The Secret War And How It Affected The Hmong People

The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, was one of the longest wars with US combat force participation. It lasted from November 1, 1955, to April 30, 1975. The war was between North Vietnam and South Vietnam, with the U.S. as its ally. Three million people were killed in the war, 58,000 of them being American. One reason we should memorialize this event is because we should educate the future generations about what this war was about and why it happened so that they can know what happened in their past. We also do not want this event to be forgotten, so we create museums and memorials to keep the memory of these soldiers alive. Many people had discussions about if this war should have even happened or not. The Vietnam War was controversial because since it was a civil war, many people thought that the U.S. didn’t have any part in it and shouldn’t be involved in their countries’ problems. We should create a memorial for the Vietnam War because of the how many people lost their lives and also how much controversy arose because of this war.

The book, The Latehomecomer, is a fascinating story about a Hmong family and their struggle to get out of Laos and come to America as refugees. The Hmong people are a very proud people and they do not want to forget their culture. One can clearly see that the Hmong people hold close their identity and do not want to conform to the Vietnamese way. They take pride in their culture, their society, and the way they view how government should run. Hmong people did not agree with the Vietnamese communist government and were willing to join forces and help the United States as much as possible so that they could fight for what they believed in. Even though most of the young men and boys that fought in the war died in battle or were

Vietnam War where the US intervened in Vietnam to try and stop communism from spreading.

I had never talked with my grandfather about his military background or the Vietnam War specifically, so it was enlightening to hear from him and connect his personal experiences with things we have learned about in class. The Vietnam War is often viewed as the war that changed everything. The United States government and the relationship it shares with its citizens was forever changed. The role of the media was transformed and more and more Americans put their trust in the press over the government. No longer could our presidents and our representatives make decisions for our nation without the fear of how the American people would react existing in the back of their minds. As our leaders struggled to regain the respect of other nations as a world power, the American people struggled to regain the confidence and pride they once had in their own

One of the most controversial drafts was the infamous Vietnam War Era. The Vietnam war was also called the Ten Thousand Day War because of how long it took to end. The United States was not initially involved in the starting of the Vietnam war. The United States got involved after France requested to leave of the war after suffering a huge loss in the battle of Dien Bien Phu, which was the first Indochina war in Vietnam. What is Indochina exactly? Indochina is a peninsula of Southeastern Asia that includes

Wars are a difficult place to be. “THE VIETNAM WAR transformed a generation” (Roberts 1). With all that happened during the war such as exposure to

The Vietnam war was an absolutely brutal time in American history. The war lasted for the majority of the 1960s and left many young men dead. The short story “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien and the film Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam give us just a glance into the war by giving using the three themes of fear, pressures, and blame/guilt to embody the concept of war and how it absolutely changes a person. War not only destroys countries, but it destroys people.

Life after the vietnam war was and is still today terrible because of not only laos and vietnam but because of the americans who abandoned them. A lot of hmong people moved to minnesota, 10% of the population in saint paul is hmong. Hmong people who stayed in Laos are still being killed today for what happened almost 50 years ago. life in Thailand is no longer a safe refuge for the hmong

During the secret war, many families had to leave some of their love ones behind in Laos because there was not enough space, money, and time to come to America. A memoir that Kao Kalia wrote reflects on her memories of childhood, the Hmong family cultures and traditions. Some parts in the book includes how they treated their grandmother when she was ill, her funeral, and things they would do to survive in America as immigrants. This sources is important because it describes how Kao Kalia Yang wrote a memoir to reflect her early journey of as a Hmong

During the Vietnam War, Hmong soldiers fought on the side of the United States against the Pathet Lao, the communist faction in the country. When the Vietnam War ended and the U.S. pulled out of the region, the Pathet Lao took control of Laos and persecuted the Hmong for being disloyal (Fadiman 1997). Hmong resisted forced assimilation at the hands of the communist government by fleeing to temporary

Tomorrow, When the War Began displays to us the kinds of changes people go through when they are confronted with an improbable situation, and why those changes arise. It shows us how one situation can affect each person differently.

During what is called The Secret War (1953-75), thousands of Hmong fought in the Royal Lao Army led by General Vang Pao against the communist Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese military, on behalf of the U.S. and France, who promised to let them come to the U.S. and receive veterans’ benefits if defeated. France and the U.S. broke their promise, and thousands of Hmong survivors and veterans were forced to evacuate their country by foot in the most agonizing and dehumanizing of conditions, many dying along the way. Many of them, despite all odds, managed to make it to refugee camps where conditions were also miserable. Finally, when the Hmong were forced to resettle, many were brought to the U.S., but not after some delays and without ever receiving veterans’ benefits. They were placed in certain cities in the U.S., including Merced.

Edward R. Murrow once said, “Anyone who isn 't confused really doesn 't understand the situation,” (Quotes About Vietnam War). The entire basis for the Vietnam War was to suppress communism. Citizens of the United States as a whole did not understand communism. Communism was a newer concept and had mainly been seen in reference to the Cold War with USSR. Often times with confusion comes anger. Many soldier were angry that they were sent to war, while others went out of curiosity. The story of Mary Anne Bell’s time in Vietnam is representative of the curious soldiers who volunteered for the Vietnam War.

For many Americans it is common knowledge to know about the Vietnam War; however, for some Americans the Vietnam War is ancient history, dishonorable, but irrelevant nonetheless. If people do not physically see the many horrors of war it is easy to forget; although maybe it is something we try to forget. However, there are some who may be able to forget there will be some, like politicians, that will not forget. The Vietnam War had a terrible impact on both the United States and Vietnam, and more importantly it would affect foreign policy for many years to come.

Natilyn: Wow, how many families go through this every day. I am guessing more than I can count. These are the people that influenced this war. I think our presentation is almost done.