K. Lee Bounkhong
Dallas, Texas, U.S.A
Vietnam War didn't affect only people in vietnam, it effected
on people at another countries too, like Laos, and Cambodia.
I remembered, during the year 1975. When the Laotian communists
(who has always been back up by the Vietnamese Communists.) took
over my country (Laos.)
As soon as the Laos and Vietnamese communists Took over the
power in country. My family was torn apart. Sometime I wish The
United states army had never left Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia,
so I and other people didn't have to be so suffered.
I remembered, During the year 1975, when royal Lao government
was colliation with Lao communist. My dad, who was a colonel for
the Royal Lao Army government, received a letter from Vientiane,
the capital of Laos. The letter was signed by Prime Minister at
the time. In the letter, the Prime Minister ordered all of the
country's high-level officials to attend to a very important meeting
in Vietiane, the capital of Laos. My dad was one of the ones invited
to attend. When the day came for my dad to leave, the chauffeur
drove my dad, my mom, my brothers, my sisters, and me to the airport
in the city of Savannakhet, where we lived. When we got to the
airport, there were several hundred high level officials, all
in full dress uniform, just like my dad was, all waiting for flights
to Vientiane. Among the officials were my uncles and cousins,
all of whom had received the same invitation from the Prime Minister.
Like my dad, many of my uncles and cousins were colonels; another
one was a lieutenant governor, another an ambassador, police chief
command (general), and another an Attorney General. They were
all waiting to be called by name to board a cargo airplane to
take them to the country's capital. Several big cargo airplanes
had been commandeered from the army to transport all of the officials,
who were not only from the army, but also from the police, and
other military and civilian organizations. There were not enough
cargo planes to transport all of the officials at once; so, a
second round of trips had to be made to fly everyone to the capital.
My mom, brothers, sister, and I waited with my dad at the airport.
We all told him not to forget to buy things for us on his way
back home. Whenever my dad traveled far away, he would always
bring back some gift or buy us some cookies. As soon as his name
was called to board one of the airplanes, we gave him a big hug
and said good bye to him. He picked up his luggage and said good
bye to us. We all said "Bye Dad. Have a safe trip," and waved
at him as he walked away from us and climbed the stairs to the
interior of the cargo plane. We stood and watched him. My mom
went over to my uncles (her brothers and cousins) to say goodbye
to them. As soon as the airplane took off, my family and I waved
at my dad and my uncles' airplane. Even though the airplane was
in the sky, we still waved at the airplane until it disappeared
from our sight. Then we went home. The first week went by, and
neither my dad nor any of my uncles or great uncles or anyone
who had gone to Vientiane with them came home. During the second
week, we waited for my dad, hoping that he would walk into the
house with cookies in his hands, but still, he did not come. The
third week went by and he did not come. Week after week, we waited
for him. The weeks turned into months; and months went by, turning
into a year. By the time we found out he wasn't coming home, it
was too late. The whole country was falling apart by the Laotian
communists. The Communists were arrested large number of royalist
from 30,000 to 50,000 people and sent them to re education camp.
We thought that the Royal Government was still in power, but it
turned out that it had none. Instead, the coalition government
between the Royalists and Communists had collapsed, and the Pathet
Lao had taken over. They tricked my dad, my uncles, and all of
their colleagues and had taken them to seminar camps. The letter
that had been signed by Prime minister was a fake. He had been
forced by the communists to sign that letter that ordered all
high level officials to attend that very important meeting in
Vientiane.
As soon as my dad, my uncles, my great uncle, my cousins, and
all of their colleagues who had entered the cargo airplanes had
gotten off from the cargo airplanes. Lao and Vietnamese Army soldiers
had forced them at gunpoint into an army truck and transported
them deep in the mountainous forested areas that were very hard
to get to. They had arrived in their uniforms. In the forest,
there were no houses; there was no food; and there were no people
around. My dad and his several hundred colleagues were ordered
at gun point and to shop down tree cut wood, build their own tents
to live in, grow their own food, build and repair roads and highway
by using human labor to do it. My dad, my uncles and their colleagues
were beaten down by the elements, many starved to death, My dad,
my uncles and their colleagues were held as political prisoners
in the camp for over a decade. Among in the large number of the
arrested. was The King, queen and the crown prince. Each camp
contained the political prisoners from 300-400 people. The camps
separated officers by rank. Those camps were kept secret from
the outside world.
The rest of my family was not allowed to visit. My dad was allowed
to communicate only by a letters. Each letters that my dad sent
to us was inspected by the Laotian communist. Whenever they relocate
my dad, we have no way of knowing to find the way to get in touch
with him. From time to time my dad would beg the guard to take
letters, that the guard would give to a stranger to deliver to
us, just let us know that he was alive. Every since the communists
took my dad away. My family was torn apart. The communist tried
to take my two older brothers away from my family. Somehow they
both managed to escaped from the country and seek asylum in another
country, not long after that, the communists took one of my older
sisters away from us and sent her to Vietnam. Time passed by so
slowly, I couldn't wait to see my dad, my sister and my brothers
to come home. I lived with hope and dream, wish that one day they
will come home, but it just a dream. A dream is that had never
come true.
After all,Vietnam war has had effected my country and my family.
