Death of General Vang Pao unifies Hmong community

Brandon - thank you for writing this piece and expressing your own personal opinion. But please be aware that what you write will be read by thousands and even millions around the world...so, always make sure you have your facts correct. There is nothing worse than giving and false misleading information, which is exactly what you did!Here are some facts: It may be true that many Hmong in the U.S., and elsewhere who had a direct tie to General Vang Pao during the Secret War in Laos were saddened by his passing, but surely, the 4 million Hmong in China, the 1 million Hmong in Vietnam, and the half million Hmong in Laos, ALL of whom are Communists and fought on the OTHER side of the same war...would NOT have the same feelings towards General Vang Pao! Is the education of our Hmong children in America really this bad?You wrote, "...along the dirt road of the Ho Chi Minh Trail." Sorry, but the Ho Chi Minh Trail is NOT just some dirt road! The trail was not a single route, but rather a complex maze of truck routes, paths for foot and bicycle traffic, and river transportation systems from North Vietnam, along the border and sometimes on Laos territory to South Vietnam.You wrote, "After the Vietnam War was over, millions of Hmong refugees fled Laos and settled in United Kingdom, Australia and the United States." This is simply false information! The total Hmong population in Laos, before, during, and after the war NEVER came close to 1 million! Currently, there are only 6 million people in all of Laos! After the war, at most, 200,000 Hmong fled Laos, with the vast majority, with no more than 150,000 settling in the U.S. As thousands stayed in Thailand among Hmong-Thai, others went to France, Canada, Australia, and very small numbers went to South America, with a few to Europe, and even some families went back China!You wrote, "Vang Pao bridged generations." The fact is that Vang Pao was quite a controversial and often polarizing figure, even and especially among young Hmong Americans. General Vang Pao served the Royal Lao Army as Commander of Military Region II (there were 3 other regions in Laos with their own Command) and the Royal Lao Government with distinction, no doubt. General Vang Pao was the highest ranking Hmong and most respect general during the Secret War in Laos, no doubt. That was from 1961-1975, a period of 14 years. Since 1975 when the Hmong first arrived as refugees from Laos (36 years), General Vang Pao has had his sight on going BACK to Laos! All of his politics (Lao Family, 18 Clan Council, Neo Hom) over the past 36 years in the U.S. have been focused on that one agenda, sometimes against the very policies of the international community and the U.S. government. While ordinary Hmong Americans sought to build a new life in America, the general and his politics (using his natural command of his former military subordinates and their families as loyal supporters) operated under the shadows and consistently tried to assert themselves as the un-elected, yet automatic "Hmong leaders." It's a sad state when Hmong American children grow up believing much of the nonsense about Hmong leadership and that their existence, their success, their hopes and dreams in America were due to exclusively to General Vang Pao. It's NOT. Fact: The vast majority of Hmong (hundreds of thousands) were left to be slaughtered by the Communist after the general and his top lieutenants (all 1,500 of them) flew to safety in Thailand and then to the U.S. Each of those thousands of Hmong eventually made their OWN WAY to safety in Thailand, along with hundreds of tens of thousands of other Lao and Cambodians, and at the same time millions South Vietnamese also made their way to Thailand...and ALL of them eventually were accepted as political refugees in the U.S., almost ALL were first sponsored by American churches and good hearted Americans! This is FACT! And while here, many worked at odd factory and assembly jobs, enrolled their in school, some became businessmen and women and soon, their children graduated and become professionals in their own right...without any direct help from the general or any of his politics! In fact, the general despises anyone who became successful and did not bow down to his politics. The general and his political cronies have over the years call anyone who doesn't follow their politics of retaking Laos by force..."communists," which more than anything, reveal how outdated and obsolete, and desperate his politics have become over the years. These are ALL known FACTS in the Hmong community! Let's not kid ourselves anymore...and let's STOP spreading such misinformation.Finally, you wrote, "Vang Pao's body may be buried at Forrest Lawn cemetery inLos Angeles, but his spirit will forever be with the Hmong people. " Again, I can't imagine the Communist Lao PDR Hmong leaders in Laos, and their half a million Hmong constituents wishing General Vang Pao's spirit is with them. I mean, don't be ridiculous when...