Hmong forces

E170645

Hmong forces were ethnic Hmong guerrilla fighters in Laos, heavily supported by the CIA, who played a central role in the “Secret War” against communist forces during the Laotian Civil War.

All labels observed (3)

Label Occurrences
Hmong forces canonical 5
Hmong guerrilla forces 1
Hmong guerrilla units 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf guerrilla force
irregular military unit
activeFrom 1961
activeUntil 1975
aftermath large-scale Hmong refugee exodus
resettlement of many veterans in the United States
airSupportProvidedBy Air America
U.S. Air Force
alliedWith Royal Lao Army
Royal Lao Government
baseRegion Long Tieng
Plain of Jars
conflict Laotian Civil War
Secret War in Laos
countryOfOperation Kingdom of Laos
linked to: Laos
covertNature operations largely concealed from U.S. public at the time
demobilization largely disbanded after communist takeover of Laos in 1975
ethnicGroup Hmong
fundedBy United States government
historicalContext Cold War in Southeast Asia
legacy ongoing political and veterans’ issues in Hmong diaspora communities
significant casualties among Hmong population
notableOperation defense of the Plain of Jars
operations along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos
opponent North Vietnamese Army
Pathet Lao
organizedBy CIA Special Activities Division
organizedUnderCommandOf Vang Pao
partOf Royal Lao Government’s military structure (de facto)
linked to: Royal Lao Army
primaryObjective counter communist expansion in Laos
disrupt North Vietnamese supply lines
relatedConflict Vietnam War
role anti-communist guerrilla warfare
intelligence gathering
rescue of downed U.S. airmen
strengthEstimate tens of thousands of fighters
suppliedWith air support from Air America
artillery
small arms
supportedBy Central Intelligence Agency
United States
theaterOfOperations Ho Chi Minh Trail areas in Laos
northern Laos
trainedBy CIA paramilitary officers
Royal Thai Army

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (7)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Laotian Civil War involvedOrganization Hmong guerrilla units
linked to: Hmong forces
Secret War hasParticipant Hmong forces
Secret War hasAlly Hmong forces
Secret War in Laos hasParticipant Hmong forces
Secret War in Laos uses Hmong guerrilla forces
linked to: Hmong forces
Air America supportedOrganization Hmong forces