♪ >> anthony: in the early 1960s, three idealistic, young cia officers arrived in laos, a sleepy, mountainous country of barely over 2 million people, mostly rice farmers. their mission? stop the spread of communism. recruit and train hill warriors

to fight a shadow war against the north vietnamese, and the pathet lao. the war in laos was secret. the russians knew about it. the chinese knew. the vietnamese, the laotians, certainly knew. the only people who didn't, was the american public, and congress. ♪ i took a walk through this beautiful world ♪ ♪ felt the cool rain on my shoulder ♪ ♪ found something good in this beautiful world ♪ ♪ i felt the rain getting colder ♪ ♪ sha, la, la, la, la, ♪ sha, la, la, la, la, la, ♪ sha, la, la, la, la,, ♪ sha, la, la, la, la, la ♪

♪ ♪ >> anthony: though never actually at war with laos, at the same time we were fighting in neighboring vietnam. the united states flew more than

a half a million missions over this tiny southeast asian nation. dropping more bombs here than on germany, and japan in all of wwii combined. this only a part of the largest covert military operation in history. a conflict that became known as "the secret war." there were three intelligence officers, key players in this secret war, who depending on who you talk to were either greatly loved, or greatly feared and despised. anthony poshepny, also known as tony po, had an extensive paramilitary background as a former marine and cia officer. bill lair, a texan and world war ii vet, was an influential cia case officer. vint lawrence was recruited right out of princeton, even though he was an art history

major. they succeeded, at first, in impeding the flow of communist north vietnamese arms and troops on the ho chi minh trail. but by the end, they were arming children. what happened here, presumably in the cause of freedom of democratic western values, resonates still. an estimated 30% of the bombs dropped on laos failed to detonate. these and other uxo's remain in the ground and continue to take lives, and limbs. ♪

>> anthony: when you get off the plane -- >> james: yes. >> anthony: what's the first sort of recognizable smell that registers? >> james: wood smoke and grilling. river, as well. you know, it's just like the mekong. >> anthony: diesel, or whatever the fuel is here? a little bit of -- >> james: yeah, yeah. >> anthony: from the first time i heard of laos, i was hooked, and filled with a desire to see the place. once a storybook kingdom of misty mountains and opium. at one time, a protectorate of france. mysterious landlocked nation bordered by china, thailand, cambodia and as fate would have it, vietnam.

>> james: i think the best restaurant view ever, are these women butchers. >> anthony: chef james syhabout earned his michelin star in san francisco. >> james: this is the first thing i eat. get off the plane and i -- i'm just gonna find some khao piak sen. >> anthony: he learned to cook from his mother, and never looked back, until recently. >> james: that's crispy pork, sliced pork. >> anthony: blood cake? >> james: blood cake in it. >> anthony: beef broth? >> james: beef broth, yeah. ah, it's like steaming hot. >> anthony: james' family, like many, fled the fighting in laos and the communist takeover that followed it. >> james: mmm! >> anthony: nowadays, things are looking up a bit and some like james are returning,.

>> james: oh man, this is, like, so homey. takes you to a place, takes me to a place. >> anthony: what's it like being back and having, it's only your second time, but what's it like? >> james: oh, man it's like home. more and more. i, i totally get it, like when mom's -- i want to go back home. i want to go back home. that's a common thing, you know? refugees from laos, live in the states for a couple years. once their children have their own careers and families they, they come back. and my mom's doing that now. you know, rice farming again. she said, "i want to move back to go and have a more relaxed life." i'm like, "that's hard work." you know? >> anthony: but she's happy? >> james: she's happy. super happy. she looks a lot younger now. [ laughter ] after she moved back. >> anthony: less stress, i guess. >> james: yeah, yeah. >> translator: this village, we call longlan. >> anthony: rice farming?

>> james: yes, ah, they're doing rice and also growing some vegetable. >> anthony: northern laos enchantingly beautiful, sparsely populated by remote mountain villages. for centuries, home to ethnic minority hill tribes, like the hmong. this is where the cia recruited, trained and armed over a hundred thousand fighters. >> translator: they, ah, start to build this road since ah, 1983. >> anthony: before that, how did you get up and down? walk? >> mr. lee: by foot only. >> other villager: using only a rocky trail with a very steep drop off. >> anthony: in these same mountains, but on the other side of the conflict, there were people like mr. lee, now in his 80s, who fought for the communist pathet lao. he is hmong. and during the secret war, he fought other hmong.

