1st MAY 1975 where were you?

[CASALAO]

on that fateful day where were you? yes each of you?

i know where i was. i was riding my old beat-up bicycle around ANOUSAVARY in downtown vientiane not knowing what to do. should i stay or should i go? our family had hushed discussions as to what to do that is to flee to nongkhai and wait and see there.

for me and my family, the question of staying and be part of the new communist regime was totally impossible. after all we have fled from these laodeng once in samnua and half of my male family members were decimated through soldiering for the french, it was more than totally impossible to stay and be a statistics for the new regime.

vientiane was abuzz with changes. student demonstrations seemed to fade away to make way for takeover of critical places by the new regime. of course nobody knew who the new regime were. kaysone? no idea. souphanouvong? yes very prominent. phoumi vongvichit? very prominent with his soothing speech. souvannaphouma? the mofo simply told the people to split if they didn't like the new peace agreement(ໃຜບໍມັກສັນຕິພາບໃຫ້ໜີ).

[Her Lao]

Don't remember where EXACTLY and, partly, it's because I don't remember any thing about the exact school calendar for first graders.

But it's likely I was still up in the mountain-range over-looking Kasi, if school wasn't out yet in early May...

Towards the one direction was Vang Vieng, down highway 13... there you were in sophisticated Vientiane.

Gazing towards north, the other direction, there was Kasi...

I guess if May 1st school was winding down, like here in the West, too, then I was still up there in that tall range, where my grandfather and I saw a few nights of fire fights, some months before that... with tracers coming from below, and into the dark night sky.

But my parents were already down by our new village by the Nam Lik (is it "nam lik"?), so once school was let out, I'd come down with my teacher and would join them... which I did... with, again, my last memory of Laos being with my two first grade teachers, Nouk, the new younger teacher (who lived in Ban Put) and Kam La, the older one who was wooed away by another village half-way through my first year... with Kam La making sure I got to my village safely... which he did, on his way towards Kasi, I guess...

Those were my best memories of Laos... eating one final lunch with my one teacher, Nouk, at his house, going to swim for a bit, and then meeting my second teacher, Kam La, who came down from another Hmong village, and getting into the truck/taxi with him, and slowly making our way toward Kasi, via that left turn into Ban Chiang, first, and then coming out of it, making its way toward our little village on the side of the road, on its way towards Kasi...

As we crawled towards my little village on the side of the road, a few kilometers from the exit back-out-of Ban Chiang, my former teacher said for the driver to stop for a few seconds, so one of his students could get off... and the driver did that, and I jumped out and started running towards my place, never even remember to say "thank you" to my teacher...

Two best teachers I ever had. Instilled in me deep, lasting memories about simple ideas about reading, writing, math as well as nature...

As a first grader, I didn't really understand any thing; don't even remember much of any thing... only that my father and three uncles couldn't stay, because if they did, they would be taken away to "re-education" camps... to be taught how to "think correct thoughts"...

Of course, I had a few other uncles, some close family uncles and others were just remotely related.... who fought ON THE SIDE OF THE COMMUNISTS... so they would likely be in charge, sooner or later (or so my dad thought), of "sorting out" who needed to go to these political, re-educational camps... and that was just not going to work well with my dad and the three uncles who fought on the American-Vang-Pao side.

The whole thing really was, and continues to be, a tragedy, as all wars are...

The forces of history.... of circumstances and happenstances... really do work mysteriously.

Through pure luck, like a flip of a coin, here we ended up, many thousands of miles away, forever, from Laos... and many others... they ended up staying, forever, in Laos... and the two will forever diverge......

[CASALAO]

now i know why i was on my old beat-up bike riding endlessly in downtown vientiane on that fateful day. check out this wikileaks doc https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1975VIENTI02943_b.html

so on that first day of may 1975 there was a student demonstration after all.


unforgettable image of a time gone by. young men still wore the patte d'elephant pants
http://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/war-and-conflict-asia-vientiane-laos-pic-27th-may-1975-a-news-photo/80752274

[Her Lao]

General Viet Loung:


http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2015/04/30/403082804/the-frightened-vietnamese-kid-who-became-a-u-s-army-general


I bet the guy received not a few remarks in his earlier days down at the trenches with red necks who're destined to do nothing more in the US armed forces than clean toilets... having a name VIET, and also being from Vietnam!

