A Minnesota PBS Initiative
Hmong Veterans' Service Recognition Act
After the law passed, all of the veterans were very happy, because they’ve been waiting for this for forty years.
After decades of fighting for recognition, new legislation will allow Hmong and Lao-American SGU veterans to be buried in U.S. national cemeteries, excluding Arlington National Cemetery.
The Hmong Veterans' Service Recognition Act, passed on March 23, 2018, was enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act. According to a 2015 estimate from a veterans group, between 6,900 and 9,700 veterans may qualify for this burial benefit.
Lee Pao Xiong says, "The most important thing is to be acknowledged." The law is one more step in building deeper understanding about the SGU's role in the Vietnam War.
SGU veterans
TPT's Almanac team sat down with SGU veteran Tong Vang and Center for Hmong Studies at Concordia University Director, Lee Pao Xiong, to learn what this new legislation means for Minnesota veterans.
Biographical Details
Submitted From: St. Paul, MN
Primary Location During Vietnam: Long Tieng, Laos 
Story Subject: Military Service
Military Branch: U.S. Allied Forces
Veteran Organization: SGU Veterans and Families of USA, Inc., Center for Hmong Studies at Concordia University
Unit: Special Guerrilla Unit
Watch TPT's America's Secret War documentary to learn more from SGU veterans who fought for General Vang Pao and the CIA.
Story Themes: Almanac, America's Secret War, Center for Hmong Studies, CIA, Hmong, Impact, Lee Pao Xiong, Secret War, SGU, SGU Veterans and Families of USA, Tong Vang
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