Laos: The White Elephant

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High over the jungle green hills of Laos, unmarked U.S. transport planes loosed red and white parachutes that floated down the supplies of war: ammunition, clothing and food. Only a few miles away, across a canyon or a hill. Russian Ilyushins bounced onto rough turf runways bearing howitzers, mortars, assault guns and Communist technicians to man them. Among all the crises around the world, only in the remote and rugged northern Laos were Communist and anti-Communist armies lined up for war.

But strangely, once the arms glided down into the hands...