Re: Please, Your Thoughts on Death of "Hmong" Soldier Qixing Lee
- From: vaajmoob@xxxxxxxxx
- Date: 5 Sep 2006 16:16:29 -0700
sunrise, ua caag yuav xaav noj kheej ua luaj naj, cov tuaj neeg has has
le kom xwb yog thaum zoo rua moob xwb , yog puab laam sau phem has tas
mong killer, mong gansters nuav xwb ho npau tawg lawm hab nuav lai puab
yog, qaab los yuav tau noj hua qaub los yuav tau noj, tsis yog xaam noj
qhov qaab xwb, qaub ces yuav muaj nti pov reg.
SUNRISE wrote:
Qixing Lee died in the line of duty for the freedom ours, Hmong and
non-Hmong Melikas. My deepest sympathy goes to his family.
We must not blame the press for calling a Hmong soldier dead. Naming
Qixing Lee as a fallen troop of Hmong descent is an honorable mention
not only for himself but his origin. Qixing died for both Hmong and
Americans where as many died simply for Americans. I do not believe the
media's intention was to segregate a fallen soldier from the rest. It's
a
reconciliation of time with the reality of how Hmong would like our
sons and daughters to be recognized. Many of our elders have not
completely assimilated with the mainstream. Our time will be different,
and our wish is not unreachable.
StickRice wrote:
Although born and raised in the U.S. and having served his country with
honor and pride, upon his death he was still referred to as "Hmong"
instead of American, Minnesotan, not even Minneapolitan (from
Minneapolis) or "Resident of Brooklyn Park" (suburb of Minneapolis).
Headlines on other Minnesotans killed in the war usually have always
gone something like this, "Guard soldier from Dent, Minn., killed in
Iraq" or "Two Wisconsin natives killed in Iraq".
But for Minnesotan who was Hmong...still just a "hmong"...
Here is the full article from the Saint Paul Pioneer Press:
************************************
Hmong soldier dies in Iraq war
Spc. Qixing Lee thought to be the first Hmong Minnesotan to become a
casualty
BY TAD VEZNER
Chedrua Yanlecheuyin, Vietnam veteran and father of the soldier
reportedly killed in Iraq
Pioneer Press
'No matter where you are, you have the duty, the responsibility to
serve the country you are in.'
A Hmong-American man from Minneapolis fighting with the U.S. Army in
Iraq was reported to have died from an improvised bomb Sunday -
though the man's father, who fought in Laos during the Vietnam War era,
said he is still holding out hope.
Media reports, citing a Pentagon spokesperson, said Spc. Qixing Lee,
20, died while on a patrol.
Qixing Lee's father, Chedrua Yanlecheuyin, told the Pioneer Press on
Thursday that the military told him his son had been in "an accident,"
but he had yet to receive any more details or confirmation his son was
dead.
He said he was still anxiously waiting to hear.
"Maybe 1 percent chance (he's still alive)," Chedrua Yanlecheuyin said.
"I want to know for sure."
When the Pioneer Press contacted the Pentagon office that handles death
notifications for soldiers, an official had Qixing Lee's name on an
internal list. But he added that nothing had been officially confirmed
or announced.
Chedrua Yanlecheuyin, also of Minneapolis, fought communist forces in
Laos for four years after the U.S. military left Vietnam in 1975. He
fled and lived in Tennessee for a short time before coming to Minnesota
in 1981. Qixing Lee was born in the Twin Cities.
Thousands of Hmong resettled in the United States after fleeing their
own country when communists seized control in 1975. The Hmong fought in
a CIA-backed campaign against communists in Laos during the Vietnam
War.
Chedrua Yanlecheuyin said he always tries to instill a sense of duty in
his children.
"No matter where you are, you have the duty, the responsibility to
serve the country you are in," Chedrua Yanlecheuyin said. "I always
told them that."
Qixing Lee was deployed to Iraq in March and was due back in October,
his father said. He would be the 36th military member with Minnesota
ties to die in Iraq.
Qixing Lee was in the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Squadron, 66th Armor
Regiment, based in Fort Hood, Texas.
Last Friday, Qixing Lee wrote about going out on a military patrol on
asianavenue.com, a social Web site.
"I'm going to be gone maybe for another 24 hour mission," he wrote. "Oh
well that's a life of a military. There are people that can't handle
the pressure of their loved one gone for so long ... but things happen
so it's all good. Stay strong for your loved ones and hopefully they'll
still be there for you."
The Wednesday before, he wrote about how near he'd come to death.
"I cheated death again about two nights ago ... it was a really close
call this time ... but oh well. I just got promoted to Specialist and
I'm also getting my Combat Infantry's Badge; CIB. Damn ... there's only
3 more months left before I return back to the states ... can't wait."
One local Hmong leader said Qixing Lee could be the first Hmong person
from Minnesota to be killed in Iraq.
Military service is highly valued in the community, said Kahoua Yang,
Lao Family Community of Minnesota vice president.
"If we don't do our job to protect the freedom we have, somebody could
take the freedom away," he said. "It's very important for our people to
do our job, serving the community the best we can."
The importance the community places on military service today stems
from its history of fighting alongside the United States, said Kahoua
Yang, whose father served in the CIA-led secret army in Laos from 1960
to 1975.
"We love freedom, but we never had the freedom we loved," he said.
"People were trying to do many, many things to damage our freedom and
destroy our peace of mind and based on that history we value anyone
very, very much who is serving in the service to protect our freedom,
to protect our rights."
In a separate announcement Thursday, the military said a soldier from a
Minnesota-based National Guard brigade was killed the day before.
The soldier, who was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 34th Infantry
Division - known as the "Desert Bulls" - was not identified,
pending notification of next of kin, a military news release said.
The statement did not say whether the soldier was a Minnesotan. About
half the 5,000 soldiers serving with the brigade in Iraq are from 21
other states, said an information officer for the Minnesota National
Guard.
A news release from the Multi-National Corps in Iraq said a bomb killed
the soldier during a routine security mission shortly after noon
Wednesday.
The 1st Brigade, 34th Infantry draws its personnel from throughout
Minnesota. Its U.S. headquarters are in Stillwater. The brigade also
has units based in St. Paul, Moorhead, Duluth and Brainerd.
The division primarily provides security, protecting both bases and
mobile convoys. Its overseas headquarters is in southern Iraq.
The division was deployed to Iraq in March for a 12-month tour.
Mara H. Gottfried contributed to this report. Tad Vezner can be reached
at tvezner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or 651-228-5461.
.
- References:
- Please, Your Thoughts on Death of "Hmong" Soldier Qixing Lee
- From: StickRice
- Re: Please, Your Thoughts on Death of "Hmong" Soldier Qixing Lee
- From: SUNRISE
- Please, Your Thoughts on Death of "Hmong" Soldier Qixing Lee
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