Laos, Hmong Veterans Rally on Capitol Hill, Arlington, For 40th Anniversary Events, New Bill

WASHINGTON - May 25, 2015 - PRLog -- Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, and Arlington, Virginia, May 14, 2015

Lao- and Hmong-American veterans of the Vietnam War and their families are on Capitol Hill and Washington, DC to somberly mourn the 40th anniversary of the fall of the Kingdom of Laos, and the joint CIA and Hmong headquarters at Long Chieng (Long Tieng), to the invading army of North Vietnam (NVA - or Vietnam People's Army) on May 14-15, 1975. Lao- and Hmong-Americans are also joining with the Center for Public Policy Analysis (CPPA), and key members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, for the introduction and advancement of the "Hmong Veterans' Service Recognition Act" in the new session of Congress.

To mark the solemn anniversary of the fall of the Royal Kingdom of Laos and the Lao and Hmong refugee exodus, the new bill was introduced on May 14 in Congress by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Al Franken (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and others. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressmen Jim Costa (D-CA) and Paul Cook (R-CA) are spearheading the introduction of the legislation along with Representatives Sean Duffy (R-WI), Collin Peterson (D-MN), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU), Mike Honda (D-CA), Don Young (R-AK), Devin Nunes (R-CA) and others. The legislation, if enacted by Congress and signed by President Obama, would allow Lao- and Hmong-American veterans to be buried with honors at U.S. national veterans cemeteries administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Laotian- and Hmong-American veterans of the Vietnam War, and their refugee families from across the United States, are arriving in Arlington, and in the U.S. Congress, on Capitol Hill, to somberly mourn the 40th anniversary of the fall of the Royal Kingdom of Laos, their beloved homeland,” said Philip Smith, Executive Director of the Center for Public Policy Analysis (CPPA) in Washington, D.C.  "Forty years ago today, the joint CIA, Air America, and Hmong headquarters at Long Chieng (Long Tieng), fell to invading North Vietnamese Army forces on May 14-15, 1975, sparking a bloodbath by communist forces and the mass exodus of the Laotian and Hmong people."

Smith continued: “As part of the 'Laos Freedom Ride' commemoration, hundreds of Lao- and Hmong-American veterans of the Vietnam War and their families from Minnesota, California, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Rhode Island, Alaska, and other states  have traveled many miles have arrived on buses, planes and cars for events being held in the U.S. Congress and Capitol Hill. They will also participate in special veterans' memorial and wreath-laying services being held on Friday, May 15, in Arlington National Cemetery and the Vietnam War Memorial. In Arlington, the event is being hosted by the CPPA, the Lao Veterans of America, Inc., U.S. Department of Defense, Arlington National Cemetery, U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps and Members of Congress. The U.S. Special Forces Association and Counterparts Veterans Association are also slated to participate.”

“I am honored to be here to honor and pay respect to the Lao- and Hmong veterans, and our U.S. military and clandestine advisors, and to help lead a wreath-laying ceremony at the Lao Veterans of America monument,” said Richard Vang, President of the Lao Veterans of America Institute. “I want to also express my deepest thanks to the U.S. Congress for the introduction of the 'Hmong Veterans' Service Recognition Act' today, upon our arrival and meetings with the Senators and Representatives.”

“In addition to the veterans' memorial commemoration being held on May 15 in Arlington National Cemetery to mark the 40^th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War in the Kingdom of Laos, I would like to stress that the legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski with Congressman Jim Costa, Congressman Don Young, Senator Dan Sullivan and others, 'The Hmong Veterans' Service Recognition Act', is very important to our Lao- and Hmong-American community and veterans,” said Pasert Lee, President of the Hmong Alaska Community, Inc. and a wounded combat veteran of the Vietnam War in Laos.

Lee stated further: “We appreciate them honoring our Lao- and Hmong-American veterans and their families, and we are hopeful that the bill will be passed and signed into law by President Obama, so that our veterans can be buried with honor at U.S. national veterans' cemeteries administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.”

“Indeed, we are very grateful to U.S. Congressmen Jim Costa, Paul Cook, Don Young, Sean Duffy, Devin Nunes, Collin Peterson and many others for their leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives for introducing and supporting the 'Hmong Veterans Service Recognition Act' and the events here today in Washington, D.C.,”said Pang Mang Thao, the President of the Lao Veterans of America of Minnesota.

Thao continued: “Here in the U.S. Senate, we want to especially thank Senators Lisa Murkowski, Al Franken, Amy Klobuchar, Tammy Baldwin, Sheldon Whitehouse, and many others for their efforts on Capitol Hill in introducing the bill today in the U.S. Congress on this important day, May 14, just prior to our memorial service and wreath laying-ceremony tomorrow at Arlington National Cemetery at the Lao Veterans of America monument.”

Mr. Pang Mang Thao, a former veteran and educator, is leading a delegation of some sixty (60) Laotian and Hmong veterans, widows, and elders, from St. Paul, Minneapolis, and the Twin Cities area to Washington, DC and Arlington for the events today and Friday (May 14-15). Lao and Hmong-American veterans of the Vietnam War and their families from Minnesota, California, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, Alaska, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Maryland, Texas, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, and other states are participating in the events in the U.S. Congress, Washington, DC and the Lao Veterans of America monument (“Laos Monument”) in Arlington National Cemetery.

Traditionally, May 14-15 also commemorates National Lao Hmong Recognition Day, Hmong- Appreciation Day, and Lao Hmong Veterans Memorial Day, and is a day of commemoration for the Lao and Hmong people who lost their lives and country during the Vietnam War when the Kingdom of Laos fell to invading Soviet-backed North Vietnamese Army troops and communist Pathet Lao guerrillas.

In addition to military uniforms, many of the Laotian- and Hmong-American participants are dressed in traditional, ethnic Laotian and Hmong tribal clothing and outfits for the events.

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Contact(s):

Jade Her, Maria Gomez or Philip Smith

Center for Public Policy Analysis (CPPA)

Telephone (202)543-1444

http://www.cppa-dc.org

info@centerforpublicpolicyanalysis.org