My Escaped from Laos
By Long Saechao
I came from small Country in Laos. My nationality is Mien. I am second Son of the family. We have only three brothers. My oldest brother studied Lao for ten years. He was educated person of my family. When he was nineteen years old he got sick for only three days. He was died in 1965 of July.
My father was a soldier. He aloways went out all the times only mymother took care of me and my young brother. My mother worked on the farm and took care of animal. She worked very hard.
When I was seventeen years old I was army with my father in 1969 until 1975. The Communists came over to our Country. There were many political changes in our country the Communist Soldiers killed a lot of educated people and took who be in American army before. They wanted to kill all. They killed my uncle in 1975 of July. He did nothing wrong. He stayed home. He was sick forone month. He can not go anywhere. The Communist soliders came to my uncle house, took him to go outside the door. Army asked him only couple questions for nothing wrong but they killed him.
Army look for me. They wanted to to catch me and put in jail.I was so scared. I went out to the jungle hid for two months in the jungle.My wife bought food for me to eat in the jungle. For one month I can't see my family.
In the village all the people were so scared. My younger brother was only fourteen years old but he separated from the family with his friend. They tried to come to Thailand in July 1975. The Mekong River was very deep and they didn't have any boats to help them to cross the river. They cut down the bamboo to make a raft to help them cross Mekong River to Thailand. The water was very strong makes the raft break and the people drowned in the water. Some people got killed in the water. Some people went back to Laos.
The Communists soldiers saw them. The soldier took children and women put them in jail. Many children hungry. They cried and cried. They had nothing to eat for three days. The only got some water to drink.
My mother, father and wife and my three year old son tried to escape to Thailand in October 1976. They went out and made it halfway.Communist Soldiers found them and shot my father, mother and my son. Three people got killed at the same time. My wife went back home she cried and cried.
After my parent died one month later my young brother, my wife and me found the tire. We blew air into tire. We try to cross to Thailand. Then we went to Chiang Kam refugee Camp in Thailand. We lived in Chiang Kam camp for four years.The United States Government went to the refugee camp they interviewd who were American army before. They asked all the application they wrote down all the application. After two years they found the sponsor in the United States to accept for my family. Then they sent us family to the United States on May 12, 1982. My family could not speak English. It has been a difficult time. We thank the United States Government for our living a safe life in the USA.