Section I
Khmer / Cambodia

Khmer Mike Force

MACV’s Khmer MIKE Force refers to units within the Mobile Strike Force Command (MIKE Force) during the Vietnam War that were composed primarily of ethnic Khmer (Cambodian) fighters, including Kampuchea Krom (ethnic Khmers from South Vietnam’s Mekong Delta) and "Khmer Serei". These units were part of the broader "Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG)" program, led by U.S. Army Special Forces and sometimes Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) personnel, to conduct counterinsurgency operations against the Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese Army.

Civilian Irregular Defence Group (CIDG)

The CIDG was a United States program initiated by the CIA in 1961 to organize and train ethnic Khmer and South Vietnamese irregular military units, primarily from ethnic minority groups like the Montagnards, to counter Viet Cong (VC) influence, especially in the Central Highlands. Many of these ethnic groups included the ethnic Khmer Kampuchea Krom. Several of these veterans call Minnesota home, among them, the Khmer Serei or Free Khmer.

Also referred to as the Cambodian Nationalist Guerrillas. They operated from bases in South Vietnam and Thailand. The Khmer Serei conducted guerrilla attacks against Cambodian Chief of State Norodom Sihanouk’s government, which they viewed as pro-Communist Vietnamese and authoritarian. They were supported by the CIA and South Vietnam, receiving training and arms to destabilize Sihanouk’s regime. Minnesota is home to many of these veterans.

White Scarves or The Kangsaing Sar

The White Scarves were a Khmer Krom militia formed in the late 1960s, led by Buddhist monk Samouk Sen.

During the Vietnam War, they allied with the United States. They were trained by the United States Special Forces in MIke Force Guerrilla Units (MGU) and served on covert missions into Cambodia, rooting out Communist Viet Cong sanctuaries. 

Saint Paul is the home of at least one of these Veterans. This term is associated with the Khmer Krom, an ethnic Khmer community residing in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. The name "Kangsaing Sar" is Khmer for "White Scarves" (Vietnamese: Can Sen So). The Khmer Serei, an anti-communist Cambodian movement, had loose connections with the US-backed Front de Lutte du Kampuchea Krom militia, also known as the "White Scarves" (Kangsaing Sar). This suggests their activities were primarily within the context of the Cambodian and Southern Vietnamese conflicts during the Vietnam War era. They were a militia group, implying involvement in armed activities and potentially aligned with anti-communist forces in the region. Their operations were based in Southern Vietnam, within the historical homeland of the Khmer Krom people.

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Section II
Kingdom of Laos

Lao Loum or Lowland Lao

Sixty-five % (65%) of all SGU units in Laos were Lao Loum and Lao Theung. These soldiers fought in all Military Regions in Laos.

Minnesota in now home to many of these former soldiers.

Large populations live in Saint Paul, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove, Minneapolis, Albertville, Rochester, and other cities in Minnesota.

Lao Sung or Highland Lao

Among these northern Lao tribal groups were the Hmong, Khmu, Lu-Mien (Yao), Akha, and Miao-Yao. They formed thirty-five % (35%) of all other SGU units, and were included within the northern Laos CIA irregular SGU battalions. They were trained by the United States Army Special Forces and the CIA in secret training camps in Thailand.

Minnesota is home to many of the Hmong and possibly the other northern Lao Sung tribes. and at least one United States Army Special Forces veteran who trained many of them in Thailand.

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Section III
Republic of Vietnam or South Vietnam

Strategic Technical Directorate Naval Advisory Detachment

Covert mission specialists trained by the CIA to perform missions into North Vietnam, one notable operation was OPLAN 34 Alpha. Two of these mission specialists live in Saint Paul, who, incidentally, were captured, tortured, and imprisoned by the North Vietnamese Communists for 20 and 13 years.

One of the most infamous was the Hoa Lo Prison or "The Hanoi Hilton,” where POWs were incarcerated and tortured by Communist Cubans in the Nobi Room of torture.

The Vietnamese ARVN Rangers

Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) Rangers or Biệt Động Quân in Vietnamese, they were elite light infantry units of the South Vietnamese military during the Vietnam War (1955–1975). They were highly trained, versatile, and often deployed for special operations, counterinsurgency, and rapid-response missions against Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) forces. They were under the command of the ARVN General Staff but often worked closely with U.S. Special Forces, MACV (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam), and CIA advisors.

