Jim Costa: “I want to begin by taking a moment to remember one of my constituents who lived an extraordinary life, Major Nhia Long…”

“I want to begin by taking a moment to remember one of my constituents who lived an extraordinary life, Major Nhia Long Vang, who recently passed away. Major Vang was a longtime leader in the Fresno Hmong community and bravely served alongside American soldiers in Laos during the Vietnam war. This conflict also is known as the secret war in Laos. Major Vang was recruited at the age of 19 by the Central Intelligence Agency to serve in the Special Guerilla Unit, otherwise known as the SGU, during the secret war to help the U.S. fight against the North Vietnamese Communist Army and the Pathet Lao Communist troops. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Major Vang led intelligence missions on the Ho Chi Minh Trail to gather surveillance on the Communist forces. He also oversaw missions that rescued American pilots during the Vietnam war when their planes were shot down. By 1980, Major Vang's family received asylum to come to the United States, where he would settle in Fresno in 1983. Once in the United States, Major Vang worked tirelessly to support the families of soldiers whom the secret war in Laos impacted. Major Vang was a leader and advisor to organizations like the Lao Veterans of America and the Special Guerilla Units Veterans and Families. Major Vang was also instrumental and a partner in helping my efforts to secure burial rights in national cemeteries and other benefits for Special Guerilla Unit veterans who fought alongside with American soldiers.…”