[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 117 (Monday, September 9, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1251-E1252]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE LIFE OF MAY SONG VANG PAO

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 9, 2013

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay to tribute to the life of 
May Song Vang Pao, who passed away on August 5, 2013 at the age of 62. 
Mrs. Gen. Vang Pao was constantly filled with optimism and drive 
despite her nearly eight year battle with cancer. Although faced with 
increasingly insurmountable odds, Mrs. Gen. Vang Pao continued to 
battle the disease to help maintain the legacy of her late husband, 
General Vang Pao.
  May Song was born in Laos on February 5, 1951 to Nhia Chou Moua and 
Yee Lee. Receiving an education was very important to May even though 
it went against her father's beliefs and the gender roles at the time. 
She became a nurse and focused most of her attention on caring for the 
disabled. May's decision to receive an education was the beginning of 
her lifelong message that it is important for both men and women to be 
educated.
  In 1973, she married General Vang Pao, who was the only ethnic Hmong 
general in the Royal Lao Army. This achievement earned him worldwide 
recognition. After aiding the United States forces in the Vietnam War, 
Mr. and Mrs. General Vang Pao as well as many other Hmong refugees 
resettled in the United States. Eventually settling in California's 
Central Valley, Mr. and Mrs. General Vang Pao continued their roles as 
leaders in the Hmong community.
  Mrs. Gen. Vang Pao was instrumental in helping refugees settle into 
their new American lives. She inspired many young men and women to 
strive for greatness and brought the Hmong community together under her 
benevolent leadership. Mrs. Gen. Vang Pao will remain an inspiration to 
those in both the American and Asian Hmong communities.
  After the passing of General Vang Pao in January 2011, Mrs. Gen. Vang 
Pao remained strong and unified the entire Hmong community. She helped 
the community recover from the loss of their mentor and hero. In 2012, 
she founded the General Vang Pao Foundation in Fresno which aims to 
help and support disadvantaged Hmong families.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that I ask my colleagues in the 
House of Representatives to pay tribute to the life of May Song Vang 
Pao. She will always be remembered as an influential member of our very 
important Hmong community.

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