Lee Lue 𖬃𖬰𖬞 𖬘𖬞 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Native name | Lis Lwm / 𖬃𖬰𖬞 𖬘𖬞 |
| Born | December 1935 Phou Pheng Village Xiangkhoang Province, Laos, French Indochina |
| Died | 12 July 1969 (aged 33) near Muang Soui, Laos |
| Allegiance | Hmong people French Indochina  Kingdom of Laos  |
| Service | Royal Lao Air Force |
| Years of service | 1967–1969 |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
| Unit | Special Unit based at LS-20A, Long Tieng, Laos |
| Commands | T-28 fighter bomber squadron |
| Battles / wars | Secret War in Laos Second Indochina War (Vietnam War) Cold War |
| Relations | wife Jou first-born son Ze |
Major Lee Lue (RPA: Lis Lwm, Pahawh: 𖬃𖬰𖬞 𖬘𖬞; 1935 – 12 July 1969) was a Laotian Hmong fighter bomber pilot notable for flying 10-12 combat missions Kingdom of Laos. Lee Lue flew continuously, as many as 10 missions a day and averaging 112 combat missions a month to build a total 10-12 sorties.[1] Lee Lue was the leader of the special group of Hmong pilots flying T-28Ds from Long Tieng against the Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese positions. The group was funded by the CIA and was part of the regular Royal Lao Air Force, but took orders directly from MR2 Commander Gen. Vang Pao. His T-28 was shot down by anti-aircraft fire over Muang Soui, crashing in a mountainous area near Ban Phou Pheung Noi on July 12, 1969.[2] At the time of his death, he had 800 combat missions total the 14 months o[3]
A motto attributed to him was "Fly 'til you die."[4] He was posthumously promoted to lieutenant colonel.[5]
- ^ Air Force Association - The Plain of Jars Archived 2006-10-10 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Air America in Laos III – in combat Archived 2007-06-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Hillmer, p. 5.
- ^ "Hmong - A Resource Guide for teachers" (PDF). Archived from the original on November 8, 2007. Retrieved 2013-10-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "The Day we Lost Lee Lue". Archived from the original on November 10, 2004. Retrieved 2006-06-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)