Thomas E. Petri: “as a long time supporter of Hmong veterans and their families in Wisconsin and across the United States, I am pleased to…”

“as a long time supporter of Hmong veterans and their families in Wisconsin and across the United States, I am pleased to be a cosponsor and express my support for House Resolution 402 which calls for democratic and human rights reforms in Laos. Many Americans don't realize the vital role Hmong soldiers played in the Vietnam War. School history books often ignore that before U.S. soldiers even landed in Vietnam or Laos, CIA agents arrived to train young Hmong men and women to fight against their oppressors. These brave Hmong fought valiantly for democracy and for freedom for their people. They rescued downed American pilots and took bullets that otherwise would have found their way to the bodies of American soldiers. In defense of their country and in service to U.S. troops, nearly 40,000 Hmong troops were killed, approximately 58,000 were injured in combat and more than 2,500 are still missing in action today. These numbers don't begin to represent the thousands of Hmong soldiers and civilians hunted down and massacred by communist forces after the U.S. armed forces began their withdrawal from the region in 1975. The survivors lost many loved ones and lost their homeland. The United States owes these veterans a great deal.”