HJR 17-HMONG VETERANS MILITARY BURIAL RIGHTS  1:46:36 PM CHAIR TUCK announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 17, Encouraging the United States Congress to pass legislation giving full military burial rights to Hmong veterans of the Vietnam War. 1:47:26 PM REPRESENTATIVE GERAN TARR, Alaska State Legislature, prime sponsor of HJR 17, noted HB 125 - introduced and heard by the committee last year - also addressed honoring the service of Hmong veterans who live in Alaska. She informed the committee during the Vietnam War the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recruited Hmong people in Laos for their assistance in the U.S. war effort, including fighting alongside American soldiers on the Ho Chi Minh trail and transporting downed pilots to medical treatment. She said the Hmong soldiers fought honorably and it is estimated that 100,000 Hmong soldiers were recruited and trained. Representative Tarr directed the committee to HJR 17 on page 2, line 7, which read: approximately 40,000 Hmong soldiers lost their lives defending democracy REPRESENTATIVE TARR said after the war ended and the communist regime took power, the Hmong people were no longer welcome in their homeland and many became refugees in Thailand and various other locations, including Alaska. She said she was proud to represent thousands of Hmong/Americans living in her district, and other large populations are represented by several legislative districts in Anchorage. However, the U. S. has not fulfilled its promise to grant Hmong soldiers full veteran recognition. REPRESENTATIVE TARR again referred to proposed HB 125 which would place a veteran designation on the driver's license of former Hmong soldiers. She said HJR 17 would extend burial rights at Arlington National Cemetery to Hmong veterans, a change that has been supported at the federal level by U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and others. She quoted a living Hmong soldier's statement from an article [document not provided] as follows: "Burial rights would mean getting the respect and the dignity that he and his fellow fighters feel they've earned." Representative Tarr stressed the importance of honoring commitments and said support from the Alaska State Legislature, along with similar resolutions from other states, is needed to urge for federal legislation to extend full military burial rights. 1:52:34 PM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if veteran status for burial rights at Arlington National Cemetery would allow burial rights in Fort Richardson National Cemetery. REPRESENTATIVE TARR deferred the question to the Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs (DMVA). REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX commented that General Vang Pao, the leader of the Hmong soldiers who died about five or six years ago, asked to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery; however, his request was denied despite intervention from U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski. REPRESENTATIVE PARISH, in response to Representative Saddler, said his research suggests burial rights would apply at any national cemetery. REPRESENTATIVE TARR agreed. 1:55:09 PM CHAIR TUCK opened public testimony. 1:55:30 PM ROBERT DOEHL, Deputy Commissioner, Commissioner's Office, DMVA, stated DMVA and the Alaska Veterans' Advisory Council, Office of Veterans Affairs, DMVA, support HJR 17 and HB 125. He said Hmong were integral in saving downed American aviators during the Vietnam War, and sometimes ten Hmong would perish for every American saved. He said, "In short, Hmong died defending and trying to save American lives; if they died with American lives they should get to rest in the same hallowed ground as those American warriors." Mr. Doehl pointed out 50 years have passed, noting recognition of the Filipinos who served with the U. S. during World War II was also delayed, but for less time. [On 1/24/18] forty-five Alaska Air National Guard airmen in the 210th Rescue Squadron returned home from deployment and he said one of the reasons airmen return home safely is due to the support they receive from the people living in the deployment location, and he restated DMVA's support for HJR 17. In response to Representative Saddler, he confirmed national cemetery eligibility would apply to Fort Richardson National Cemetery. REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked why there is reluctance from Congress to address this issue. MR. DOEHL opined there is concern "the Hmong did not raise their hand and take the same oath to support and defend the United States as U.S. servicemembers do." 1:57:42 PM VERDIE BOWEN, Director, Office of Veterans' Affairs, DMVA, said he did not know why there is resistance from Congress on this issue; in fact, the issue is discussed in committee each year but does not receive enough support in the U. S. House and Senate. He agreed the possible reason is that Hmong soldiers did not receive an oath at enlistment. Mr. Bowen recalled the 100,000-member Vietnamese army in Laos was held back by the 30,000-member Hmong army managed by General Powell. Noting Hmong army enlistment, he related children who were tall enough to utilize a M1 Garand or M1 carbine rifle were taken from school and enlisted in the army; thus, there is no way to properly document those who were recruited. The Office of Veterans' Affairs has worked with the Hmong community to identify 25 people who served in the Hmong army. Mr. Bowen advised Arlington National Cemetery has already recognized the service of members of the Hmong army with a memorial dedicated in 1997, which indicates Hmong army members deserve to be interred in national cemeteries. Mr. Bowen pointed out burial rights for members of the Hmong army should not be delayed or the effort will be too late for many, as happened in many cases of Alaska Territorial Guard members. He opined Alaska should provide a reference point for its congressional delegation to take to Congress and ask that this honor be given to those who have served. REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ asked whether Hmong veterans have been identified by working directly with the Hmong community. MR. BOWEN said yes; DMVA utilized the same program used to identify Alaska Territorial Guard members, which allows officers who served in the Hmong army to identify others who served. This program was used last year in preparation for the Hmong veteran driver's license designation. REPRESENTATIVE PARISH postulated children were conscripted into the army, and asked for the difference between conscription and enlistment. MR. BOWEN said the system was an involuntary draft and some individuals received no training before they were sent to defend or rescue downed pilots. REPRESENTATIVE PARISH asked whether efforts have been made to extend to the Hmong all of the benefits available to any veteran who voluntarily or involuntarily enters U.S. military service. MR. BOWEN advised at this time the only two benefits the DMVA has [attempted to] extend are the driver's license designation and burial rights. In further response to Representative Parish, he added Alaska, California, and Minnesota have established Hmong Memorial Day; furthermore, each state supports a national program to allow Hmong soldiers to be interred in national cemeteries. 