Battle for Skyline Ridge: the CIA secret war in Laos

Origins

Enter Vang Pao

Spanner in the works

Test of concept

Air America

Geneva Accords, 1962

The secret war takes form

Relegated to the shadows

LS 36 and LS 85

The mighty ravens

1968

About face

1970

The Royal Thai Army's 13th Infrantry Regiment

The Tahan Sua Pran

Campaign 74B

St Valentine's Day Massacre and the Thai irregulars to the rescue

Back to the PDJ

PDJ flight

Phase II skyline

January 14, 1972

Phase II skyline

VP's end-around

Hill 1800

Sam Thong and CC Pad Falls

Final showdown at CC and CB

So what happened?