ATLANTA —While many Americans are familiar with the Vietnam War, less is known about the Secret War in Laos, a hidden chapter that played a pivotal role during that era. Thanks to the efforts of Georgia State University anthropology alumna Susan Caolo (M.A. ’15), these untold stories are now coming to the forefront.
In collaboration with the U.S. Library of Congress, Caolo has created the oral history collection “Lao Special Guerrilla Unit and Royal Lao Army Veteran Video Interviews,” which documents the experiences of Lao and American veterans who fought in the Secret War from 1964 to 1971.
The Secret War was a covert campaign in Laos initiated by President John F. Kennedy, directed by U.S. ambassadors to Laos and executed by the CIA. It was intended to disrupt the North Vietnamese supply routes running through the country. While the Vietnam War raged, the U.S. aided the Royal Lao Armed Forces and supported the creation of Special Guerrilla Units (SGUs) made up of ethnic Lao and Hmong fighters. These guerrillas were the only ones in history to fight with air superiority, receiving air support from the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.
According to the Congressional Research Service,during the time of the Secret War, the U.S. dropped over 2 million tons of bombs and artillery on Laos — more than was dropped on Germany and Japan combined during World War II.
Many of these Lao fighters sought refuge in the United States after the communist Lao People’s Revolutionary Party took power in 1975. Their stories, once buried by history, are now being preserved thanks to Caolo’s work.
Caolo’s journey began in 2022 when she was introduced to Manousack “Jimmy” Athakhanh, a Special Guerrilla Unit veteran, by a Vietnam veteran at a veterans’ fair in Cobb County, Ga.
“That’s how I met them — through direct connections with Vietnam veterans who introduced me to the Lao veterans,” Caolo said. “One of the Vietnam veterans said, ‘Susan, they have a story you should listen to.’ So, I started interviewing them. And that was the start of it.”
What she initially thought would be just a couple of interviews grew into a project of 26 interviews, with more veterans eager to share their stories.
While some interviews required a translator, each was an opportunity for Caolo to connect with veterans of the Secret War and their families. She learned not only about the war but also about the deep network these veterans maintained over the years. Many had served as young men, driven by a desire to prevent communism from taking over their homeland.
“These were people committed to a cause — they wanted independence,” Caolo explained.
Caolo’s first four interviews were submitted to the Library of Congress in September 2023. By the following May, the collection had expanded and been officially cataloged, with 14 interviews available online to the public.
This month, Caolo was recognized for her contributions at a special event at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., where she and a group of the Lao veterans she interviewed led a panel discussion to share more about their experiences and the importance of the Secret War.
As her project continues, Caolo is committed to capturing as many stories as possible while these veterans are still alive.
“Every veteran has a story worth telling, sharing and preserving,” she said.
Learn more about the Secret War in Laos and explore the veteran interviews at scaolo.com/laos-secret-war.
Georgia State University offers several graduate programs in anthropology, including a Master of Arts with a concentration in Museum Anthropology and a Graduate Certificate in Ethnography.
— Story by William Greer and Amanda Head
