Laos, Hmong Veterans' Leader Dies, Honored, at National Ceremonies in California,DC

WASHINGTON - April 7, 2019 - PRLog -- Fresno, California, Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Major Richard Xiong, (also known as Chang Vang Xiong, AKA Yang Xiong), who served as the past President of the Lao Veterans of America, Inc. (LVA), and the Lao Veterans of America Institute (LVAI), the nation's largest non-profit Lao and Hmong-American veterans' organizations, is being honored at funeral, burial and memorial ceremonies in Fresno, California, Arlington National Cemetery and Washington, DC, from April 6-8, 2019 by the LVA, LVAI, Center for Public Policy Analysis  (CPPA) and others. Major Xiong is being honored by military and public officials in Fresno and in Arlington National Cemetery at the Laos Memorial, and at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC, where wreaths and flowers will also be laid in his honor. Richard Xiong served from 1961-1975 in the U.S. Secret Army in Laos in defense of the Royal Kingdom of Laos and the Royal Lao Government during the Soviet and Russian backed communist invasion of Laos by North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. In 2015 and 2016, Major Xiong, joined U.S. Congressmen Jim Costa (D-CA), Devin Nunes (R-CA), James Langevin (D-RI), Paul Cook (R-CA), Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Jack Reed (D-RI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Al Franken (D-MN), the U.S. Special Forces Association, Philip Smith, Executive Director, of the CPPA, and others in providing keynote remarks at the Laos Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, and the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, to honor Lao and Hmong veterans and their families as well as their US military and clandestine advisors who served during the Vietnam War.

Major Richard Xiong served as a communications officer, and radio officer, in the U.S. Secret Army under the command of Major General Vang Pao, at his headquarters in Long Chieng (Long Tieng AKA Long Cheng), in Xieng Khouang Province, in the Royal Kingdom of Laos. He served in various U.S. Secret Army, Special Guerrilla Units (SGU) and Royal Lao Army units during the Vietnam War. Major Xiong served as the President of the LVA and LVAI for over four years, from 2013 until 2017.. Prior to serving as President, Major Xiong served as the Vice President of the LVA and LVAI from 2003-2012, for some nine (9) years, under the leadership of President and founder of the LVA and LVAI, Colonel Wangyee Vang.

"We are thankful that we were able to meet with our past President Richard Xiong and his family in the hospital during his tragic and sad illness and will gratefully help to seek to recognize and honor him at national funeral and military honors ceremonies," said Peter Vang, Executive Director of the LVA and LVAI at its headquarters in Fresno, in the Central Valley of California.

"We very much appreciate and honor our past President Richard Xiong's service to the Royal Lao government, 'Royal Lao Army, and U.S. Secret Army at Long Tieng, in the Kingdom of Laos, as well as the Lao Veterans of America and Laotian and Hmong community across the United States," said President Cheurchai Vang, who currently serves as the National President of the LVA and LVAI. " Major Xiong served honorably in the SGU units as a communications and radio officer at Long Tieng under General Vang Pao."

"We mourn the death of Major Richard Xiong and appreciate his long and dedicated service to the defense of the Royal Kingdom of Laos and US national security interests during the Soviet and Russian backed communist invasion of Laos and the Hmong homelands during the Vietnam War from 1961-1975," said Philip Smith, Executive Director of the Washington DC based CPPA and Washington liaison for the LVA and LVAI. "In his capacity with the Lao Veterans of America leadership, Major Xiong traveled to Washington, DC and Arlington National Cemetery on many occasions in recent years to help his fellow veterans and to remind America about the important sacrifices of the freedom loving Lao and Hmong people, including the veterans and their refugee families, who suffered and died in support of the Royal Kingdom of Laos and the United States during the Vietnam War." http://www.cppa-dc.org

Major Xiong helped to lead Lao- and Hmong-American delegations to the U.S. Congress in 2015 and 2016 and Arlington National Cemetery. In 2015, 2016 and 2017 he spoke and provided statements about the plight of Lao and Hmong veterans and their refugee families, to the U.S. Congress and at national veterans ceremonies on May 14-15 held in the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives on Capitol Hill as well as the Vietnam War Memorial and Laos Memorial. Major Xiong, along with Colonel Wangyee Vang and others. helped to spearhead efforts that lead to the passage of the "Lao Hmong Veterans Service Recognition Act." In 2018, this bill was passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump. Major Xiong met personally in Washington, D.C., with U.S. Congress Jim Costa (D-CA), Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Senator Al Franken (D-MN), Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), Senator Boozman (R-Arkansas) and others.

Richard Xiong was born in Xieng Khouang Province Laos. He was married three times and is survived by many descendants.

Three days of ceremonies are being conducted in his honor and he will be buried in Fresno on April 8.