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Honoring and remembering the life of Long Yang.
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WHEREAS, Long Yang was born on December 20, 1947 in NongHek, Laos to Ntxoov Xeeb Yang and Txos Lauj; and
WHEREAS, in 1963, at the age of 16, Long was recruited as a Special Guerilla Unit soldier by the United States CIA under the leadership of Major General Vang Pao; and
WHEREAS, Long loyally served the military for more than a decade and commenced his career as a Morse Code Operator and Trainer; thereafter he fulfilled special assignments to lead intelligence operations; and
WHEREAS, in May 1975, the Kingdom of Laos fell to Communist rule, ending the United States’s operation of the Secret War and resulting in the Hmong diaspora, forcing hundreds of thousands of Hmong to leave their homeland and find refuge in new countries to escape persecution for their alliance to the United States; and
WHEREAS, during the diaspora, Long directly led nine family members out of harm to the Thai refugee camps and successfully resettled the whole group in the United States, and now he and his descendants call Saint Paul and other Minnesota cities home; and
WHEREAS, upon Long and his family’s arrival to the United States on March 12, 1976, he remained committed to serving his community through volunteerism; and
WHEREAS, Long was a key leader with the Hmong Organizing Project at TakeAction Minnesota and led the Justice for Veterans Campaign to secure recognition for Hmong American Day by Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton in 2012; and
WHEREAS, in 2017, under Long’s leadership and persistence, Hmong American Day became a registered non-profit organization; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of Long’s dedication and service to his community, Mayor Chris Coleman proclaimed December 20th, 2017 to be Long Yang Day in the City of Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, On July 13, 2020 Long Yang passed away due to a chronic heart condition, and he is survived by his wife, May, and their five adult children along with their spouses, and eighteen grandchildren; and now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, the Saint Paul City Council honors and remembers the life of Long Yang and his contributions to the fabric of Saint Paul and Minnesota.