American troops in Laos?

Question

Why is the American involvement in the Laos not mentioned in American history textbooks. I mean weren't we at a undeclared war with the communists that took over that country after the Vietnam war ?

Answer 1

ARVN troops invaded Laos with US assistance. The US did a brief invasion into Cambodia to cut NVA supply lines. Pres. Nixon announced this on TV.

I would not say the border of Laos was never crossed, there seems to be little to support that much more than brief incursions were made. They were not attacks on Cambodia or Laos, per say. They were attacks on NVA supply lines and camps in Cambodia and Laos. The exception being the "Maguez" incident in 1975.

History books tend to include the BIG stuff and skip the the small details.

Answer 2

Have you seen the movie "Air America"? It's worth hiring for its entertainment value and is still pretty interesting to find out a bit about what the Americans were doing in Laos. Here's a review of it:

"Originally conceived as a biting black comedy about the CIA's top-secret smuggling operation in Laos during the Vietnam war, Air America lost most of its political sting when it was transformed into an action comedy for Gibson and costar Robert Downey Jr. The film is entertaining as far as it goes, with a few action sequences that explain where a lot of the budget went. If you're in the mood for some Mel, this one is a little off the beaten path, and still contains a percentage of its original potential."

Answer 3

Technically the U.S. was never involved in Laos, although there was some spill-over from Vietnam.

That's not to say we weren't in Laos, it just wasn't official and too many of those involved in the decision-making about our incursion in Laos are still around ( and powerful) for historians to really go after the subject.

Answer 4

America has a short history of failed nation building.
Sooner or later we will learn that you cant fight for freedom of other people