Gayle L. Morrison has worked with the Hmong community for the past 30 years. In 2003-04 she received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities to continue her oral history research with the Hmong. She lives in California.

“deals with one of the most secretive parts of the war”—Southwest Oral History Association Newsletter; “an impressive compilation of oral history...offers new and detailed information from reliable sources...an important record of events and how they were perceived by different parties”—Khosana; “a firsthand account”—Indochina Chronology; “a source of valuable insight”—Air-Log; “pieces together the story of the evacuation from the actual words of the participants—from the son of Hmong leader Vang Pao and US pilots to ordinary Hmong students and villagers...a valuable addition”—South China Morning Post; “a firsthand account of the 14–day evacuation and the events leading up to it...document[s] both the political and human aspects”—Hmong Tribune; “both key players and ordinary people.... The direct, unadorned language of those interviews gives the book an impact a more academic approach could never have...an important contribution”—Air America Log.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgments      Preface      Maps      Introduction      Brief Chronology of Events      1 An Uneasy Peace (1973–1975)      2 Not Enough to Fight a War (May 1–5, 1975)      3 Vientiane Hmong      4 A Strategic Junction (Tuesday,May 6, 1975)      5 For the Safety of My Soldiers (Wednesday,May 7, 1975)      6 Laos Is Falling (Thursday,May 8, 1975–Saturday,May 10, 1975)      7 Spies, Traitors, Tanks (Saturday,May 10, 1975, and Sunday,May 11, 1975)      8 Not Too Many Pilots, Not Too Many Planes (Sunday,May 11, 1975)      9 Get Ready! (Monday,May 12, 1975)      10 Mobs and Mobs of People (Tuesday,May 13, 1975)      11 People Go Like Ants (Tuesday,May 13, 1975)      12 Three Children (Tuesday,May 13, 1975)      13 Survival Only (Wednesday,May 14, 1975)      14 A Can-Do Operation (Wednesday,May 14, 1975)      15 Find Your Own Way Out      16 Thailand      Appendix A: People Interviewed      Appendix B: Pilots’ Flight Logs      Glossary: Terms, Places, People      Index

Gayle L. Morrison has worked with the Hmong community for the past 30 years. In 2003-04 she received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities to continue her oral history research with the Hmong. She lives in California.

“deals with one of the most secretive parts of the war”—Southwest Oral History Association Newsletter; “an impressive compilation of oral history...offers new and detailed information from reliable sources...an important record of events and how they were perceived by different parties”—Khosana; “a firsthand account”—Indochina Chronology; “a source of valuable insight”—Air-Log; “pieces together the story of the evacuation from the actual words of the participants—from the son of Hmong leader Vang Pao and US pilots to ordinary Hmong students and villagers...a valuable addition”—South China Morning Post; “a firsthand account of the 14–day evacuation and the events leading up to it...document[s] both the political and human aspects”—Hmong Tribune; “both key players and ordinary people.... The direct, unadorned language of those interviews gives the book an impact a more academic approach could never have...an important contribution”—Air America Log.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgments      Preface      Maps      Introduction      Brief Chronology of Events      1 An Uneasy Peace (1973–1975)      2 Not Enough to Fight a War (May 1–5, 1975)      3 Vientiane Hmong      4 A Strategic Junction (Tuesday,May 6, 1975)      5 For the Safety of My Soldiers (Wednesday,May 7, 1975)      6 Laos Is Falling (Thursday,May 8, 1975–Saturday,May 10, 1975)      7 Spies, Traitors, Tanks (Saturday,May 10, 1975, and Sunday,May 11, 1975)      8 Not Too Many Pilots, Not Too Many Planes (Sunday,May 11, 1975)      9 Get Ready! (Monday,May 12, 1975)      10 Mobs and Mobs of People (Tuesday,May 13, 1975)      11 People Go Like Ants (Tuesday,May 13, 1975)      12 Three Children (Tuesday,May 13, 1975)      13 Survival Only (Wednesday,May 14, 1975)      14 A Can-Do Operation (Wednesday,May 14, 1975)      15 Find Your Own Way Out      16 Thailand      Appendix A: People Interviewed      Appendix B: Pilots’ Flight Logs      Glossary: Terms, Places, People      Index

Gayle L. Morrison has worked with the Hmong community for the past 30 years. In 2003-04 she received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities to continue her oral history research with the Hmong. She lives in California.

“deals with one of the most secretive parts of the war”—Southwest Oral History Association Newsletter; “an impressive compilation of oral history...offers new and detailed information from reliable sources...an important record of events and how they were perceived by different parties”—Khosana; “a firsthand account”—Indochina Chronology; “a source of valuable insight”—Air-Log; “pieces together the story of the evacuation from the actual words of the participants—from the son of Hmong leader Vang Pao and US pilots to ordinary Hmong students and villagers...a valuable addition”—South China Morning Post; “a firsthand account of the 14–day evacuation and the events leading up to it...document[s] both the political and human aspects”—Hmong Tribune; “both key players and ordinary people.... The direct, unadorned language of those interviews gives the book an impact a more academic approach could never have...an important contribution”—Air America Log.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgments      Preface      Maps      Introduction      Brief Chronology of Events      1 An Uneasy Peace (1973–1975)      2 Not Enough to Fight a War (May 1–5, 1975)      3 Vientiane Hmong      4 A Strategic Junction (Tuesday,May 6, 1975)      5 For the Safety of My Soldiers (Wednesday,May 7, 1975)      6 Laos Is Falling (Thursday,May 8, 1975–Saturday,May 10, 1975)      7 Spies, Traitors, Tanks (Saturday,May 10, 1975, and Sunday,May 11, 1975)      8 Not Too Many Pilots, Not Too Many Planes (Sunday,May 11, 1975)      9 Get Ready! (Monday,May 12, 1975)      10 Mobs and Mobs of People (Tuesday,May 13, 1975)      11 People Go Like Ants (Tuesday,May 13, 1975)      12 Three Children (Tuesday,May 13, 1975)      13 Survival Only (Wednesday,May 14, 1975)      14 A Can-Do Operation (Wednesday,May 14, 1975)      15 Find Your Own Way Out      16 Thailand      Appendix A: People Interviewed      Appendix B: Pilots’ Flight Logs      Glossary: Terms, Places, People      Index