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WASHINGTON - As Memorial Day approaches, veterans groups are planning several events around the District, including a group of vets unknown to many.

During the Vietnam War, the north Vietnamese started infiltrating the neighboring county of Laos. To defend the Laotian border, American forces trained the Lao veterans. Now, these vets are remembering fallen comrades, both Laotian and American. They also remembered their families and friends at home - victims of the communist government.

"We are here to remember those fallen Mong and Lao vets and their American advisers in Laos during the Vietnam War," said Philip Smith, Center for Public Policy Analysis executive director.

At the Vietnam War Memorial, hundreds of tourists stop to show respect for the Lao veterans. "This Vietnam memorial would be much longer with the names of Americans killed in Vietnam," said Smith.

Tourists see the uniforms and the medals, but most of them likely don't know who the men are or what they did. "The ones you see here today in the U.S. are the survivors - most did not get out," said Dr. Jane Hamilton-Merritt, historian.

While Americans fought "The Forgotten War" in Vietnam, the Hmong people fought "The Secret War" in Laos. "You were the American boots on the ground in Laos during the entire time of the Vietnam War in the Lao theater of that war," said Hamilton-Merritt.

They slowed the advancement of communist forces and they rescued American airmen who crashed into the jungle. "We want to let you know that during the Vietnam war in Laos, we fought among the American people," said Lt. Col. Wangyee Vang, Lao veteran, U.S. Secret Army.

More than 35,000 Lao soldiers died in the war, along with many more civilians. Thirty-four years later, the communist government in Laos continues to target the Hmong people for their alliance with the United States.

"Freedom is not free so we have to defend our freedom along with our American friends around the world," said Vang.

The Hmong are an ethnic minority in Laos and about 5,500 refugees are now in northern Thailand.

Currently, the only aid agency working at a Hmong refugee camp says it's stopping work there because the Thai government is pressuring refugees to return to Laos where they could face persecution. Thai authorities say the Hmong are not legitimate refugees because they have entered the country illegally.

A new Doctors Without Borders report calls on President Barack Obama (web | news | bio) and Congress to take diplomatic action and provide aid.

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