FEATURE: The National Lao-Hmong Memorial plans to be unveiled on October 2 in Westminster

Building the National Lao-Hmong Memorial Begins

Join the unveiling of the design of the National Lao-Hmong Memorial on Saturday, October 2.

The National Lao-Hmong Memorial Foundation was formed to establish a compelling memorial that honors the service and sacrifices of the “Lao-Hmong people” (Lao, Hmong, Lue, U-Mien, and Thi Dam), during and following the U.S Secret War in Laos.

The memorial will be located in Westminster, Colo., adjacent to the U.S. Armed Forces Tribute Garden at the City Park.

Despite having grown up as farmers without a formal education, Hmong pilots learned quickly, earning the admiration of the CIA and the pilots and crews in Air America.

Lao-Hmong soldiers and airmen fought valiantly during the “Secret War” in Laos, oftentimes alongside Americans hired by the CIA and covert forces of the U.S. Government. Boys as young as 10 were conscripted to join their fighting forces. As a result, American fighting forces in Vietnam were largely shielded from pincer attacks from Laos by the Hmong and other Laotian fighting forces. There is no way to know all the American lives saved in Vietnam because of the Hmong, but it’s safe to say in the thousands. 30,000 Hmong people and 728 Americans and their allies died during the Secret War.

In 1975, the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam and Laos. It was a sad chapter in U.S. history that we turned our back on our Hmong allies and left them to a despotic communist government bent on genocide. 10,000 Hmong people managed to escape to refugee camps in Thailand and eventually emigrated to the U.S. and other friendly countries. 90,000 stayed behind. Today, almost 500,000 people of Lao Hmong descent live, work, and take pride in being U.S. citizens.

The Foundation purchased a T-28 in 2020. The plane has been renovated and is currently being utilized to bring attention to to the Lao-Hmong Memorial at air shows and other events. Eventually, the plane will be decommissioned and become part of the memorial. Stories of the flying skills of these young flyers are legend amongst combat aviators.

Their daring skill and fearlessness in defending their families and homeland are an important part of the history of the Secret War and the war in Vietnam,” said John J. Horan, Chairman of the Lao-Hmong Memorial Foundation.

Horan invites community members to support: “I hope you agree this memorial is important to honor our Hmong allies and to inform generations to come.” Learn more at:

lao-hmongmemorial.org.

The National Lao-Hmong Memorial Committee and the Lao-Hmong Community of Colorado cordially invite you to:

The unveiling of the design of the National Lao-Hmong Memorial and the presentation of the centerpiece of the memorial, a North American T-28 Aircraft

Saturday, October 2 | 10am to 2pm

Ceremony at 11am Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport 11715 Airport Way, Broomfield, CO

Introduction by Colorado’s 7th District Congressman The Honorable Ed Perlmutter

Join in honoring the memory of the tens of thousands of Lao-Hmong SGU Soldiers, Pilots, and Civilians who perished while supporting the United States in Vietnam. RSVP at: lao-hmongmemorial.org/rsvp.