"What you ain't no Viet-Cong commie, was you?"

[KC]

Ha ha ha!!! Perhaps some of our SCLers had made the vociferation”ສີສຸກ ຂ້າຜູ້ໃຫຍ່ ຄຳໄພ ຂ້າເດັກນ້ອຍ” in 75. Pas moi – Je suis Patikarn.

I am not remembering where I was doing exactly on May 1, 40 yrs ago. But I do memorize well that I have said farewell to Vientiane, Lao

[little FAT BigFOOT,BigHEAD2]

Post by KC
Ha ha ha!!! Perhaps some of our SCLers had made the vociferation”ສີສຸກ ຂ້າຜູ້ໃຫຍ່ ຄຳໄພ ຂ້າເດັກນ້ອຍ” in 75. Pas moi – Je suis Patikarn.
I am not remembering where I was doing exactly on May 1, 40 yrs ago. But I do memorize well that I have said farewell to Vientiane, Laos on May 11.

MAY timw frame we usually at thefar cleanig unburn trunks or ALREADY planting RICE N CORN. my year 0-10 over there we did the SAME EVERY YEAR EXCEPT 1977-1979 WHEN WE WERE HIDING IN THE JUNGLE 2 HOURS WALKING EAST OF NAM KAI NEAR KASEE. THOSE HIDING YEAR I COUKLD BE TRAPPING SMALL BIRDS OR DIGGING OUT TUBERS AT ABOUT 5-8 METERS DEEP. IT WASN'T EZ TO DIG THAT DEEP BUT DIG IT OR DIE FROM HUNGER. THE TWO OF US WERE ASSIGNED DIGGER (MY FATHER AND I) BECAUSE WE KNEW HOW TO FIND TUBER AND HOW TO EFFICIENTLY DIG THE TUBER OUT. IN MAY TYPICALLY MOST MOUNTAIN WERE ALL BLACK FROM OUR FARM BURNING IN APRIL. THE FIRST WEEK AFTER THE FARM/MOUNTAIN BURNING WASS THE HARDEST TIMETO LOCAT TUBER BECAUSETUBERS IN THE MOUNTAIN WERE ALL BURN OUT AT LEAST THE TUBER'S LEAVES AND WINES WERE GONE INTO THE BLACK CHAR. IT WOULD BE ABOUT 2 WEEKS AFTER THAT THAN TUBER CAN BE LOCATED AGAIN FROM THE NEW LEAVES AND WINES OF TUBERS. THERE WERE SEVERAL TYPE OF TUBERS. THE YELLOW ONES GOES THE DEEPEST BUT THE MOST PLENTY. THE REDS WERE THE LEAST DEEP AND THE WHITE/GREEN ONES WERE ONE OF THE MOST TROUBLESOME IT GROWS AT THE FOREST AND GRASS EDGES WHICH MEAN MOST LIKELY ROCKY LOCATION. DIGGING IT MEAN HAVING TO DIG OUT THE LARGE ROCKS HEAD-SIZE AND LARGER. WHOEVER CAN FIND THE RED TUBER WERE CONSIDERED FORTUNE, I WAS THE ONE WHO WERE UP TO LOOK FOR TUBER AND IN OUR FAMILY I ONLY FOUND TWO RED TUBERS. DUG IT IN 1 METER AND I GOT THOSE 8-10 INCH DIAMETER TUBER AT ABOUT 12-24 INCHES LONG. EZ MEAL FOR US. WE WERE NOT FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO FIND RED TUBER EVERY DAY. THOSE 1977 TO 6/1979 I ONLY FOUND 2 RED TUBERS. IN THE JUNGLE LIKE THAT THEENVIRONMENT TEMPERATURE WISE WAS PERFECT NEVER TOO HOT NEVERTOO COLD. COOL AIR BREEZES BY OFTEN IN THE MOUNTAIN.

[little FAT BigFOOT,BigHEAD2]

Post by little FAT BigFOOT,BigHEAD2

Post by KC
Ha ha ha!!! Perhaps some of our SCLers had made the vociferation”ສີສຸກ ຂ້າຜູ້ໃຫຍ່ ຄຳໄພ ຂ້າເດັກນ້ອຍ” in 75. Pas moi – Je suis Patikarn.
I am not remembering where I was doing exactly on May 1, 40 yrs ago. But I do memorize well that I have said farewell to Vientiane, Laos on May 11.

