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 21st 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.
