Pete Quiñones and I dove deep into the American war in Laos, often dubbed the ‘Secret War’ due to its covert nature, and the elements which parallel other proxy wars since, specifically the Ukraine.
This time the YT clip is a SHORT one - to see the entire presentation, support Pete’s show!
The resources I reference:
CIA Case Officer Vint Laurence’s documentary produced in 1966 for his boss William Colby, which was viewed by the Senate Arms Committee
Ted Yates of NBC produced the below video, posted in four parts, which is only viewable on YouTube. Note the armed 11 year old in the opening, at the Battle for Skyline Ridge above Long Cheng.
Other resources:
PAVN, History of the People's Army of Vietnam (1994)
Thomas Briggs, Cash On Delivery: CIA Special Operations During the Secret War in Laos
Kenneth Comboy
Joshua Kurlantzick, A Great Place to Have a War: America in Laos and the Birth of the Military CIA
James Parker, Jr.
Keith Quincy, Harvesting Pa Chay’s Wheat: The Hmong and America’s Secret War in Laos
Christopher Robbins, The Ravens: The Men Who Flew In America’s Secret War in Laos
Roger Warner, Shooting at the Moon: The Story of America’s Clandestine War in Laos
For my money, the best single book on the subject; sadly long out of print!
Dr. Charles Weldon, Jr., Tragedy in Paradise
Incredible show. One of my neighbors (USAF) has told me some great stories from this period and it's so cool to have all the context. Hope your next novel is set in Southeast Asia. Keep up the good work!