vietnam War Veterans

More than 40,000 Hmong and Lao soldiers helped the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency fight against communist forces during the Vietnam War. Hmong veterans from all over the state gathered at Riverside Park in Wausau to remember and honor those who are still living and those who were killed.

Posted: 7:51 PM Aug 28, 2005
Reporter: Jeannie Ray

Remembering and Honoring Hmong and Lao Vietnam War Veterans

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Veteran Hmong officers and soldiers took turns learning every position from handling and escorting the casket to practicing on the firing squad to being on the color guard team.

In the Hmong community, Hmong veterans are highly respected because many younger Hmong generations feel they owe it to them for being here in the United States.

"They're serving for the U.S., so if we don't have these guys serving for the U.S during the Vietnam War, everybody won't get to this country," said Nao Veng, a Hmong veteran.

Lao veteran Nau Shoua Xiong says the Hmongs that were part of the CIA secret war movement during the Vietnam War were awarded citizenship, but they never received any veteran benefits.

"We did four things for the United States, so right now we need United States help to benefit for old people," said Nau Shoua Xiong.

Many Hmong Veterans said they deserve the benefits for four reasons: they helped U.S. soldiers fight on their homeland, they protected U.S. radar, they helped save U.S. soldiers that were shot down, and they helped block communist forces from using the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

Right now, the U.S. government does not offer Vietnam Hmong Veterans any benefits, but they say they aren't giving up they are going to fight for what they believe they deserve.