MAY timw frame we usually at thefar cleanig unburn trunks or ALREADY planting RICE N CORN. my year 0-10 over there we did the SAME EVERY YEAR EXCEPT 1977-1979 WHEN WE WERE HIDING IN THE JUNGLE 2 HOURS WALKING EAST OF NAM KAI NEAR KASEE. THOSE HIDING YEAR I COUKLD BE TRAPPING SMALL BIRDS OR DIGGING OUT TUBERS AT ABOUT 5-8 METERS DEEP. IT WASN'T EZ TO DIG THAT DEEP BUT DIG IT OR DIE FROM HUNGER. THE TWO OF US WERE ASSIGNED DIGGER (MY FATHER AND I) BECAUSE WE KNEW HOW TO FIND TUBER AND HOW TO EFFICIENTLY DIG THE TUBER OUT. IN MAY TYPICALLY MOST MOUNTAIN WERE ALL BLACK FROM OUR FARM BURNING IN APRIL. THE FIRST WEEK AFTER THE FARM/MOUNTAIN BURNING WASS THE HARDEST TIMETO LOCAT TUBER BECAUSETUBERS IN THE MOUNTAIN WERE ALL BURN OUT AT LEAST THE TUBER'S LEAVES AND WINES WERE GONE INTO THE BLACK CHAR. IT WOULD BE ABOUT 2 WEEKS AFTER THAT THAN TUBER CAN BE LOCATED AGAIN FROM THE NEW LEAVES AND WINES OF TUBERS. THERE WERE SEVERAL TYPE OF TUBERS. THE YELLOW ONES GOES THE DEEPEST BUT THE MOST PLENTY. THE REDS WERE THE LEAST DEEP AND THE WHITE/GREEN ONES WERE ONE OF THE MOST TROUBLESOME IT GROWS AT THE FOREST AND GRASS EDGES WHICH MEAN MOST LIKELY ROCKY LOCATION. DIGGING IT MEAN HAVING TO DIG OUT THE LARGE ROCKS HEAD-SIZE AND LARGER. WHOEVER CAN FIND THE RED TUBER WERE CONSIDERED FORTUNE, I WAS THE ONE WHO WERE UP TO LOOK FOR TUBER AND IN OUR FAMILY I ONLY FOUND TWO RED TUBERS. DUG IT IN 1 METER AND I GOT THOSE 8-10 INCH DIAMETER TUBER AT ABOUT 12-24 INCHES LONG. EZ MEAL FOR US. WE WERE NOT FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO FIND RED TUBER EVERY DAY. THOSE 1977 TO 6/1979 I ONLY FOUND 2 RED TUBERS. IN THE JUNGLE LIKE THAT THEENVIRONMENT TEMPERATURE WISE WAS PERFECT NEVER TOO HOT NEVERTOO COLD. COOL AIR BREEZES BY OFTEN IN THE MOUNTAIN.

TUBERSARE ALL STARCHES AND AS SUCH HUMAN CAN BE HOOK ADDICT TO IT. NOW AFTER 38 YEARS I STILL DESIRE TUBER RATHER THAN RICE AS MY STARCH PORTION OF A MEAL

[little FAT BigFOOT,BigHEAD2]

Post by CASALAO
on that fateful day where were you? yes each of you?
i know where i was. i was riding my old beat-up bicycle around ANOUSAVARY in downtown vientiane not knowing what to do. should i stay or should i go? our family had hushed discussions as to what to do that is to flee to nongkhai and wait and see there.
for me and my family, the question of staying and be part of the new communist regime was totally impossible. after all we have fled from these laodeng once in samnua and half of my male family members were decimated through soldiering for the french, it was more than totally impossible to stay and be a statistics for the new regime.
vientiane was abuzz with changes. student demonstrations seemed to fade away to make way for takeover of critical places by the new regime. of course nobody knew who the new regime were. kaysone? no idea. souphanouvong? yes very prominent. phoumi vongvichit? very prominent with his soothing speech. souvannaphouma? the mofo simply told the people to split if they didn't like the new peace agreement(ໃຜບໍມັກສັນຕິພາບໃຫ້ໜີ).

