Minnesota Memorial to Special Forces in Laos

Minnesota Memorial to Special Forces in Laos. . , Introduction , The creation of the Minnesota Memorial to The Special Forces in Laos was driven by the children who survived the "Secret War" in Laos from 1961 to 1975, and completed by the Hmong and Lao Veterans Statue Committee. It was supported by the Minnesota State Legislature and funded by the citizens of the State of Minnesota and private donations. The Memorial is built to commemorate the Hmong, Lao and other combat veterans and their American advisors, trainers, volunteers and forgotten heroes who served and fought to maintain peace and freedom in Southeast Asia., Design Concept , The memorial sculpture depicts a vigorous sprout to symbolize new life, tenacity and hope. Just as new plants emerge with impressive energy, this sculpted sprout represents renewal of the Hmong and Lao communities destroyed by war., Organized into 4 tiers, the sprout has 4 leaves on each tier. Each leaf tells a story. In all there are 16 stories of life, war and relocation. Beginning at the bottom, the stories move up with time, just as a sprout grows. Carved in bas-relief, they honor the embroidered story cloths (paj ntaub) created by Hmong women after the war. Story cloths began appearing in Minnesota in the 1980's, communicating visually what words could not. Pictures transcend language barriers and record history with power and emotion. Continuing the Hmong women's method of graphic storytelling, we see stories of courage, honor, tenacity and bravery., The plaza pavement pays tribute to Hmong paj ntaub. At the center is an elephant's footprint illustrating radiating water ripples, representative of Laos and Minnesota. The triangular motif symbolizes the beauty of land and mountains., Sprout Sketch: Ntsuag Kub, Tier 4: Resettlement , Tier 3: Post-war , Tier 2: During the war , Tier 1: Before the war, Each side of the sprout tells stories from a different point of view;, South: the U.S. involvement in Laos , North: the impact on the country of Laos , East: the war's impact on civilians , West: Special Guerilla Units (SGU) CIA ally forces, Lao History of Foreign Invasion , The Kingdom of Laos was known as the "Land of a Million Elephants" with rich and abundant natural resources and a land area approximately the size of Minnesota. Laos gained independence from French colonization in 1954 and became a neutral country, only to be confronted with new threats from the Cold War between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. These threats were categorized as a domino impact, if Laos fell into communist control, so would other Southeast Asian nations., Map of Southeast Asia, The U.S. government began sending financial aid and military assistance to Laos beginning in 1961. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) sent Specialist Colonel James W. (Bill) Lair to Padong, an area south of the Plain of Jars, to meet with Lieutenant Vang Pao, the commander of the 10th Infantry Battalion of the 2nd Military Region of Laos. A mutual commitment between the CIA and the Royal Lao Army began a long relationship and military alliance. The Hmong, Lao and Khmu became the Special Guerrilla Units (SGU) in the defense of freedom and independence of the Kingdom of Laos., Arrival of CIA personnel who begin to train and provide financial assistance, Specialist Colonel Lair (CIA) and General Vang Pao tour highland villages, Thai soldiers and CIA meet with General Vang Pao, Long Cheng Air Base and key 2nd Military Region leaders, Special Guerrilla Units (SGU): Stories of Courage, Honor, Bravery and Tenacity , Strategic roles of the SGU included important missions to contain consistent Chinese, Soviet and North Vietnamese military advances into Laos, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. The SGU scouted enemy movements, fought on the front lines, rescued downed pilots, and protected the U.S. navigation center on Phou Pha Thi, a center crucial to U.S. air operations in North Vietnam., By April of 1961, President John F. Kennedy had authorized the dispatch of 300 U.S. military advisors to Laos. The country was divided into five military regions. Early in 1963 President Kennedy and King Savang Vatthana of Laos met at the White House regarding the conflict., During the fifteen years of warfare, the CIA supplied and trained the SGU to fight against communist expansion into the Southeast Asia region. From 1961 to 1975, approximately 46,000 Hmong, Lao, Khmu and Mien were armed as part of the SGU in the first, second, third and fourth military regions. By the end of the war, 35,000 were killed or missing in action., President Kennedy points to a map of enemy movements in Laos and Vietnam, President Kennedy welcomes King Savang Vatthana of Laos to the U.S., CIA meets with other Laotian ethnic groups, CIA training Guerilla Special Forces trainees, General Vang Pao overseeing front line battle, SGU troops recapture battle site, CIA personnel with Hmong Soldiers, Artillery fire, Hmong fighter pilot, Young soldiers ship out to the front line, Troops prepare to ship out aboard an American C-123 transport plane, As many as 100 SGU personnel were engaged on a typical rescue mission for a downed American pilot. Wounded soldiers, however, had little medical support. Only a few were able to be transported for medical treatment where it was primarily provided by young Hmong and Lao women nurses trained and supplied by the United States Agency for International Development (U.S.A.I.D.)