Documenting the Story of the Hmong
This collection holds the digitized versions of photographs that were taken by Galen S. Beery, while he was working for International Voluntary Services (IVS) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The collection covers the years of 1970-1972, while Beery worked in northern Laos. In northern Laos, he worked under the legendary Edgar Monroe Buell (Pop Buell). He was there to replace Pop Buell’s secretary, Carol Mills.
The collection covers three major historic events: The Evacuation of the Plain of Jars, The Evacuation of Sam Thong, and Ban Xon, Laos. This collection is the start of the collaborative effort to document and share Hmong history with our Hmong community in Fresno and with the world.
Special thanks to the individuals who originally gathered all of the materials and came up with the idea to petition Fresno State as a sponsor and collaborator for these and other original files, David Lee and Lar Yang. These two local individuals are the driving force behind Hmongstory Legacy.
Among the many other valuable efforts that have been created to share his historical collection of items with the Fresno Hmong community, an online exhibit called “Galen Beery Legacy Exhibit” has been recently created to emphasize his impact on the lives of others and give context to his wonderful collection of photos.
Galen's Perspective on the Hmong Experience
A video prepared by Hmongstory Legacy to contextualize the materials in this collection and in the digital exhibition, “Galen Beery Legacy Exhibit”, unveiled on November 14, 2023.