5/1/1975 I WAS A 6 YEAR OLD KID IN A FARM HIGH UP the MOUNTAIN IN LOUNGPRABANG PROVINCE where NO ONE NEITHER COMMIE NOR ROYAL SOLDIER CARE. WE FARMED CORN and RICE ALONG with typical farm produces. in our village the COMMIE DID NOT TURN UP THE HEAT UNTIL NOV. 1976. THAT WAS A FEW WEEKS WITHIN NEW YEAR CELEBRATION IN OUR VILLAGE. I WAS TOO YOUNG TO BE OF ANY SIGNIFICANT CREATURE FOR COMMIE TO PAY ATTENTION. I WAS CARRYING A SLINGSHOT AND A LITTLE BAG OF ROUND STONES. AT THE FARM WE ATE WELL WITH FOREST CREATURES MEATS. THAT 1975 WE GOT PLENTY OF FISH THAT MY FATHER HAD MADE OUR FIRST PADEK JAR. I REMEMBER THAT EVENT WELL BECAUSE I HAD A BIG DEBATE ABOUT IT WHEN MY FATHER KEEP PILING FISHES INTO THE JAR. I SAID THEY ARE GOING TO ROT AND THROWN AWAY SOON. MY FATHER SAID NEVER. I SAID WHY? HE SAID SALT PREVENT THE FISH FROM GOING ROT. I SAID THE FLIES LAY EGGS ON THEM AND WITHIN 7 DAYS THERE WILL BE MIGOTS IN THOUSANDS. MY FATHER SAID IMPOSSIBLE THE ASH WILL SEAL THE CAP AND NOTHING CAN GET IN THERE. I LOSE THAT DEBATE. MMM... TOO BAD THAT PADEK JAR HAD NOT BEEN OPEN FOR A GOOD MEAL AT ALL BECAUSE A PADEK JAR SUPPOSE TO BE SEAL FOR 6-12 MONTHS B4 OPENING AND IT WAS NOT COMPLETE THAT SEALED TIME BEFORE THE COMMIT TURNED UP THE HEAT IN OUR VILLAGE. 1ST STEP WAS TO SENT 2 MEN ION OUR VILLAGE TO BE TRAIN AS KONGLUANG. NEXT WE KNOW THEY SEND SOLDIERS TO CONFISCATE OUR GUNS. HA HA. THEY GAVE US 2 BRAND NEW SKS IN RETURN FOR OUR RUSTY M16. NEXT THE SHOWED UP ABOUT 20 SOLDIERS IN OUR VILLAGE. THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF OUR FUN TIME WITH COMMIE. 2 WEEKS AFTER THAT WE RAN AWAY INTO THE JUNGLE STRUGGLED TO SURVIVE UNTIL 6/1979 IN THE JUNGLE BEFORE WE FLED OUT TO THAILAND. MY 8-10YEAR OLD TIMES WERE ALL IN THE FUN JUNGLE. NO SCHOOL NO HOMEWORK TO WORRY NO TV TO BOTHER. NO ELECTRONIC BUZZY NOISE. JUST MUSIC BY BIRDS1 AND SQUAREL.

[ທ້າວໄຂ່ມືດ]

I was very very young, living in the slums of Bangkok, waiting for approval to come to the US.

Post by CASALAO
on that fateful day where were you? yes each of you?
i know where i was. i was riding my old beat-up bicycle around ANOUSAVARY in downtown vientiane not knowing what to do. should i stay or should i go? our family had hushed discussions as to what to do that is to flee to nongkhai and wait and see there.
for me and my family, the question of staying and be part of the new communist regime was totally impossible. after all we have fled from these laodeng once in samnua and half of my male family members were decimated through soldiering for the french, it was more than totally impossible to stay and be a statistics for the new regime.
vientiane was abuzz with changes. student demonstrations seemed to fade away to make way for takeover of critical places by the new regime. of course nobody knew who the new regime were. kaysone? no idea. souphanouvong? yes very prominent. phoumi vongvichit? very prominent with his soothing speech. souvannaphouma? the mofo simply told the people to split if they didn't like the new peace agreement(ໃຜບໍມັກສັນຕິພາບໃຫ້ໜີ).