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VICENZA, Italy – When I envisioned the Vietnam War as a kid, I always pictured iconic Hollywood movies like Platoon (1986), Good Morning Vietnam (1987), Hamburger Hill (1987) and We Were Soldiers (2002). I knew my own family had a more detailed and graphic account of the events building up to the Vietnam War and the chaos that ensued after. My family is Tai Dam—an obscure ethnicity from the former country Le Pais Tai, which is now Northern Laos. My uncle, Mecksavanh Xayasouk, served in the Royal Laotian Airforce (RLA).
Amidst the tumultuous landscape of the Vietnam War, the contributions of the RLA and the French Army stand as often-overlooked chapters in the complex narrative of the Southeast Asian conflict.
Serving in the military has been a family affair for my Tai Dam, Laotian and American families. Laos was a French colony and my maternal grandfather served in the French Army from 1940 until 1953. Photos of him and his fellow soldiers are in a black and white French book “Les Bataillons thais en Indochine.” Grandpa’s jawline is sharp, and his cheeks are sunken in. Though the French Army's involvement in the Vietnam War preceded American intervention, it left a mark on the region's geopolitical landscape. France was embroiled in a struggle against Vietnamese nationalist forces led by Ho Chi Minh's Viet Minh movement.
My uncle Mecksavanh’s military service in the RLA brought him and his fellow airmen to Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, for training 53 years ago. He recently visited the site to reminisce about his service and friends who have since passed. Uncle Mecksavanh keeps a 1971 photo of himself in a military uniform boarding a white and orange striped plane named “Rosemary.”
The RLA was thrust into the Vietnam War due to Laos' strategic significance as a battleground. Despite its limited resources, the RLA waged a valiant struggle against North Vietnamese forces and Pathet Lao insurgents, often operating under the shadow of covert American intervention.
My dad’s family also served in the Vietnam War as American soldiers. Though my American dad, Jim, didn’t join the U.S. Marines until the mid-1980s, his older brother served as a U.S. Army air defense soldier and his cousin as a cook in the early 1970s. The war stories they brought back to my dad were grim yet full of heroism. It motivated my dad to join the Marines and later serve 30 years in the Army as a signal operations noncommissioned officer and recruiter.
Though my family was scattered through the French, Laotian and American ranks during the Vietnam War, they all fought on the same side in the multifaceted conflict. They fought for freedom.
My mother was just a teenager when she, her brother Deng, and her parents had to flee Northern Laos. The country of Le Pais Tai was no more, as communists took over the small government. Mom would always tell me, “We had to leave in the middle of the night, or the communists were going to kill us.” My grandmother only took cash and her wedding ring so she could sell it to a ferryman to get them into a refugee camp in neighboring Thailand. My mother and her family spent a year at the Thailand refugee camp until they could seek asylum in the United States.
My uncle Mecksavanh is among the most patriotic Americans I know. To him, the United States represents a place of safety and refuge. It is where he was able to take his younger brother, sister and parents to keep them alive.
I took these stories with me as I embarked on my own military career, trying my best to follow in my family’s footsteps.
Now, I am the chief of public affairs for the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), flying and parachuting together with numerous European allies and partners.
During my time with the brigade, I have covered live-fire exercises in Slovenia, met the U.S. Ambassador to Croatia, covered Sweden’s first NATO exercise and now I am preparing media coverage for the 80th anniversary of D-Day where a select number of our paratroopers will conduct an airborne operation in Normandy, France.
The significance is not lost on me or our team, as this is the exact location where their grandfathers and uncles jumped on that fateful day during World War II. Together, we will honor and remember their service and sacrifice. Of course, I will also take time to reflect on my own family’s contributions to defending freedom in other parts of the world, in other times of conflict.
The United States has been my family’s home for more than four decades now. Military service isn’t just a calling. It saved my family from certain death during one of the bloodiest conflicts in our history. I am honored to serve as a U.S. Army public affairs officer where I can tell the Army’s story, including the exploits of my family’s legacy. For that, I am grateful to keep the memory alive. The United States is our home. Serving in the military is an honor and privilege.
Learn more about Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. Army at: https://www.army.mil/asianpacificamericans/
About 173rd Airborne Brigade
The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army's Contingency Response Force in Europe, providing rapidly deployable forces to the U.S. European Command, U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Central Command areas of responsibility. Forward deployed across Italy and Germany, the brigade routinely trains alongside NATO allies and partners to build partnerships and strengthen the alliance.
About SETAF-AF
SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.
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