Several of these Veterans call Minnesota home now.

The Ethnic Chinese Nung
​The Nung fighters during the Vietnam War were ethnic Nung, a minority group of primarily Chinese descent living in northern proinces of the Republic of Vietnam, particularly around Cao Bang, Quảng Ninh, and Lạng Sơn provinces. They were known for their fierce loyalty, combat prowess, and close collaboration with U.S. Special Forces, often serving as mercenaries, bodyguards, and camp guards for the South Vietnamese and American forces. ​

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Section IV
Others

Thailand

Thai Unity Volunteer Battalions & Thai Forward Air Guides

Thai Unity battalions provided a significant ground combat force in Laos, often operating alongside the indigenous CIA Irregular SGU battalions, while the Thai Forward Air Guides offered a critical link between ground forces and U.S. air power, enabling effective close air support in a complex and clandestine conflict. Both groups represent key facets of Thailand's deep, albeit often unacknowledged, involvement in the Vietnam War era conflicts in Indochina.

While often stiffened with a cadre of Thai Army trainers and medical specialists, the bulk of the force was made up of volunteers, giving them an "irregular" designation. These Thai battalions were often integrated with or operated alongside the CIA-backed Special Guerrilla Units (SGUs) composed of ethnic minorities within Laos. The Thai units often fell under the operational control of General Vang Pao, the leader of the Hmong forces in Military Region II in northern Laos and General Soutchay Vongsavanh, the leader of Lao and Lao Theung forces in Military Region IV in southern Laos.

Unlike the Thai Unity battalions, the Thai FAGs were recruited and employed directly by the CIA. Their primary role was to coordinate and direct U.S. Air Force airstrikes in combat zones within Laos. These Thai civilians underwent a brief but intensive training program conducted by U.S. Air Force Special Operations Combat Controllers to equip them with the necessary skills for forward air control. They were deployed to active battlefields in Laos, often in highly dangerous situations, to provide on-the-ground guidance for U.S. fighter jets and bombers. The unprecedented nature of foreign civilians coordinating U.S. air power highlights their vital contribution to the secret war. Some also saw service in Cambodia working with USAF Rustic Forward Air Controllers.

Taiwan

The terms "Black Bats" and "Black Cats" refer to two distinct, highly secretive Taiwanese Air Force squadrons that operated during the Cold War and were significantly involved in intelligence gathering, often in cooperation with the United States, including missions that extended into the Vietnam War era.

Black Bats (formerly the 34th Squadron):

• Primary Role: Covert, low-altitude infiltration and exfiltration missions over mainland China. Tasks included dropping agents, psychological warfare leaflets, and collecting electronic intelligence (ELINT).
• Timeframe: 1953–1967 (operations continued elsewhere until 1972).
• Aircraft: B-17s, B-26s, RB-69As, C-123s, and C-130s.
• Vietnam War Involvement: Special operations in Vietnam, sensor deployment, and communication line tapping.
• Secrecy and Casualties: High-risk night missions with many aircraft and lives lost.

Black Cats (Formally the 35th Squadron):

• Primary Role: High-altitude U-2 photographic reconnaissance over China to monitor military developments.
• Timeframe: 1961–1974.
• Aircraft: U-2 spy planes provided by the CIA.
• Vietnam War Involvement: Intelligence gathered impacted U.S. strategy in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
• Secrecy and Risk: U-2s were shot down; missions masked as weather research flights.

In summary, both the Black Bats and Black Cats were elite Taiwanese Air Force units engaged in highly classified intelligence operations during the Cold War and the Vietnam War era. The Black Bats focused on low-level infiltration and diverse clandestine missions, including some in Vietnam, while the Black Cats specialized in high-altitude photographic reconnaissance primarily over China, with intelligence that had implications for the wider Cold War and Southeast Asian conflicts. Both squadrons operated with significant US support and faced considerable risks.

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Veteran defined

Veteran defined

Proposed Amendment

Proposed Amendment

Letters of Support

Letters of Support

Inclusive Recognition

Inclusive Recognition

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