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Royal Lao Army Airborne
The Royal Lao Army Airborne was composed of the élite paratrooper battalions of the Royal Lao Army (RLA), the Land Component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (commonly known by its French acronym FAR), which operated during the First Indochina War and the Laotian Civil War from 1948 to 1975. History The Laotian paratroopers owed their origin and traditions to the French airborne forces of the First Indochina War, and even after years of American, Filipino, Indonesian, and Thai assistance the distinctive French influence could be seen. Along with the irregular ethnic Special Guerrilla Units (SGUs), the regular airborne and para-commando battalions were the most effective units in the RLA. First Indochina War operations 1948–1954 The first Laotian airborne unit was formed on 1 July 1948, when the detached 3rd Company from the 1st Laotian Rifle Battalion ( – 1er BCL) began airborne training and was renamed the 1st Laotian Para-Commando Company ( – 1ére CCPL) of the French ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kingdom Of Laos
The Kingdom of Laos was a landlocked country in Southeast Asia at the heart of the Indochinese Peninsula. It was bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, North Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and southwest. The country was governed as a constitutional monarchy that ruled Laos beginning with its independence on 9 November 1953. It survived until December 1975, when its last king, Sisavang Vatthana, surrendered the throne to the Pathet Lao during the civil war in Laos, who abolished the monarchy in favour of a Marxist–Leninist state called the Lao People's Democratic Republic, which has controlled Laos ever since. Given self-rule with the new Constitution in 1947 as part of the French Union and a federation with the rest of French Indochina, the 1953 Franco-Lao Treaty finally established a sovereign, independent Laos, but did not stipulate who would rule the country. In the years that followed, three groups led by the so-call ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of Lak Sao
The Battle of Lak Sao, fought between November 1963 and January 1964, was a major engagement of the Laotian Civil War. In November 1963, General Phoumi Nosavan, who held the reins of military power in the Kingdom of Laos, launched a military offensive against North Vietnamese invaders that cut across the northern panhandle of the nation. Although unsupported in this proxy action by his backers in the U.S. Embassy, he went ahead with his plan to push northwards from Nhommarath, then veer eastwards to the Vietnamese border. Phoumi's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) advisors warned him that the North Vietnamese would retaliate, but he disregarded them. The Royal Lao Army (RLA) reluctantly carried out its mission until it met with stiff resistance. At that point, they tended to flee rather than fight. As fighting occurred throughout December 1963, two elite RLA units, the 11th and 55th Parachute Battalions, were rendered ineffective by the communists, and by a faulty parachute drop. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laotian Civil War
The Laotian Civil War (1959–1975) was a civil war in Laos which was waged between the Communist Pathet Lao and the Royal Lao Government from 23 May 1959 to 2 December 1975. It is associated with the Cambodian Civil War and the Vietnam War, with both sides receiving heavy external support in a proxy war between the global Cold War superpowers. It is called the Secret War among the American CIA Special Activities Center, and Hmong and Mien veterans of the conflict. The Kingdom of Laos was a covert theater for other belligerents during the Vietnam War. The Franco–Lao Treaty of Amity and Association (signed 22 October 1953) transferred remaining French powers to the Royal Lao Government (except control of military affairs), establishing Laos as an independent member of the French Union. However, this government did not include representatives from the Lao Issara anti-colonial armed nationalist movement. The following years were marked by a rivalry between the neutralists ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
First Indochina War
The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam) began in French Indochina from 19 December 1946 to 20 July 1954 between France and Việt Minh (Democratic Republic of Vietnam), and their respective allies. Việt Minh was led by Võ Nguyên Giáp and Hồ Chí Minh. Most of the fighting took place in Tonkin in Northern Vietnam, although the conflict engulfed the entire country and also extended into the neighboring French Indochina protectorates of Laos and Cambodia. At the Potsdam Conference in July 1945, the Combined Chiefs of Staff decided that Indochina south of latitude 16° north was to be included in the Southeast Asia Command under British Admiral Mountbatten. The Japanese forces located south of that line surrendered to him and those to the north surrendered to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. In September 1945, Chinese forces entered Tonkin, and a small British task force landed at city of S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Land Component
The Land Component ( nl, Landcomponent, french: Composante terre) is the land branch of the Belgian Armed Forces. The King of the Belgians is the commander in chief. The current chief of staff of the Land Component is Major-General Pierre Gérard. Ranks in use by the Belgian Army are listed at Belgian military ranks. History Organisation 1870s According to the Law of 16 August 1873, the army was to consist of: Infantry *14 regiments of line infantry (three active battalions, one reserve and one company in each regiment depot) *3 regiments of Jäger (three active battalions, one reserve and one company in each regiment depot) *1 regiment of grenadiers (three active battalions, one reserve and one company in each regiment depot) *1 regiment of Carabinier (four active battalions, 2 reserve and 1 depot company of deposit) *2 companies settled *1 discipline body *1 military school for children of servicemen Note: a battalion (864 men) consists of four companies of 216 m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sisamouth Sananikone
