Laos PDR 1995

Laos PDR - 1995

Laos 1995
1995- Laos People's Democratic Republic, 20 years after the end of the Vietnam War. Laos is historically referred to as “Lan Xang,” the land of a million elephants. Today, it would be more accurate to call it the land of a million bombs. From 1964 to 1973, as part of the Secret War operation conducted during the Vietnam War, the US military dropped 260 million cluster bombs - about 2.5 million tons of munitions - on Laos over the course of 580,000 bombing missions. This is equivalent to a planeload of bombs being unloaded every eight minutes, 24 hours a day, for nine years - nearly seven bombs for every man, woman and child living in Laos. Of all the bombs dropped only 1% of the unexploded ordnances (UXOs) have been cleared. It is more than all the bombs dropped on Europe throughout World War II, leaving Laos, a country approximately the size of Utah, with the unfortunate distinction of being the most heavily bombed country in history. The Ho Chi Minh Trail was the military supply route providing manpower, material, and war supplies to the “Viet Cong” VC. These photos illustrate the hardship the Laotian people endured and still are oppressed by the aftermath of the war. (Thomas Long / POLARIS)
Laos 1995
1995- Laos People's Democratic Republic, 20 years after the end of the Vietnam War. Laos is historically referred to as “Lan Xang,” the land of a million elephants. Today, it would be more accurate to call it the land of a million bombs. From 1964 to 1973, as part of the Secret War operation conducted during the Vietnam War, the US military dropped 260 million cluster bombs - about 2.5 million tons of munitions - on Laos over the course of 580,000 bombing missions. This is equivalent to a planeload of bombs being unloaded every eight minutes, 24 hours a day, for nine years - nearly seven bombs for every man, woman and child living in Laos. Of all the bombs dropped only 1% of the unexploded ordnances (UXOs) have been cleared. It is more than all the bombs dropped on Europe throughout World War II, leaving Laos, a country approximately the size of Utah, with the unfortunate distinction of being the most heavily bombed country in history. The Ho Chi Minh Trail was the military supply route providing manpower, material, and war supplies to the “Viet Cong” VC. These photos illustrate the hardship the Laotian people endured and still are oppressed by the aftermath of the war. (Thomas Long / POLARIS)
Laos 1995
1995- Laos People's Democratic Republic, 20 years after the end of the Vietnam War. Laos is historically referred to as “Lan Xang,” the land of a million elephants. Today, it would be more accurate to call it the land of a million bombs. From 1964 to 1973, as part of the Secret War operation conducted during the Vietnam War, the US military dropped 260 million cluster bombs - about 2.5 million tons of munitions - on Laos over the course of 580,000 bombing missions. This is equivalent to a planeload of bombs being unloaded every eight minutes, 24 hours a day, for nine years - nearly seven bombs for every man, woman and child living in Laos. Of all the bombs dropped only 1% of the unexploded ordnances (UXOs) have been cleared. It is more than all the bombs dropped on Europe throughout World War II, leaving Laos, a country approximately the size of Utah, with the unfortunate distinction of being the most heavily bombed country in history. The Ho Chi Minh Trail was the military supply route providing manpower, material, and war supplies to the “Viet Cong” VC. These photos illustrate the hardship the Laotian people endured and still are oppressed by the aftermath of the war. (Thomas Long / POLARIS)
Laos 1995
1995- Laos People's Democratic Republic, 20 years after the end of the Vietnam War. Laos is historically referred to as “Lan Xang,” the land of a million elephants. Today, it would be more accurate to call it the land of a million bombs. From 1964 to 1973, as part of the Secret War operation conducted during the Vietnam War, the US military dropped 260 million cluster bombs - about 2.5 million tons of munitions - on Laos over the course of 580,000 bombing missions. This is equivalent to a planeload of bombs being unloaded every eight minutes, 24 hours a day, for nine years - nearly seven bombs for every man, woman and child living in Laos. Of all the bombs dropped only 1% of the unexploded ordnances (UXOs) have been cleared. It is more than all the bombs dropped on Europe throughout World War II, leaving Laos, a country approximately the size of Utah, with the unfortunate distinction of being the most heavily bombed country in history. The Ho Chi Minh Trail was the military supply route providing manpower, material, and war supplies to the “Viet Cong” VC. These photos illustrate the hardship the Laotian people endured and still are oppressed by the aftermath of the war. (Thomas Long / POLARIS)