Prisoner of Wars: A Hmong Fighter Pilot's Story of Escaping Death and Confronting Life

by Chia Youyee Vang, Pao Yang (Primary Contributor)

Retired Captain Pao Yang was a Hmong airman trained by the U.S. Air Force and CIA to fly T-28D aircraft for the U.S. Secret War in Laos. However, his plane was shot down during a mission in June 1972. Yang survived, but enemy forces captured him and sent him to a POW camp in northeastern Laos. He remained imprisoned for four years after the United States withdrew from Vietnam because he fought on the American side of the war.  Prisoner of Wars shows the impact the U.S Secret War in Laos had on Hmong combatants and their families. Chia Vang uses oral histories that poignantly recount Yang’s story and the deeply personal struggles his loved ones—who feared he had died—experienced in both Southeast Asia and the United States. As Yang eventually rebuilt his life in America, he grappled with issues of freedom and trauma. Yang’s life provides a unique lens through which to better understand the lasting impact of the wars in Southeast Asia and the diverse journeys that migrants from Asia made over the last two centuries. Prisoner of Wars makes visible an aspect of the collateral damage that has been left out of dominant Vietnam War narratives.

167 pages, Paperback

Published December 4, 2020

Reviews

[Aya Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember purchasing this as an e-book when it first came out and read it without stopping. I then bought a physical copy as my own and then another for my father in law.
I will admit that I am close to one of Pao Yang’s daughters as she is like my mom.
As a half Hmong girl that was born in the U.S, I’ve always heard of stories about Hmong men who fought in the secret war due to knowing “the way of the mountain.” My grandpa was also one of those men, but so were many others.
Pao Yang’s journey is what exactly it sounds like- a prisoner of war.
The point of view of the story will often shift. There will be the proper Hmong words spelled after the “romanized” version of the words. Pictures and captions included occasionally, but fear not as it is an interesting read overall. You might need to pull up a map of Laos and Thailand or even Southeast Asia just in case if you need extra visualization.
This is a book I recommend to people who are interested to learn about the Hmong people in the secret war.

[Emily Newhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Borrowed this one physically through the Library and don't you just hate it when they put the barcode over the Title!!

This is an interesting story about survival & escape with family stories added in. Explains not only Pao's experience but also his family's story as well. It gives voice to Pao, his wives (Ong & Ena) &their children, in their own words.

It is about one Hmong man's life story & his experience as a POW(prisoner of war) as well as the effects his disappearance had on his family.

Pao Yang was a Hmong T-28 bomber pilot during the Vietnam War, aka the Secret War in Laos. When he was shot down & captured in enemy territory.
His story is unique not because he was shot down (many Pilots were shot down during that time) but because he survived. Only a couple of the pilots that were shot down survived to be captured.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is curious about this time frame, the Vietnam War, &/or the stories of Prisoners of War.

[Alan Yang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personally I am not a big fan of the ¨morbid¨ and “sadder” type books, because this book overviews a Hmong man's experience as a prisoner during war so it won't be all sunshine and rainbows, but the story was well written and I felt really connected to the characters. Seeing how Pao survived through havoc but eventually prevailing in the end and fighting through really hit deep. The book teaches you that no matter what you're currently going through, know that it will eventually be over and you should continue to fight on no matter what the situation is. Overall I would rate this book a 4/5 for the great story and great characters that teaches a really important lesson, not only being a 5/5 because of the genre that isn’t my personal favorite. If you are into history and more of the “darker” themed type books, this book is the right choice for you.