From 1964 to 1973, the United States dropped 2 million tons of bombs in Laos as part of a covert military operation during the Vietnam War.  

Laos has the distinction of being the most heavily bombed country in history. To this day, Laotians still must live with unexploded bombs buried in their land. 

What’s the extent of the damage caused by the secret war, and what’s the path forward for Laos? 

Meet Sera Koulabdara, CEO of Legacies of War

Legacies of War is a U.S.-based advocacy organization addressing the impacts of war from unexploded ordnances, also called UXO founded by Sera Koulabdara.   She has received the inaugural Award of Gratitude in 2024 and the Humanitarian Award of 2022 given by the Laotian government for successful advocacy efforts in securing funds for bomb removal and victims assistance.  Koulabdara grew up in Laos. Her work is inspired by her father, a doctor who operated on victims of UXO. 

Finding and Destroying Cluster Munitions in Laos

The Ho Chi Minh trail has the dark distinction of being the most heavily bombed part of the most heavily bombed country in history, Laos. Fifty years later, bomb craters still scar the landscape. An estimated 1,800 square kilometers of land in Laos still require bomb clearance. That’s roughly two-and-a-half times the size of New York City.

The Mine Action Group, or MAG, is one of the largest UXO removal organizations operating in Laos today. The organization works in two main provinces, Xiangkhoang and Khammouan, among the most heavily bombed during the war due to their proximity to the Ho Chi Minh Trail. 

Healing War Wounds Through Art

ARTICLE22 is a social-impact jewelry company that partners with artisans in Laos to take bomb scrap metal and turn it into works of wearable art. Founder Elizabeth Suda first visited Laos in 2008. When visiting a village and meeting with artisans, she learned about the secret war.  

“This very village itself was contaminated. And when I talked to more and more villagers, I realized that their village was a battleground,” Suda said in her interview with Mike Walter. “That disconnect between a history book date and the reality of a post conflict landscape really made me feel like I couldn’t unsee it, I couldn’t unknow it, and I needed to do something about it.” 

ARTICLE 22’s jewelry is sold in more than 40 countries. In addition to helping to clean unexploded bombs, each piece sold is also an opportunity to talk about this unknown part of history.