The Secret War
The war started in 1961 mainly in Laos and Thailand
as battlegrounds for this part of the war. The cause
of the war was when communist North Vietnam decided to
try and conquer other countries and convert them to a communist
way of government. North Vietnam began to advance into
south Vietnam using their military forces to conquer other
countries, and Laos being their next major target where
they were planning to establish a communist government.
Just like the Vietnamese Laos was divided into two, the Pathet
Lao who allied with the North Vietnamese while the Royal Lao
who were currently in power sided with Thailand and the U.S.
The two countries Thailand and Laos new that in order to
even stand a chance they would need to stick together
throughout the war. America had sided with Thailand and
Laos for a different reason, America thought ahead of time
about communism spreading dangerously and growing so
large that it would eventually become a threat to us later.
These three countries took on the burden of stopping the
growth of communism. America needed to find a way to
support the fight against communism so they recruited
the Hmong, trained, paid and supplied military weapons
to the Hmong enabling them to enter battle armed and
with experience.The Hmong soldiers had to rescue
injured pilots from enemy grounds or the battlefield.
They also had protect the American outpost in Laos.
One major outpost was an airport named Luang Prabang.
Sadly groups of Hmong soldiers jeopardized and lost
their lives to spare one American pilot's life. The Hmong
also attacked multiple North Vietnamese convoy that were
using the Ho Chi Minh trail to cross North Laos from North
Vietnam so they could enter South Vietnam. By attacking these
supplies thousands of American soldiers didn't die in Southern
Vietnam. Because the adult male population was dying off
near the end of the war they had to make up for the small
amount of men, so they recruited children, trained them
with the same tactics and strategies of warfare, then they
sent them into battle. Thailand also trained some of the
Hmong but but they had their own strategies, instead
they assembled them into guerilla groups providing
air support while the Hmong were in battle. Although
thailand like the Americans fought for their own
reasonings. When the U.S. chose their troops from
Southern Vietnam in 1975, they also chose training
teams, military weapons and economic support from Laos and
the Hmong. This act had weakened the Hmong guerilla army
and the Laotion government which they depended on for extra,
needed support. The Pathet Lao noticing how weak and
vulnerable the Royal Lao were they took the opportunity to
take over and the Hmong that were left behind seen as threat
were impeached. Abandoned by their American allies, had to
flee to Thailand for their safety. The Secret War ended in the
same year the Vietnam War did-1975. The Hmong didn't feel
this finality, so to this day they are still being prosecuted.
The war started in 1961 mainly in Laos and Thailand
as battlegrounds for this part of the war. The cause
of the war was when communist North Vietnam decided to
try and conquer other countries and convert them to a communist
way of government. North Vietnam began to advance into
south Vietnam using their military forces to conquer other
countries, and Laos being their next major target where
they were planning to establish a communist government.
Just like the Vietnamese Laos was divided into two, the Pathet
Lao who allied with the North Vietnamese while the Royal Lao
who were currently in power sided with Thailand and the U.S.
The two countries Thailand and Laos new that in order to
even stand a chance they would need to stick together
throughout the war. America had sided with Thailand and
Laos for a different reason, America thought ahead of time
about communism spreading dangerously and growing so
large that it would eventually become a threat to us later.
These three countries took on the burden of stopping the
growth of communism. America needed to find a way to
support the fight against communism so they recruited
the Hmong, trained, paid and supplied military weapons
to the Hmong enabling them to enter battle armed and
with experience.The Hmong soldiers had to rescue
injured pilots from enemy grounds or the battlefield.
They also had protect the American outpost in Laos.
One major outpost was an airport named Luang Prabang.
Sadly groups of Hmong soldiers jeopardized and lost
their lives to spare one American pilot's life. The Hmong
also attacked multiple North Vietnamese convoy that were
using the Ho Chi Minh trail to cross North Laos from North
Vietnam so they could enter South Vietnam. By attacking these
supplies thousands of American soldiers didn't die in Southern
Vietnam. Because the adult male population was dying off
near the end of the war they had to make up for the small
amount of men, so they recruited children, trained them
with the same tactics and strategies of warfare, then they
sent them into battle. Thailand also trained some of the
Hmong but but they had their own strategies, instead
they assembled them into guerilla groups providing
air support while the Hmong were in battle. Although
thailand like the Americans fought for their own
reasonings. When the U.S. chose their troops from
Southern Vietnam in 1975, they also chose training
teams, military weapons and economic support from Laos and
the Hmong. This act had weakened the Hmong guerilla army
and the Laotion government which they depended on for extra,
needed support. The Pathet Lao noticing how weak and
vulnerable the Royal Lao were they took the opportunity to
take over and the Hmong that were left behind seen as threat
were impeached. Abandoned by their American allies, had to
flee to Thailand for their safety. The Secret War ended in the
same year the Vietnam War did-1975. The Hmong didn't feel
this finality, so to this day they are still being prosecuted.
