Latest news with #SGU
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hmong ‘Secret War' soldiers to get veteran status in Minnesota
The Brief Minnesota is on the verge of becoming the first state to recognize as veterans the Hmong and Lao soldiers who fought in the CIA's Secret War. The so-called "Special Guerrilla Units" worked alongside Americans fighting in Laos and North Vietnam, but the U.S. kept their work under wraps until acknowledging the Secret War in 1994. Analysts estimate about 1,000 of the veterans are still alive and living in Minnesota. Once the bill is signed, they will have access to services and benefits given to all American veterans. ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota is about to become the first state to recognize as veterans the men who fought a secret war for the United States. Slow recognition The Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday night to honor the service of Hmong and Lao soldiers in the Secret War. It's 50 years now since the CIA stopped using these so-called Special Guerrilla Units (SGUs) to fight communism, mostly in Laos and North Vietnam. But recognition has been slow, which they blame on the fact that the U.S. kept what they did off the books. "Every mission, you only know that mission," said Yee Xiong. Xiong never knew the big picture in Laos, even as he flew more than 1,000 missions as a navigator and translator for American pilots on bombing runs. All he knew was he was helping the United States and fighting communism. "We never know that what we did over there was so secret," Xiong said. "We just fight what we're told. Americans said, you do this, and we do this." Soldiers then refugees 30,000 to 40,000 Hmong soldiers died during the Secret War, but Xiong survived until the end. The Americans left and the Hmong became unwelcome in their own country. Two refugee camps later, Xiong made it to the United States, but only now, 50 years later, will he and about 1,000 surviving Hmong veterans get the same rights and services we give American veterans. "For too long, they've silently, slowly waited for recognition of their honorable service and commitment to protect and uphold democracy, to save American lives, and to safeguard American interests," said Rep. Ethan Cha (DFL-Woodbury), the son of a now-deceased SGU veteran. "What this bill says is what they deserve and it's the least we can do."Rep. Cha says Hmong and Lao people would never have come to the U.S. except for the Secret War and the leadership of General Vang Pao, who dreamed of an educated Hmong people welcomed in a democratic society. "This is his dream coming full circle of the day he took on that mantle to fight against communism," said Rep. Kaohly Her (DFL-St. Paul), the daughter of a now-deceased SGU veteran. "We are that dream. And they're finally getting recognition for that." The U.S. gave these war veterans "honorary citizenship" about 25 years ago, but Minnesota will become the first and only state to give them veteran status when the governor signs this bill into law.
Associated Press
05-02-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
St. George's University Announces New Admissions Partnership with McMaster University's W Booth School
TRUE BLUE, GRENADA AND HAMILTON, ON / ACCESS Newswire / February 5, 2025 / St. George's University (SGU) has launched a new admissions partnership with the W Booth School in the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster University. This partnership will grant qualified BTech Biotechnology students fast-track admission into the St. George's University School of Medicine. 'St. George's University is delighted to offer this new opportunity for aspiring doctors from the W Booth School to pursue degrees in medicine with us,' said Dr. Marios Loukas, Dean of St. George's University School of Medicine. 'SGU is tremendously proud to partner with the W Booth School to create more avenues for qualified Canadian students to become practicing physicians while helping to address Canada's ongoing physician shortage.' The partnership creates a BTech in Biotechnology to Doctor of Medicine pathway that provides students who have successfully completed the Bachelor of Technology in Biotechnology at the W Booth School and meet the requirements for entry with admission to the four-year MD program at SGU. Booth students interested in pursuing the pathway must maintain a strong overall GPA and a strong GPA in prerequisite coursework. Qualified students will be eligible to complete the basic sciences component of the SGU MD program in either two years of study in Grenada or one year at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom and one year in Grenada. Students' clinical rotations will take place with SGU's affiliate network of more than 75 hospitals and health systems in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom offering clinical and ambulatory training. 'This opportunity significantly broadens the academic and career horizons for our BTech-Biotechnology graduates, offering invaluable global experience,' says Heather Sheardown, Dean of Engineering at McMaster. 'We eagerly anticipate our first alumni embarking on this journey, gaining the academic and practical expertise needed to make meaningful contributions to healthcare.' BTech Biotechnology students who are accepted into the pathway with a sufficiently high overall GPA and sciences GPA will be awarded a scholarship of US $85,000 at SGU School of Medicine. Students will also be eligible to be considered for all of SGU's School of Medicine scholarships. SGU granted more than US $71 million in scholarships in the 2023-2024 academic year. About St. George's University St. George's University is a center of international education, drawing students and faculty from 140 countries to the island of Grenada, in the West Indies, to its programs in medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, science, and business. SGU is affiliated with educational institutions worldwide, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The University's over 28,000 graduates include physicians, veterinarians, scientists, and public health and business professionals across the world. St. George's University School of Medicine is accredited by the Grenada Medical and Dental Council, which has been recognized by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME). For more information, visit About McMaster University -- Faculty of Engineering The Faculty of Engineering plays a key role in helping McMaster University earn its reputation as one of Canada's most innovative and research-intensive universities. McMaster Engineering has a reputation for groundbreaking programs and research, leading faculty and aspiring students. It attracts around $44 million in annual research funding in more than 20 research centres, institutes, and networks whose interdisciplinary pursuits cross departmental and Faculty boundaries. Outside the university, the Faculty of Engineering collaborates with partners in universities, government and more than 130 companies in Canada and abroad. (203) 606-3127 Media Contact (W Booth School): Keiko Kataoka
