Laos, Hmong Veterans Burial Bill Spearheaded By Jim Costa to Honor Veterans, Community

"We are very grateful to U.S. Congressman Jim Costa and his colleagues in the U.S. Congress who have worked so very hard to help to make this legislation a reality and introduce it in the U.S. Congress today," said Colonel Wangyee Vang, National President and founder of the Lao Veterans of America Institute and Lao Veterans of America, Inc.

(Media-Newswire.com) - Washington, D.C., and Fresno, California, July 27, 2010 - U.S. Congressman Jim Costa ( D-CA ) and a bipartisan coalition of 22 Members of Congress have introduced legislation today in Washington, D.C., to honor Laotian and Hmong Veterans in the Central Valley of California and across the United States. The historic legislation would provide burial benefits in National Cemeteries to Hmong Veterans who served in support of U.S. forces in the Vietnam War.

“Our Hmong Veterans fought shoulder to shoulder with American soldiers during the Vietnam war,” said U.S. Congressman Jim Costa.

Congressman Costa continued: “Many paid the ultimate sacrifice and I am proud that Hmong Veterans now call places like our Valley home. Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to these patriotic individuals and their service should be honored with burial benefits in our National Cemeteries.”

“U.S. Congressman Costa’s bipartisan leadership, along with his colleagues in the U.S. Congress, in support of the Lao and Hmong veterans and their families across the United States gives hope and dignity the plight of the Lao Hmong community and the veterans who seek to be buried with honor in America’s National Veterans Cemeteries,” said Philip Smith, Executive Director of the Center for Public Policy Analysis. Smith also serves as the Washington, D.C. Director for the Lao Veterans of America, Inc., the nation’s largest Laotian and Hmong veterans organization.

“We are very grateful to U.S. Congressman Jim Costa and his colleagues in the U.S. Congress who have worked so very hard to help to make this legislation a reality and introduce it in the U.S. Congress today,” said Colonel Wangyee Vang, National President and founder of the Lao Veterans of America Institute and Lao Veterans of America, Inc. which is headquartered in Fresno, California.

“This important and historic new legislation will make our Laotian and Hmong-American veterans and the Lao-Hmong community in the United States very pleased and happy,” Colonel Wangyee Vang continued. “Our Laotian and Hmong veterans and their refugee families across the United States are honored and deeply grateful for the potential opportunity this legislation affords to be buried in U.S. National Cemeteries along with the American veterans we helped to defend and save during the Vietnam War; We fought side by side with American soldiers and clandestine troops of the Central Intelligence Agency in defense of the United States and in defense of the Royal Kingdom of Laos and America.”

In May of this year, the Lao Veterans of America, Inc., the Lao Veterans of America Institute, the Center for Public Policy Analysis, Counterparts, Inc., Hmong Advance, Inc. and Hmong Advancement, Inc. held ceremonies in Arlington National Cemetery with the U.S. Department of Defense to honor Lao and Hmong veterans and their American advisers who served in Laos during the Vietnam War.
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Contact:

Ms. Maria Gomez or Philip Smith
( 202 ) 543-1444
info@centerforpublicpolicyanalysis.org

CPPA - Center for Public Policy Analysis
http://centerforpublicpolicyanalysis.org
http://cppa-dc.org

Colonel Wangyee Vang
Lao Veterans of America Institute
( 559 )252-3921

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