Since 1964, more than 50,000 Lao have been killed or injured by U.S. bombs, 98 percent of them civilians. An estimated 30 percent of the bombs dropped on Laos failed to explode upon impact, and in the years since the bombing ended, 20,000 people have been killed or maimed by the estimated 80 million bombs left behind.
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How many civilians died in Laos?
Data from a survey completed in Laos in 2009 indicate that UXO, including cluster bombs, have killed or maimed as many as 50,000 civilians in Laos since 1964 (and 20,000 since 1973, after the war ended). Over the past two years there have been over one hundred new casualties each year.
How many times has America bombed Laos?
From 1964 to 1973, the U.S. dropped more than two million tons of ordnance on Laos during 580,000 bombing missions—equal to a planeload of bombs every 8 minutes, 24-hours a day, for 9 years – making Laos the most heavily bombed country per capita in history.
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.
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 people died from bombs in Laos?
More than 50,000 people have been killed by unexploded bombs, 20,000 since the war ended. Almost half have been children. MAG has been working in Laos since 1994 because we believe these tragedies can and must be prevented.
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.
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.
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.
Who won the secret war in Laos?
Laotian Civil War
| Date | 23 May 1959 – 2 December 1975 (16 years, 6 months, 1 week and 2 days) |
|---|---|
| Location | Laos |
| Result | Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese victory Establishment of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Exile of the Kingdom of Laos |
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.
Which city suffered the most 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.
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.
Why did the US drop so many bombs on Laos?
American bombers dropped more than two million tons of bombs over the country as part of a covert attempt to wrest power from communist forces. American bombers dropped more than two million tons of bombs over the country as part of a covert attempt to wrest power from communist forces.
What is Laos known for?
Laos: a landlocked country in Southeast Asia with some of the shortest people in the world! Laos is also famous for having the tallest treehouse in the world, the oldest human fossil in Southeast Asia, and is considered one of the fastest-growing economies in all of Asia.
How was Laos involved in the Vietnam War?
For almost nine years Laos was a battlefield in the armed conflict between neighbouring North Vietnam and the United States. During the war, US forces flew over 500,000 aerial bombing raids over Laos, which were said to aim at gaining control of the Trường Sơn Strategic Supply Route (also known as Ho Chi Minh trail).
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.
How many Laos people died in the Vietnam War?
He estimated that victims of democide (deliberate killing of civilians) included 214,000 by North Vietnam/VC and 98,000 by South Vietnam and its allies. Deaths in Cambodia and Laos were estimated at 273,000 and 62,000 respectively. Democide is the murder of persons by or at the behest of governments.
Was Malta the most bombed place on earth?
Malta received roughly three times as many bombs per square mile as did London, hence its designation as the most heavily bombed place on earth during the war. In turn, Allied submarines operating from Malta sent 390,660 tons of Axis shipping to the bottom of the Mediterranean.
Why did the US not bomb Vietnam?
The US did not resort to using nuclear weapons in Vietnam for a variety of reasons: fear of the damage it would cause to the US’s international reputation, domestic political considerations, a reluctance to break the ‘tradition’ of non-use, and a realization that, although there were plenty of viable targets such as
Why did Rolling Thunder fail?
Failure of Operation Rolling Thunder
The bombing campaign failed because the bombs often fell into empty jungle, missing their targets.