>> anthony: oh, that's -- wow! >> this is, ah, chicken. >> anthony: chicken! >> translator: this is chicken also, but with blood and some inner heart. every hmong family will know this. >> anthony: beautiful. >> translator: good. >> anthony: he was here when the french were here, yes? >> mr. lee: yes, i saw them. >> translator: was it after the french left that you joined the army? >> mr. lee: yes, yes.

>> anthony: how was, ah, he injured? >> anthony: in the end, when the last choppers hurriedly left vietnam, laos, and many lao who fought with us, were largely left behind too. what had been a kingdom, was now a communist regime. yeah. the bad guys won. a few who'd most directly associated with the american effort, unwilling to face rehabilitation camps or worse, never surrendered. and are, all these years later, hiding in hills like these. >> anthony: hmong were killing hmong, bitterly, for many years, if the same people who were trying to kill him and who he was trying to kill, came back now, how would he feel about

that? discover card. hi, do you have a travel card? we do! the discover it® miles card. earn unlimited 1.5 miles on every purchase,

plus we'll match your miles at the end of your first year. you'll match my miles? yeah! mile for mile! and no blackout dates or annual fee. nice! i was thinking about taking a scuba diving trip! i love that. or maybe go surfing... or not. ok. maybe somewhere else. maybe a petting zoo. can't go wrong. can't get eaten. earn miles. we'll match 'em at the end of your first year. plus no annual fee or blackouts. the discover it® miles card. yesss, i'm doing it all. the water. the exercise. the fiber. month after month, and i still have belly pain and recurring constipation. so i asked my doctor what else i could do, and i said yesss to linzess. linzess treats adults with ibs with constipation or chronic constipation. linzess is not a laxative, it works differently. it helps relieve belly pain and lets you have more frequent and complete bowel movements. do not give linzess to children less than 6, and it should not be given to children 6 to less than 18, it may harm them. do not take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. get immediate help if you develop

unusual or severe stomach pain, especially with bloody or black stools. the most common side effect is diarrhea, sometimes severe. if it's severe, stop taking linzess and call your doctor right away. other side effects include gas, stomach area pain, and swelling. i'm still doing it all. the water. the exercise. the fiber. and i said yesss to linzess for help with belly pain and recurring constipation. ask your doctor. if you have a garden you know, weeds are lowdown little scoundrels. don't stoop to their level. draw the line with the roundup sure shot wand. it extends with a protective shield and targets weeds more precisely. it lets you kill what's bad right down to the root while guarding the good. roundup sure shot wand. got weeds in your grass too? try roundup for lawns. kills weeds, not the lawn. roundup brand. trusted for over 40 years. you wouldn't accept from any one else. why accept it from your allergy pills? flonase relieves your worst symptoms

including nasal congestion, which most pills don't. flonase helps block 6 key inflammatory substances. most pills only block one. flonase. anthony: luang prabang, laos' ancient capital is a sleepy city of ornate palaces and temples. this town enthusiastically observes wan ok phansa a big

party marking the end of buddhist lent. the whole thing culminates a few days from now, on the last full moon in october, with a fire lantern festival. the symbolic casting away of your sins. >> anthony: but today, the lao are watching and drinking, as others pull at oars and race to the finish line. >> anthony: a boat festival? >> older sister: yeah, boat festival here. today is a the girl racing. >> anthony: each boat will be women from the same village? >> older sister: yeah, one boat, it's one village. >> anthony: for weeks, racing teams have been practicing on the mekong river, each team sponsored by a local buddhist monastery. >> older sister: eat, drink,

enjoy view, enjoy boat. >> anthony: how old is this tradition? >> older sister: ah, it's a long time ago. many generation, we start maybe on 6th century. >> anthony: uh -- oh, what are we doing? >> older sister: >> anthony: lao --lao? >> both sisters: yes. lao --lao. we're doing some lao --lao. so made by the sticky rice, so -- >> anthony: yes. >> older sister: it taste good. [ laughter ] >> anthony: look, this is close! both of you born here? >> older sister: yeah, i'm the older sister, and she's the younger. >> anthony: how has the country changed since you were little kids? >> older sister: wow. the country change a lot. we open the tourism scene so it's good for the local economy

