Born in 1929, in the XiengKhouang Province of Laos, Vang Pao started out working as many other Hmong did, farming the land until he decided to join the Royal Lao Army; initially for the French, and later in service directly for the King of Laos. It was through this military service that he rose in the ranks to become the only ethnic Hmong General in the Royal Lao Army. His rise to the General rank gave him respect that the Hmong had not previously had in Lao society.
It was these military skills that lead to Vang Pao being hired by the CIA to command the “Secret Army,” the Special Guerilla Unit (SGU) who fought in Laos on behalf of the United States during the Vietnam War. Vang Pao’s military leadership was also well known by the Americans who worked in Laos at the time, documented heavily in Dr. Jane Hamilton’s book Tragic Mountains: The Hmong, the Americans, and the Secret Wars for Laos, 1942-1992. Hamilton’s book noted Vang Pao’s capability of being a, “commander on the spot, meeting with individuals, ‘cause he could inspire them all.” Vang Pao was able to recruit soldiers because he would fulfill promises of bringing food and supplies, such as medicine, to many Hmong villages. And even though the military rank provided him with much respect in the community, Vang Pao was also accessible to the Hmong, listened to their community concerns, and at various times would be called in to settle various clan disputes. In 2010, Paul Hillmer, Professor of History at Concordia University, published A People’s History of the Hmong, documenting the oral histories of several Hmong soldiers, as well as accounts from former U.S. CIA and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). These agencies had seen firsthand Vang Pao’s encouragement of open community meetings, where people could come ask questions, noting that, “He could improvise and maintain an aura of wisdom and knowledge.”
As the U.S. pulled out from the war, Vang Pao was forced to flee to Thailand with several of his soldiers and their families. In 1975, he and his family were granted refugee status and came to the U.S., where he initially settled in Montana but then moved to California. Vang Pao played a pivotal role in shaping and guiding the Hmong resettlement efforts throughout the United States even up until the time of his death. He advocated for the creation of the Lao Family Community organizations to provide social services to help the Hmong become adjusted to the life and culture in the United States. Chapters were set up in California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, where there were large Hmong populations. Vang Pao also knew that as refugees, those who did not have a formal education would be at a disadvantage, so he encouraged many Hmong to turn their farming skills into small enterprises. Many of these businesses continue to operate today and resulted in many Hmong families purchasing their own homes, sending their children to college, and supporting other relatives in the United States and Laos.
Most notably, Vang Pao continued to honor his commitment to the Hmong that were left behind in Laos and assembled other Lao and Hmong leaders from around the world to create the United Lao National Liberation Front (ULNF), also known as Lao National Liberation Movement and Neo Hom. Its efforts were to bring attention to atrocities happening in Laos and to urge support for the military resistance. Vang Pao continued to advocate for veterans’ benefits for hundreds of Hmong American veterans and he continued to have a very public presence in the many states that the Hmong resettled in, up until the last week of his life.
THE PRICE OF LEADERSHIP
As with all leaders, great achievement does not come without personal sacrifices, and Vang Pao certainly was not excluded from this. During the war, there was great demand for his time, especially at the war front, resulting in rare visits with his seven wives and 25 children. As a former comrade known as Ger “Noi” Yang (Wacheemeng Yang) recalled, “While fighting along side with Vang Pao from 1959-1973, I have observed Vang Pao hardly had any time to have a leisure meal, or go to the bathroom without being interrupted by someone or something, let alone spend quality time with his family.”
After his resettlement in the U.S., his continued commitment to the ULNF then took up much of his time. At a recent wake for Vang Pao at Lao Family Community of Minnesota, Vang Pao’s son Cha Vang, reflected that, “At times, my father loved and cared more deeply for the Hmong community than for his own children.”
Another tradeoff as a public figure was the controversy that also followed the many decisions he made. He questioned by many in his use of risky military strategies in order to ensure success. He commanded exceptional performance from his soldiers, many of whom had never served in the military before. The strategies he used to promote the ULNF in the Hmong community near and abroad came under scrutiny.
Perhaps the most controversial and certainly what was reported in the U.S. media came in the last years of his life in June 2007, when the U.S. Government charged him with a plot to overthrow the Lao government. The charges claimed that Vang Pao and ten others were in violation of the Neutrality Act (which outlaws military operations against nations with which the U.S. is at peace) by purchasing and supplying military grade weapons to anti-Laotian governmental resistance movement forces inside Laos. Vang Pao was released on bond about a month later and through much advocacy by community members and American colleagues, the case was dismissed for insufficient evidence in May 2009 and later that September, all of the federal charges against Vang Pao were dropped..
As we reflect on and remember Vang Pao’s life and legacy in the community, almost all Hmong community members have a story of their personal experience with him. Maybe they had just seen him at the various Hmong New Year celebrations taking place across the country over the years, some have had the chance to take a photograph or two with him, and some even had the chance to meet and spend time with him. Perhaps the thing that stands out the most of his life and the reason why many revered him to be one of the greatest (if not the) leader of the Hmong community is that his life represents all that can be achieved and the greatness about the human spirit. The potential to make impact in the lives of others inspires all of us to believe, especially for the Hmong community, that we too can make the same impact no matter how small or how large a life we all lead in this world.
