Over 20,000 people have been killed or injured by UXO in Laos since the bombing ceased.
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How many people died in the Laos war?
| Laotian Civil War | |
|---|---|
| 50,000 soldiers (1954) 21,000 mercenaries (1963) 19,000–23,000 Hmong militiamen (1964) | 8,000 (1960) 48,000 (1970) 10,000+ (1970) |
| Casualties and losses | |
| ~15,000 Royal Lao Army | Unknown 3,000+ |
| 20,000–62,000 total dead |
What was the CIA Secret War in Laos?
The CIA-organized group of Hmong tribesmen fighting in the Vietnam War is known as the “Secret Army”, and their participation was called the Secret War, where the Secret War is meant to denote the Laotian Civil War (1960–1975) and the Laotian front of the Vietnam War.
What is the most bombed country on earth?
Laos
In an attempt to destroy the Ho Chi Min Trail and protect the central government from total collapse, the nine years of bombing decimated the countryside and killed thousands of villagers. To this day Laos remains the most heavily bombed country in the world relative to its population.
How many bombs did the US drop on Laos?
From 1964 to 1973, as part of the Secret War operation conducted during the Vietnam War, the US military dropped 260 million cluster bombs – about 2.5 million tons of munitions – on Laos over the course of 580,000 bombing missions.
Why is the Secret War called the secret war?
Thailand perceived the threat in having Laos, its neighbor, being overtaken by the a communist regime.These three countries came together and took on the task of stopping the spread of communism into Laos. This war between communist Vietnam and the alliance was known as the Secret War.
When was the secret war in Laos?
1962 – 1975
Why did the US drop bombs on Laos?
The bombings were part of the U.S. Secret War in Laos to support the Royal Lao Government against the Pathet Lao and to interdict traffic along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The bombings destroyed many villages and displaced hundreds of thousands of Lao civilians during the nine-year period.
Is there a US military base in Laos?
Long Tieng (also spelled Long Chieng, Long Cheng, or Long Chen) is a Laotian military base in Xaisomboun Province. During the Laotian Civil War, it served as a town and airbase operated by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States.
| Long Tieng | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | U.S. Air Force/Central Intelligence Agency Royal Lao Army |
Is Lao a communist country?
Government and politics. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic is one of the world’s few socialist states openly endorsing communism. The only legal political party is the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP).
Which city was most destroyed in ww2?
Hiroshima lost more than 60,000 of its 90,000 buildings, all destroyed or severely damaged by one bomb. In comparison, Nagasaki – though blasted by a bigger bomb on 9 August 1945 (21,000 tonnes of TNT to Hiroshima’s 15,000) – lost 19,400 of its 52,000 buildings.
How many landmines are in Laos?
About one third of Laos remains contaminated with UXO left behind from the Vietnam War, including about 80 million cluster munitions.
Did Laos used to be part of Thailand?
The Lao kingdom of Lan Xang included all of northeastern Thailand as recently as the early 18th century.Thailand’s northeastern region, Isan, has particularly strong Lao roots.
How many bombs were dropped in Vietnam compared to ww2?
Between 1965 and 1975, the United States and its allies dropped more than 7.5 million tons of bombs on Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia—double the amount dropped on Europe and Asia during World War II.
Which country was bombed the most in ww2?
Malta
But they also ended the war devastated: Malta holds the record for the heaviest, sustained bombing attack: some 154 days and nights and 6,700 tons of bombs. The British were unsure of whether they could adequately retain or protect Malta. While a perfect strategic location, it was also a difficult place to defend.
How many Hmong civilians died in secret war?
18,000 Hmong soldiers were left in Laos, representing nearly three-quarters of the irregular forces. About 50,000 Hmong civilians had been killed or wounded in the war.
What happened to the Hmong after the secret war?
After the War
Displaced from their villages, which were either bombed out or burned by the North Vietnamese and the new Lao communist regime, many Hmong became refugees in their own country.
Did the US fight in Laos?
The US became heavily involved, in a secret covert war, during the Laotian Civil War of 1953–1975, backing the Royal Lao government and the Kingdom of Laos, and Hmong people against the Pathet Lao and the invading PAVN (Vietnam People’s Army) forces.
Where is General Vang Pao buried?
A committee unanimously voted against a request to bury Vang Pao at Arlington National Cemetery; he was subsequently buried near Los Angeles at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California.
How many bombs were dropped on the Ho Chi Minh trail?
Dubbed the “Ho Chi Minh Trail,” the American military reasoned that if it could be sufficiently damaged, the enemy would be unable to sustain itself. Three million tons of explosives would be dropped on the Laos portion of the trail alone. But as often as the Trail was bombed, it was repaired.
How many bombs were dropped during Rolling Thunder?
From 1965 to 1968, about 643,000 tons of bombs were dropped on North Vietnam, and a total of nearly 900 U.S. aircraft were lost during Operation Rolling Thunder.
