Published 2012-12-11T20:18:00Z”/>
Ben Mullin
Chico’s Hmong community celebrated the unveiling of a statue of cultural leader Gen. Vang Pao Saturday near City Plaza.
Pao is known for having led an army against the People’s Army of Vietnam.
The dedication was inspiring for senior business information systems major Pheng Yang, who met Pao when he was in high school eight years ago.
Yang shared a shot of apple cider with the former general, who gave a speech about the importance of celebrating and preserving Hmong culture.
“Every time he spoke, the whole crowd listened in awe,” he said.
Pao inspired the Hmong community, and kept them together in difficult times, Yang said.
“It felt very inspiring to remember someone who put their heart and soul into their community to make it better,” he said.
Butte County Supervisor Larry Wahl, who was a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War, strongly supported installing the statue of Pao near the Chico City Council Chambers because Pao represents a positive and historical figure for the Hmong community, he said.
“He was perhaps the strongest ally for our forces in Southeast Asia in the struggle for freedom in Vietnam and Laos,” Wahl said.
Pao helped rescue many American pilots from enemy captivity at considerable risk to himself and his troops, Wahl said.
“So for that I am indebted to him and we as a country are indebted to him for his support to us in our quest for freedom for all people,” he said.
The Butte County Hmong Association requested space from the city and raised the funds for the statue, Wahl said.
After retiring from the Chico City Council, Wahl spoke to the council as a citizen in favor of the statue.
The granite statue cost about $40,000, according to a website dedicated to raising funds for it.
Pao’s son spoke at the dedication and reminded the crowd to keep his father’s memory alive, Yang said.
“One message that I got from his speech was remember his father’s words,” he said.
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<strong>Ben Mullin can be reached at</strong> <a href=”mailto:[email protected]”><em>[email protected]</em></a>
