About
CHOUA THAO
Choua Thao was born in Ban Phoukabo, Xieng Khouang Province on October 8, 1943. She was one of five children born into a family whose father and grandfather were both political leaders of the region. She was also one of the first few Hmong women to be able to go to school in Laos. At the age of 13, she was recruited by the International Volunteer Service and became the first trained Hmong nurse.
SECRET WAR NURSE
About
First Hmong Nurse
By her early twenties, Choua was appointed as the Sam Thong hospital administrator and was in charge of everything from housekeeping and cooking staff to managing supplies, scheduling and training nurses as well as flying to every corner of Laos to recruit young Hmong, Mien, Khmu, and Lao women to become nurse aides. Thao shares that her role was both rewarding and stressful. She spoke six languages and as head of administrator oversaw 14 departments in three hospitals. She managed 360 medics and staff. For over seven years she also was the nurse instructor and trainer. All of this at a hospital that treated over 500 patients per day, which mostly included wounded soldiers.
Having worked alongside Americans, her life was in danger when the communists took over Laos. In May 1975, she left for Thailand and arrived in the United States in 1976. Her family first settled in Waupun, Wisconsin and a few short months later, they moved to Saint Paul, Minnesota. Wanting to ensure that her family would be taken care of, Choua continued her studies and enrolled in a four-week nursing aide program. Seven years later, Choua attended the University of Minnesota with her eldest daughter and earned her Associates degree in Social Work.
Choua worked for several years as a nurse aide but she spent most of the later part of her life in social work and helped newly arrived refugees in California and Minnesota. She held jobs as a translator at a community clinic in Orange County, CA; a counselor at Lutheran Social Services in Minneapolis, MN; and a social worker in Merced, CA.
During the last 40 years, she has worked tirelessly as an advocate for refugees and served as a board member on a variety of organizations including the Hmong Women’s Heritage Association in Sacramento, the Women’s Association in Fresno, Lao Family Community of Minnesota and Women’s Association of Hmong and Lao in Saint Paul and the Association for the Advancement of Hmong Women in Minneapolis.
Special Acknowledgement:
Hmong Nurses Association is honoring Choua Thao, a Hmong nurse pioneer by designating October 8 as National Hmong Nurse Day.
Where’s Choua Today
Life After the War
Choua currently lives in the California bay area, where her new job title entails answering to three little people who call her Grandma. This is the first time she has had to take care of children since her own were cared for by family or hired caretakers, while she tended to the sick and dying.
At 73 years old, Choua is still very active. She enjoys crossword puzzles, scrabble, and playing volleyball, soccer, and shooting pool with her grandchildren.
“I tell Hmong boys and girls, you have to dream, if you don’t have a dream then you don’t know what you are going to do.”