A former United States CIA paramilitary officer, Vinton J. Lawrence was stationed in Laos from 1962 to 1966. Lawrence recalls arriving in Vientiane. After the Geneva Convention only two CIA agents were allowed to stay in-country, Lawrence and Tony Poe. Together Lawrence and Poe set up base in Long Cheng and began to work closely with Vang Pao. Lawrence contends that Vang Pao was not a creation of the CIA but rather a trained soldier who had completed officerÂ’s school. Lawrence recalls his impression of Vang Pao as a dynamic man and a natural leader. Lawrence also talks about the evolution of Long Cheng from a bucolic place to a overpopulated shanty town. Lawrence recalls his feelings about his time in Laos and his sorrow as to what has happened to its people, who he believes have gone against their own best interests.
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