Shong Lue began to realize that the communist government would do everything possible to get him, so he called a meeting of the worship leaders [representatives of the clans] for their opinions about how to get help from Vang Pao. [Many other students were also present.]  They [discussed ways of getting in touch with Vang Pao because they] wanted to be sure that they would not be killed once they reached Vang Pao [coming as they were from the communist side].

Chai Vang Yang [one of the students present] from Fi Khou Village noted that Chia Long Thao had the same clan name as Neng Chue Thao, a top commander under Vang Pao. In addition, Gnia Sau Her [another of their number] had a son who had joined up with Vang Pao. Furthermore, Chue Ching Vang [district official in Ban Vieng, with a garrison of government soldiers, three days walk away] was a cousin of Yang Pao and Chue Ker Yang [whom Chai Yang Yang knew] was the brother-in-law of Chue Ching. The speaker, Chai Yang Yang, would volunteer to take Chia Long Thao and Gnia Sau Her [who had these connections], and Gnia Chao Her [who volunteered to go along] to meet with Chue Ker and ask him to take the three of them to meet with Chue Ching Yang to help them in making contact safely with Yang Pao.

Shong Lue agreed with the idea and gave them a message [for the general]. Chai Yang Yang then took them to meet Chue Ker at Chua Thor Village [after they had all sneaked out of Fi Kha into the surrounding jungle]. Chue Ker then took the three to meet with Chue Ching Yang at Ban Vieng Village. When they gave him Shong Lue's message he replied that he knew all about the "Mother of Writing." He then called Yang Pao right away on his high-powered radio and gave him the names of the three people from the "Mother of Writing" who wanted to see him. The General agreed to receive Gnia Sau Her and Chia Long Thao only. [Gnia Chao Her was not received because he did not have a connection like the others did.] So the next morning an American pilot flew from Long Cheng to pick them up at Ban Vieng Village. When the American aircraft landed, the pilot took out a list with their names, and called them out. Chue Ching Vang boarded, Chia Long Thao and Gnia Sau Her on the American aircraft which took them to Long Cheng [General Vang Pao's military' headquarters], leaving Gnia Chao Her to wait for them at Ban Vieng.

Meeting with General Vang Pao

They met with General Vang Pao and told him all about the situation. [They said] the main problem they had was that they were greatly interested in learning Shong Lue's writing. Because they believed in Shong Lue and were involved with his writing they were getting in trouble, and had come to the general for help. The general replied to their satisfaction, "You are only learning, not using weapons against them, but Uncle Faydang [Lobliayao] and Gnia Vue [Long, both top leaders of the communist Hmong faction] didn't take you so I will. You all come and I will help." After the discussion the general took [flew] them [in his own -plane] to visit Gnia Sau's son who was studying in Vientiane. They had a good meal in Vientiane and then returned to Long Cheng. The next morning [General Vang Pao] told the men that [Colonel] Neng Chue was fighting very close to Nong Het, so he would send them back to Neng Chue. Once Neng Chue regained Nong Het he would send soldiers, nurses and telegraph operators with the two of them to help Shong Lue.

Return to Fi Kham

So the general sent them to the base commanded by Neng Chue, which was very close to Nong Het. They had been there only six days, however, when the base was attacked by the communists and was lost to them so [the garrison] moved to Phou Nong Mountain. They had been there at Phou Nong for twelve days when the general had aircraft fly the two of them back to Long Cheng. They stayed in the general's quarters for two more months until finally he provided weapons, radios and seven soldiers to go with them, dropping them off first at Ban Vieng. But Gnia Chao had not been able to wait for them any longer and had already returned home. They stayed at Ban Vieng for one night. Early morning the next day they got ready to leave, but an aircraft was arriving, so they waited and watched it land. On the aircraft were Fong Vang and Wa Ying Vang [two soldiers] who had been sent to go with them, as Fong Vang was also going to visit his parents at Nam Cha Village.

After they had passed the Nam Mak River, Fong Vang and Chia Lee [leader of the seven soldiers] decided that Vietnam was still too far away [and the trail too dangerous], so they sent the two men on by themselves and all of the soldiers started to return. If Shong Lue and his family were in the same situation as before then they should come back again to get help. The two groups separated and headed in their respective directions. Once they were as far apart as a rice field, however, the soldiers realized that they would face some trouble in returning without a good reason, so they called to the two men to wait for them.

Chia Lee then convinced them that it looked like there was a foot path running from the top down to the bottom of the hill, and [saying he was] afraid there were enemy troops down there, he had everybody wait while he went to check first to make sure it was safe. He went running down the hill, after which there were two gun shots and he came back claiming that the enemy had shot off the handle of his canteen, so they had better go back. He frightened them [at first] telling them that they should return with the soldiers. But even when they realized it was a lie they decided to go back with the others to Ban Vieng anyway, because the others were armed. After they had been at Ban Vieng for two days, Chue Ching Vang said to them, "Why don't you go home by yourselves to see if Shong Lue and your families are still in the same situation as before, in which case you two come back here, and I will send the troops back with you." The two took this advice and returned home and left the general's soldiers at Ban Vieng.