., The Ravens (CIA Air Unit), Air American training Lao, Hmong, and Khmu T-28 pilots, King of Laos presents medals to the nurses of the 2nd Military Region, Treating wounded soldiers, After the war ended in 1975, Laos became known as one of the most heavily bombed countries in the world. It was also heavily poisoned by chemicals. Victims of the bombings and chemical herbicides included civilian peasants who lived in small villages – cattle raisers, rice farmers, men, women and children, young and old. Thousands died, livestock and wild animals perished. Today many areas are still unsafe to cultivate or live on., Guerrilla Special Forces rescue a downed U.S. helicopter pilot, Soldiers wounded from combat, Journey to Thailand / Life as Refugee , In 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were signed and the United States began to pull military forces out of Southeast Asia. In the spring of 1975, the Pathet Lao took control of Laos. About 45,000 political and military leaders, government employees, and technicians were sent to political "re-education camps" organized by the new leadership. The King, members of the royal family, many royal Lao government officials, and others perished in these labor camps. Those who were able to escape to neighboring Thailand became political refugees., Life in a refugee camp in Thailand, Evacuation of war-torn families out of Laos to refugee camps in Thailand, Refugees waiting for humanitarian aid, The decision to leave their homeland behind was difficult for the Hmong, Lao and Laotian ethnic groups. Thousands of people died en route or drowned trying to cross the Mekong River on their way to Thailand. The refugee camps offered an uncertain future, providing a last hope for some and proving fatal for many. The camps were crowded, unsanitary places where starvation, disease and violence prevailed., Transport plane leaving the CIA air base of Long Cheng, Remnants of U.S. allies asking for help in Laos, New Life , Countries providing sanctuary and the chance to resettle and begin new lives included the United States, Canada, France, French Guiana, Germany, Argentina, Netherlands, and Australia. The families of many of the SGU soldiers and Lao government officials who assisted the U.S. during the war were allowed to resettle in this country., Faith organizations sponsored the resettlement of refugees in the United States providing financial and emotional support to the families. Later, many of those same refugees have been able to sponsor their extended family members to immigrate to this country. Minnesota, California and Wisconsin are home to the majority of Hmong and Lao survivors of the war., The Hmong and Lao people have integrated quickly into the communities where they have settled. They have become educated and serve in many different professions. Some have joined the U.S. military. Others have started businesses and become civic leaders and elected officials. In the short time they have been in the United States, the Hmong and Lao people have woven themselves into the fabric of their new home., Older Hmong and Lao still remember the war, but like their children, they call the United States of America home., Memorial Groundbreaking Ceremony, 1950's: United States supports mutual defense agreement with Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia , 1954: Laos gained full independence from France , 1957: First Royal Lao Government of Coalition formed , 1961: CIA provides military and financial aid to Lao, Hmong, and Khmu; SGU formed , 1961: U.S. Special Forces assist with Lao Army training SGU Forces , 1962: Declaration of the Neutrality of Laos signed by 14 nations prohibiting foreign military activities from entering Laos , 1964-1973: U.S. warplanes carried out 580,000 bombing missions over Laos, dropping an estimated 2.3 million tons of bombs , 1973: Cease Fire ends U.S. combat operations in Laos , 1975: Last U.S. military personnel left Laos , 1975-1980: One-third of the Lao, Hmong, and Khmu were killed during this period , 1976: First Hmong refugees resettled in Minnesota , 1975-1990: Congress granted thousands of refugees entrance to the U.S. , 1980: The U.S. Refugee Act of 1980 standardized resettlement services for all refugees. 272,242 Hmong arrived in the U.S. , 1973-1997: Some 11,000 Lao civilians were killed or wounded by unexploded ordnance from the war , 1990: First Hmong entered into U.S. political arena. They were elected and appointed to serve in public offices , 1992: The U.S. restored diplomatic relations with Laos , 2000: Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act allowed Hmong and other ethnic Laotian veterans, who were legal refugees, to become U.S. citizens , 2004-2006: Wat Tham Krabok refugee camp closed, approximately 15,000 Hmong refugees resettled to the U.S. , 2006: Twin Cities Metro Area is home to the largest concentrated population of Hmong in the U.S. , 2011: General Vang Pao passed , 2015: 40th Anniversary of Hmong in the U.S. , 2016: Minnesota Memorial to Special Forces in Laos is dedicated