2:05:35 PM MAY RAMIREZ-XIONG testified in support of HJR 17. [Much of her oral testimony was indiscernible, and she was provided with contact information for submitting written testimony.] Her written testimony was received by the committee and it read as follows [original punctuation provided]: Hi, my name is May Ramirez-Xiong. Today, I called in to make a public testimony on HJR 17, but the connection with my cellular phone was not good, and I was asked to send my testimony in writing to this email. I will try to stay as close as possible to my phone testimony. I believe I speak not only for myself, but also on behalf of every veteran and civilian, who has any respect and/or understanding of what it is like to have a family member serving our country. That the right thing to do is to honor every veteran who fought for our country as we honored our own veterans. That for the same reason we honored our fallen heroes, the people that served, the ones who fought to protect our country, and for every veteran who paved the way to give our country and our people the life, liberty, freedom and justice for all, that we extend this honor to the Hmong Veterans of the Vietnam War as well. For the veterans who served the purposed outlined in the Soldier's Creed, to "stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat." The Hmong Veterans served this purposed for our Country during the Vietnam War. This war left not only scars in our hearts, it sacrificed our people, and it is a part of American history. A part of me that I knew little about, because this part of history was not taught in schools. It was the "Secret War", and no recognition were given to the Hmong people. The Hmong people fought and continued fighting long after the United States pulled out. The United States of America is my Country. My Country that my father and many Hmong Veterans fought to defend, and many Hmong people died serving our country. While language barriers have prevented the Hmong Veterans from expressing their concerns about the lack of dignity and respect they have received, the only way to make it right for them is to be their voice, because they fought for mine. Many who fought in The Secret War has already passed away and very few Hmong Veterans of the Vietnam War are still alive today. I do not believe that many Hmong Veterans would consider burial at Arlington due to superstitions of the fengshui considering burials, and many may not considered this an option at all. However, my testimony is not just about the burial of Hmong Veterans of the Vietnam War at Arlington Cemetery, but about the honor, dignity, and respect for those men. To invalidate the rights that were promised four almost five decades ago demonstrates the kind of people we are. We are perceived to make broken promises, is this how we treat the very people that fought for our country? I am born and raised in the United States of America. I am an American. And, if we are anything that we say we are, we would provide Freedom, Liberty and Justice for all. Dignity and respect should be awarded to all soldiers, even the foreign-born soldier that fought alongside American soldiers, because they served the same purpose. The United Stated should extend this right to include the Hmong Veterans of the Secret War. They should be honored even if they were not born on U.S. soil. Hmong Veterans fought for this land, and their families died for our soil. They may not have sworn with their right hands as American Soldiers do (I was not born during that era, I would not have seen this) but I know they stood by the Solder's Creed: I am an American Soldier. I am a warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values. I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade. I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself. I am an expert and I am a professional. I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat. I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life. I am an American Soldier. Because my father was one of the Hmong Veterans who fought this War. They were warriors and members of U.S. teams. They served the people of the U.S., and lived the values. They have put the mission first, and did not accept defeat, they did not quit. They carried fallen comrades to safety; they were the expert and the professional who was ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the U.S.A in close combat. They were the guardian of freedom and the American way of life, they were American Soldiers even before stepping on American soil. We owe it to what remains of the Hmong Veterans of the Vietnam War - The Secret War, to give them what we promised. I'm sad to say that the longer we wait to make a change, the less meaningful it would be for anyone else. It's to show dignity and respect for those who fought. It only matters while they're still alive. Lets not wait until they're all gone, to approve something they were promised decades ago. CHAIR TUCK handed the gavel to Vice Chair LeDoux. 2:11:44 PM CHARLIE XIONG, calling from California, attempted to provide testimony. [Due to technical difficulties Mr. Xiong's testimony was indiscernible.] To address technical difficulties, a series of at-eases were taken from 2:13 p.m. to 2:19 p.m. 2:19:22 PM MAI XIONG attempted to provide testimony. [Due to technical difficulties Ms. Xiong's testimony was indiscernible.] 2:20:48 PM PASERT LEE [Much of Mr. Lee's testimony was not discernible; however, the portions of his testimony transcribed here indicate he was in support of HJR 17.] indicated that from 1961-75 the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recruited Hmong people to rescue American pilots who had been shot down. He said that Hmong people protected Highways 7 and 4, as well as the Ho Chi Minh Trail. He spoke of the 36,000 Hmong soldiers that died during the Vietnam War compared to the relatively fewer 58,000 American soldiers that died there. He said he hopes that HJR 17 passes for the Hmong living in Alaska. 2:23:28 PM VICE CHAIR LEDOUX announced that public testimony on HJR 17 would remain open. REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER spoke of the urgent need to pass the resolution as soon as public testimony is heard. VICE CHAIR LEDOUX agreed. [HJR 17 was held over.]