Vang Pao funeral will include viewing in Twin Cities
By John Wanamaker, Minnesota Public Radio
St. Paul, Minn. -- Funeral arrangements for Gen. Vang Pao are beginning to take shape as Hmong communities in Minnesota and around the country mourn the loss of their leader. Vang Pao died Thursday at the age of 81.
A traditional Hmong funeral will be held for Vang Pao from Feb. 11-18 in Fresno, Calif. Afterwards, the body will travel to the Twin Cities for visitation, according to Lee Pao Xiong, a spokesman for the Hmong community in the Twin Cities.
Xiong says finding a means to accommodate everyone who will want to pay their respects will be a difficult task.
"Here in the area, the Hmong population is about 70,000 [people]. We anticipate there will be people from other states, too," he said. "Even if you say half the population shows up, that's still a lot of people."
Vang Pao fought with U.S. forces in Laos during the Vietnam War. He came to the United States in 1975, and played a key role as a community leader in establishing Hmong communities here.
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