Remember CAPTAIN CHA PHIA CHUE

CAPTAIN CHA PHIA CHUE

January 10, 1952 – July 3, 2012

Captain Cha Phia Chue was born in a remote village known as Ha Lai, in Muang Sou Hong, Luang Prabang Province, northern Laos.  He was the oldest child and the first son born to Chai Her Chue and Mai Vang. He had a brother and three sisters.  His parents were farmers, and he was raised to help his parents work on the farm until he reached the age of nine when he started elementary school.  By this time, the civil war in Laos, most popularly known as the Secret War, disrupted the quiet peaceful country life in the northern region of Laos.  By 1966, at age 14, he completed at Sam Luang Primary School in Muang Vieng Fa, Xieng Khouang Province. 

As the Secret War intensified, more young men were drafted into defending the Kingdom of Laos.  At age fifteen, Captain Chue was among those brave young men enlisted in the Secret Army funded by the U.S., led by General Vang Pao, to fight communist aggression in Southeast Asia.  He was assigned to the 21^st Battalion under the command of Colonel Neng Chue Thao.  A year into the service, Captain Chue was sent to Luang Prabang to train in radio communication.  Following completion of training, Captain Chue was assigned to work between Long Cheng, the CIA paramilitary headquarter, and Pha Khao, a remote frontline.  In 1972, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.  Two years later, he successfully completed further training at Chi Nai Mo, Vientiane, and was promoted to second lieutenant, and ultimately to the rank of captain.

In 1974, Captain Chue married his beloved wife, Chao Yang, who was the daughter of Chue Pao Yang and Mao Vang.  By 1975, as Communist victory pushed the United States out of Laos. Captain Chue and thousands of his comrades were left behind at the hand of Communism.  On May 14, 1975, Captain Chue witnessed the final C46 evacuation of Long Cheng with sorrow as thousands of his comrades and their families were abandoned by the American government.  As a result, Captain Chue and thousands of his comrades were subjected to persecution by the Communist; therefore, many were forced to take refuge in the jungle.  Captain Chue spent over two years surviving on the run from communist execution.  With determination to survive, in April 1978, he decided to lead 2,000 people out of their jungle refuge and tried to reach safety in Thailand.  Catastrophically, approximately 500 out of the 2,000 people survived the tyranny upon reaching Thailand’s border.  Captain Chue was shot by the communist forces as he swam across the Mekong River.  Severely wounded, Captain Chue was unconscious, and washed away by the Mekong current.  However, with miracle, he was washed ashore into Thailand’s border, and rescued by local Thai authorities where he was taken to Nong Khai Hospital.  

After two months of recovery, Captain Chue was put into a refugee camp.  After six months in the camp, on December 1978, he made the heroic effort to return to Laos to rescue his family who were stranded behind enemy line at Ban Done, Muang Fueung, Vientiane Province.  He successfully reunited with his family, and led them out to safety into Thailand.  Upon arriving in Thailand on February 1979, Captain Chue and his family were settled into Vinai Refugee Camp.  After eight months in the camp, Captain Chue was determined to restart life all over again in the United States. 

In October 1979, Captain Chue’s family was sponsored to Syracuse, New York.  Two months later, he moved to Providence, Rhode Island to reunite with his relatives and the Hmong community.  In May 1985, Captain Chue decided to move to Fresno, California where the largest Hmong community in the United States evolved.  Within the first five months in California. Captain Chue explored northern California, and determined Oroville, CA would be his permanent home.  He fell in love with the City of Oroville, as the foothills, Table Mountain and the Sierra Nevada reminded him of his lost homeland – Laos.  On November 1985, Captain Chue marked a place in history to be the first Hmong family to settle in Oroville, CA.

Despite the rural isolation, Captain Chue played a significant role at the national level. He served as the Chue representative to the Hmong Council, Inc.  He also maintained his leadership role at the local level, and was committed in assisting the newly arrived refugees to assimilate.  By 1990, as the Hmong population in Oroville grew, tensions between the Hmong community and the community at large also developed as a result of language, cultural, social and legal barriers.  Therefore, Captain Chue and other local Hmong community members responded to the ongoing concerns and established the United Hmong Community of Oroville to function as a bridge between the Hmong community and local officials, law enforcement agencies, schools, and many other local agencies. 

In 1991, the Lao Veterans of America, Inc. was incorporated to serve members of the US Secret Army who served in the Secret War in Laos.  Captain Chue played an important role as a member to the organization. He successfully advocated for national recognition for their services and citizenship waiver for the veterans and widows whose husbands were killed in action.  On May 19, 1993, Captain Chue was naturalized in Sacramento, CA and became an American citizen; where he has been actively participating in the voting process.  Ten years later, in October 2001, Captain Chue was elected Chairman of the Lao Veterans of America, Inc. Northern California Chapters (LVANCC), serving members from Stockton, CA to the Oregon border.    He actively participated with the local Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies.  He served two terms and ended his term in December 2008. 

Despite of his growing health concern with high blood pressure, diabetic, and ongoing dialysis, Captain Chue continued his leadership role and served on the advisory committee for the LVANCC.  A soldier, a father, and a community leader, Captain Chue was always out there with every support he could provide.  Even when he was in the hospital, Captain Chue never shown sign of weaknesses or sorrow.  He carried his casual conversation and laughter as usual and openly shared the war against his health to whomever visited him. 

In the final weeks prior to his departure, Captain Chue made every effort to be with his family and the community.  Freshly out of the hospital following a kidney transplant operation, Captain Chue walked with a cane but made the effort to stop shortly at a newborn blessing ceremony to wish good health, wisdom and blessing to baby Nolan and the first time parent.  In the final week of his life, Captain Chue made his last commitment to his family and the community, and attended the Chue families reunion.  On July 3, 2012, Captain Chue finally lost the battle to his health, and passed away at Sutter Memorial Hospital in Sacramento.  Captain Cha Phia Chue is survived by his wife Chao Yang, six sons, five daughters, and seven grandchildren.

His sons are:

Cha Chue; Wa Meng Chue, who is married to Hua Chang; Cheng Chue, who is married to Julie Kha Heu;

Peter King Chue; William Leng Chue, and Charlie Yeng Chue.

His daughters are:

Youa Chue who is married to Neng Thao

Xia Chue who is married to Benny Thao

Xee Chue, Xue Chue, and Xay Chue.

Captain Chue also left behind his siblings: Nhia Lue Chue, his only brother, and three sisters: Chao Chue who is married to Choua Dang Yang, Sua Chue who is married to Chong Houa Thao, and Ying Chue who is married to Pa Chia Yang.