Sinn Sisamouth; (c. 1932 – c. 1976) was a Cambodian singer-songwriter active from the 1950s to the 1970s. Widely considered the "King of Khmer Music", Sisamouth, along with Ros Serey Sothea, Pen Ran, Mao Sareth, and other Cambodian artists, was part of a thriving pop music scene in Phnom Penh that blended elements of Khmer traditional music with the sounds of rhythm and blues and rock and roll to develop a Cambodian rock sound. Sisamouth died during the Khmer Rouge regime under circumstances that are unclear. Biography Early life Sinn Sisamouth was born in Stung Treng Province, the son of Sinn Leang and mother Seb Bunlei. One or both of Sisamouth's parents were partially Lao.John Pirozzi and LinDa Saphan, liner notes, ''Don't Think I've Forgotten'', soundtrack, 2015.Jeff Cole, liner notes, ''Cambodia Rock Spectacular!'', 2011. Most sources list his year of birth as 1935, though some list 1932 or 1933. Sisamouth's father was a soldier during the Colonial Cambodia perio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thao Ma
Brigadier-General Thao Ma (1931–1973) was a Laotian military and political figure of the Laotian Civil War and the Vietnam War (aka Second Indochina War). Thao Ma began his military career as a paratrooper in the French Union Army, when France administered the Kingdom of Laos. He switched to aviation, first as a transport pilot, then as a fighter-bomber pilot. From 1959 to 1966, Thao Ma was the commander of the Royal Lao Air Force (RLAF), and was noted for his charisma and aggressiveness. However, his dedication to soldierly virtues put him at odds with other Laotian generals who were involved in the drug trade. As a result, he made three futile attempts to seize control of the Laotian military and the Royal Lao Government. During the last of these attempted coups, in 1973, he was executed without trial at age 42. Early life Thao Ma Manosith was born in 1931 at Salavan in the French Protectorate of Laos, of mixed Laotian and Vietnamese heritage. He became a Laotian patrio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Deuane Sunnalath
Lieutenant (later Colonel) Deuane Sunnalath ( lo, ເດືອນ ສຸນນະລາດ, 1927–1978) led a schism within neutralist forces fighting in the Laotian Civil War. After following Captain Kong Le through his 1960 coup that established a third side in the war, Deuane led a walkout from Kong Le's '' Forces Armee Neutraliste'' (Neutral Armed Forces) in April 1963. Deuane would lead his disaffected Patriotic Neutralists into an alliance with the Communists, while the remaining Neutralists in FAN would favor the Royalists. Deuane would eventually become the Deputy Minister of Education in the Provisional Government for National Union on 9 April 1974. Service under the French Lieutenant Deuane Sunnalath (alternative spelling Deuane or Deuan Sounnarath) was born in Vientiane, the Kingdom of Laos in 1927. He originally served as an interpreter for the French military at their Vung Tau training center during the First Indochina War. In December, 1953 Aspirant Deuane and V ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thao Ty
Brigadier general Thao Ty (sometimes confused with Colonel Thao Ly, a fighter-bomber pilot of the Royal Lao Air Force) was a Laotian Paratrooper officer and commander of the Airborne Forces and the Special Forces of the Royal Lao Army (French: ''Armée Royale du Laos'' – ARL), the Land Component of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (French: ''Forces Armées du Royaume'' – FAR), the official military of the Kingdom of Laos during the 1960s and 1970s. Career Lt. Col. Thao Ty rose to prominence in 1963 when he replaced Brigadier general Siho Lamphouthacoul as the commander of 1st Special Mobile Group (French: ''Groupement Mobile Speciale 1'' – GMS 1), the para-commando regiment of the Directorate of National Coordination (French: ''Direction de Coordination Nationale'' – DCN) Security Agency. After the DNC's disbandment in February 1965, Thao Ty was transferred to the Royal Lao Army (RLA) and given command of the RLA's second airborne regiment, Mobile Group 21 (French: ''Group ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kong Le
Captain (later Major General) Kong Le ( Lao: ກອງແລ; 6 March 1934 – 17 January 2014) was a paratrooper in the Royal Lao Army. He led the premier unit of the Royal Lao Army, ''2ème bataillon de parachutistes'' (Parachute Battalion 2), which campaigned relentlessly during 1959 and 1960. The idealistic young American-trained Lao Theung officer became known worldwide when on 10 August 1960 he and his mutinous paratroopers overthrew the Royal Lao Government in a coup d'état. He declared he aimed at an end to government corruption; to the shock of American officials, he declared U.S. policies were responsible for the ongoing fraud. Once ousted by the U.S.-backed 14 December 1960 countercoup by General Phoumi Nosavan, Kong Le and his paras retreated to the strategic Plain of Jars, gathering recruits to the neutralist cause along the way. Once established on the Plain as the ''Forces Armées Neutralistes'' (Neutral Armed Forces), this third side in the Laotian Civil War wo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sourith Don Sasorith
Major General Sourith Don Sasorith was a Royal Lao Government commanding officer during the Laotian Civil War. Appointed to command the Royal Lao Air Force on two occasions, he was also entrusted two other times with command of a Military Region. At the war's end in 1975, Sourith Don Sasorith was condemned to a communist re-education camp. Background The colonial army in the French Protectorate of Laos was one of Lao recruits and French officers and noncommissioned officers. Those few Lao promoted out of the ranks rose no further than command of a company. After the Kingdom of Laos gained its freedom in 1953, the few Lao with military experience were speedily promoted to much higher command positions than they were accustomed to. Many officers were also commissioned into the upper ranks from civilian life; they tended to gain their posts through family influence rather than training or ability. The few urban elite families who dominated Lao society felt it advantageous to have fami ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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