Nhia Lue Vang
Era: Vietnam
Military Branch: Army
Nhia Lue, in his own words: “I am a Hmong veteran of the Vietnam War. I served in [the] Special Forces in the secret war in Laos. I was born in northeastern Laos in 1955. In 1960 the CIA began recruiting and training people in Laos. In 1966 I joined the U.S. effort.
After six months of training in Thailand I took part in fighting North Viet-Cong forces in Laos. My parents and a brother and sister were killed in 1967 in a long-range shelling of our village. Most of the fighting was concentrated along the Ho Chi Minh trail.
In 1969 I received the rank of sergeant. In 1970, when I was fifteen, I was nearly killed by a grenade blast in a night battle near the Ho Chi Minh trail. My comrades almost left me for dead, but after a second look saw some sign of life. I spent two weeks recovering from burns and hearing damage.
1970 was a year of victory for us because we pushed the North Vietnamese forces all the way to the border. During 1971 I assisted in air drops by small plane of food and supplies to our forces near the front. At this time I was promoted to lieutenant.
In 1972 we were again able to push the enemy out of Laos for a short time. In 1973 cease-fire agreements were made with North Vietnam. It wasn’t long before the fighting resumed. The U.S. pulled out in 1975 and in 1977 I was forced into hiding in the jungle with my family.
In 1980 we escaped to Thailand. After over five years in refugee camps we were able to immigrate to the U.S. I received three medals for my service in the war."
