Political Quotes

“Madam President, I am honored to recognize a remarkable coalition of veterans today. Every year on May 15, Alaskan Hmong American Vietnam veterans come together to celebrate Hmong American Veterans Memorial Day in remembrance of General Vang Pao's final flight out of Laos. From February 1961 to May 1975, Hmong fighters from the hill country in Laos risked their homes, their families, and their lives to join the United States and South Vietnam in the fight against communist oppression. They undoubtedly knew that, whether they won or lost the war, life would never be the same for them; yet they willingly chose to serve. For nearly three decades, their involvement was kept a secret, in what is now commonly referred to as ``the Secret War.'' Mr. Pasert Lee, a resident of the Mountain View neighborhood in Anchorage, AK, is one of those honorable Hmong American veterans. He served as a lieutenant in General Vang Pao's army and played a role in rescuing downed American pilots and returning them to American Forces in South Vietnam. He tells me that, under the leadership of the general, Hmong forces rescued nearly 50 pilots and were responsible for saving countless American lives. Many people do not realize that more than 40,000 Hmong were killed or wounded in support of freedom in Vietnam. May 15, 1975, marked the beginning of the exodus of the Hmong people from their homes in Laos. Mr.…”