“They’ll never get me. I’m too good.” Lee Lue’s life, time, and impacts on the Secret War in Laos, 1967-1969

Abstract

Lee Lue was one of the few Hmong fighter pilots selected to fly T-28 fighter planes during the Secret War. His incredible skills as a fighter pilot has marked him as a heroic ace pilot. Contrary to his skills and heroic status, there is little known about his life and time since his demise in July of 1969. The purpose of this research is to study his life, time, and impacts on the Secret War in Laos. Lee Lue’s importance not only showed the impact of Hmong pilots in Laos but also proved a symbol of Hmong resistance against the North Vietnamese Army.