Hmong Pilots of the U.S. Secret War in Laos

The War You Never Heard About

WINNER OF 2015 TELLY AWARD

This twenty-two-minute documentary won a prestigious Telly Award which recognizes excellence in video and television production.

The film chronicles the story of the Hmong pilots who flew the North American T-28 "Trojan" and other aircraft from remote airstrips in Laos, in support of American CIA covert operations during the Vietnam War between 1967-1975.

It also highlights the dedication of the Hmong T-28 aircraft exhibit at the Aviation Heritage Center of Wisconsin which is the nation’s only memorial that recognizes the sacrifices made by the Hmong pilots to defend their homeland from communist incursion. The ceremony was attended by 9 of the living Hmong pilots, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, and former Air Force One pilot Greg Cayon.

Other men who are honored by this exhibit are the Ravens (a select group of clandestine American pilots who flew alongside the Hmong), and the T-28 Instructor Pilots who taught the Hmong pilots to fly the T-28 in Thailand.

Jon Helminiak founded the exhibit and was Master of Ceremonies at the dedication.

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"Jon, I can't begin to put into words how fortunate I am to have been able to work on the T-28 restoration and exhibit project with you. It has been an honor to be among dedicated pilots, historians and people who simply have a love for the realm of aviation.

Never have I been graced with such diverse and selfless group of people such as yourself who would go to extra lengths to make someone else's dream become a reality."

Former Capt. Koua Xiong
T-28 Pilot of 2500 Missions, U.S. Secret War in Laos
U.S. Senator Ron Johnson addresses the Hmong pilots and the attendees at the dedication of the T-28 attack aircraft in their honor on September 20, 2014.
Jon Helminiak, founder of the Hmong T-28 exhibit and Master of Ceremonies on dedication day. Standing behind him are Former Air Force One Pilot Greg Cayon and U.S. Senator Ron Johnson.
Jon Helminiak with former Hmong T-28 pilots Yia Kha and Ya Lee.
Former T-28 Instructor Pilots who taught the Hmong to fly at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base also attended the Hmong T-28 dedication and celebration banquet.
Pictured is the reception at the Aviation Heritage Center of Wisconsin flight museum prior to the dedication day celebration banquet.
Jon's father, WWII B-17 pilot Lt. Col. (Ret.) Raymond Helminiak attended the dedication ceremony. With him are Former Air Force One Pilot Greg Cayon and his wife Paige.
On September 20, 2014, 9 of the 13 living Hmong pilots who flew in the U.S. Secret War in Laos attended the dedication of a restored T-28 aircraft in their honor.
Hmong T-28 aircraft, Bureau Unit No. 138192, restored through thousands of volunteer hours by the members of EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Chapter 766 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
Five members of the Trojan Horsemen Flight Performance Team flew their T-28 aircraft at the conclusion of the dedication ceremony.

Dedication Feedback

Former Capt. Koua Xiong Hmong T-28 Pilot, U.S. Secret War in Laos

Jon, you do not realize the extent of your work goes beyond just telling our stories. A project of this undertaking unites people who may have different opinions otherwise. It heals the hearts of those wounded by loss, it bridges words unspoken between the young and old, and it turns back times for a moment for those of us who are a little bit older. Most importantly for us and for our children, that they can look back and be proud of our contributions in safeguarding our future.

Helen Murphy President, T28TrojanFoundation.com, Tucson, AZ

Jon, you did an awesome job! Without your vision and dream this exhibit could not have been possible. Many thanks to Cliff and his Heritage Aero crew for all their hard work, the EAA Chapter 766 for more hard work, Sheboygan Paint for their paint and painting services, the landscaping contractor and all the many people who were involved in making this exhibit a success, contributing historical information and of course to the Hmong Pilot Committee whose history the exhibit honors, the Instructor Pilots who taught the Hmong pilots and the Ravens who fought alongside the Hmong pilots during the Secret War in Laos. I enjoyed supporting your dream Jon and wish you luck in your future endeavors. This exhibit will outlast us and continue educating and inspiring others for future generations.

Col. (Ret.) Gary Koldyke Former T-28 Instructor Pilot and A-1 Combat pilot, Vietnam

You and your crew put in an incredible amount of time to pull Saturday's program together. I had a rough idea of what to expect on Saturday, but the actual realization far exceeded anything that I would have imagined. The one unexpected thing for me was the emotion of the event. A lot of memories came flooding back.

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Greg Cayon Former Air Force One Pilot Presidents Clinton and G. W. Bush

You did an amazing job with this exhibit and the dedication event…thank you!

Nkaujlig Yaj

Congratulations on a very successful event to honor Hmong pilots of the US Secret War. A big THANK YOU to all the men and women who put countless hours into making this Hmong T-28 exhibit a reality. We are also forever grateful to the dozens of Hmong and American donors who made this project possible. Most of all, thanks to Jon Helminiak for his foresight, leadership and patience. God Bless.

Jan Haack Author, Charlotte, NC

My grandson Geoffrey and I enjoyed ourselves immensely! I am so glad I decided to follow through on my idea of bringing him to witness this piece of history. The Hmong people are to be admired, not only for their contribution during the Secret War, but also for making good lives for themselves and their families in a different land and culture. You should be very pleased with how the dedication and banquet came off last weekend. I think you did a splendid job...you and your dedicated crew of volunteer workers. It was your concept and you certainly saw it from that to a wonderful finish.

Rev. Tim McKeown Former T-28 Instructor Pilot, Houston, TX

WOW! What a wonderful memorial weekend. You and your team did a superb job of making it a first class event! I am so thankful to have been a part of it. And please pass along my kudos to all of your team and staff that made this such a wonderful success. I can now leave this world (whenever God decides to take me!) with the peaceful knowledge and experience of having seen this small band of Hmong pilots having been duly honored and remembered.

Gaoly Yang Wife of Former T-28 Pilot Capt. Phong Yang

Congratulations and thanks again for all the hard work that went into a very successful T-28 exhibit and event to honor the Hmong pilots. The Trojan fly-over certainly was an extra treat for everyone but especially for Hmong pilots and families. It brought back many bittersweet memories and tears. I believe many families will come back and bring relatives to visit the exhibit.

Randy Kim

It's great to see the Dedication and Memorial of these brave Pilots of the Royal Laotian Air Force. I served in DET 1 56 SOWG Udorn RTAFB in 1970 with the Water Pump and Raven project training Laotian and Cambodian mechanics and pilots. I also worked alongside Air America up country Laos at our Lima and Alternate sites.

Former Capt. Pao Yang and Family Hmong T-28 Pilot, U.S. Secret War is Laos

Thank you so much to you and your teamwork and thank you to the Aviation Heritage Center that give us a very great honor. We will not forget that forever.

Charlie Felsenthal

Thank you again for urging me to attend the T-28 dedication on September 20th. I know I would enjoy it, but it turned out to be a much richer and deeper experience than I could have foreseen.

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