and local people they can earn money direct from the visitor and tourists. >> anthony: well, president obama was just here a few months ago. >> younger sister: he was here. a few months ago. yeah, he got off a lot of, ah, helpful, the education and for the -- >> anthony: unexploded ordinance removal. i -- 90 million dollars. it's -- >> both sisters: 90 million, yeah, that's a lot. that's a lot. >> anthony: that's a lot of money? >> both sisters: help a lot. it's a lot of money. this one, the local snack. >> anthony: ah, chicken feet. good. >> older sister: and, ah, buffalo tendon. >> anthony: oh nice, good. yeah, i'm gonna try that. >> older sister: and the dried squid? >> anthony: dried squid. >> older sister: mmm. >> anthony: ah, i love this, this is delicious. >> older sister: when we eat and there, we enjoy food. in lao, we say "seplai." >> anthony: seplai. >> older sister: seplai. >> anthony: your hotel. >> mama vaughn: my hotel. >> anthony: how long has it been open? >> mama vaughn: well, it's been about twenty years. >> anthony: today, i'm having lunch at the ban lao hotel,

during the secret war it was the offices for u.s. foreign aide mission. the building was also a cover for cia headquarters. >> mama vaughn: that big building used to belong to usaid. >> anthony: can we say wha -- >> michel: are you sure? usaid or cia, i don't know. >> anthony: well this is what i want to ask. generally speaking, in tho -- in tho -- >> michel: at that time, we never know. >> anthony: in those days, back in the '60s and '70s -- >> mama vaughn: 60, yeah. >> michel: yeah. >> anthony: usaid and cia had a lot of, let's say, overlap. >> anthony: mama vaughn, who i met here on my last trip is making lunch. an elaborate spread of dishes whose recipes are left over from imperial times. >> anthony: mm, so what do we have here? >> mama vaughn: this is lon song fish from mekong. we cook with shallots and garlic and chili, and coconut milk. and pork. >> anthony: crab? river crab? >> mama vaughn: crab. river crab, yeah. >> anthony: mm! >> mama vaughn: see? >> anthony: it's good. >> michel: mm-hm. >> mama vaughn: it's only in luang prabang >> anthony: you

could eat the shell? >> mama vaughn: yes. >> anthony: mm. >> mama vaughn: and fish with pork grill. >> michel: all in banana leaves >> mama vaughn: banana leaves. mm. and then this is ginger sauce. eat the pork skin. >> anthony: pork skin, of course. and we have to have sticky rice. >> michel: yeah, sticky rice. >> mama vaughn: okay, bon appetit! >> anthony: food like this, uh, this is an imperial dish, a, a royal dish? >> mama vaughn: mmhm. >> anthony: have these disappeared, these recipes, or are they still here? they still are? >> mama vaughn: they're still here but you know, 'cause tony, it some time they do it not the way that sup -- not supposed to do it. they change ingredient a lot. my grandma teach me how to do this. >> anthony: now you were born here, yes? in luang prabang? >> mama vaughn: yes, in luang prabang. yeah, mmhm. >> anthony: and ah, michel, you -- >> michel: i was born in vientiane. >> mama vaughn: in vientiane.

>> anthony: in ventiane? >> mama vaughn: yeah. >> anthony: have you lived here all your life? no, ah -- >> mama vaughn: in france. >> anthony: in france. >> michel: by the age of 11 i went to france to study. i came back in, in, in 1971. >> anthony: in difficult times, 1971. very, very difficult. >> michel: oh yeah, it was still the war. >> anthony: mama vaughns' long time friend michel is a journalist, though what that means in a communist one party state like laos is necessarily different than what you and i might define it as. >> michel: when i was in paris, i studied ethnology. when i came here, they said, ethnology can wait. what we need it journalists. >> mama vaughn: journalist. that's why you get your job. >> michel: that's how i became a journalist. >> anthony: american involvement here remained a particularly painful and even taboo subject with the lao government. >> anthony: obama, the united states president, just came here to visit. what do you think it means for lao? >> michel: well, i think one important thing is the uxo, unexploded ordinances. >> anthony: right. >> michel: american b52s, they came on bombing missions in laos. everyday, everyday, everyday. and after bombing, they have to cross mekong back for and, and land. but they are not allowed to land with bombs on board. so they have bombs left, they would drop them at random. that's why we have so, so many and in, in so many provinces.

>> anthony: what do you think it means though, that the president came here? this is a, look, this is a small country. only 7 million and change people. >> mama and michel: yes. yeah. >> anthony: not a lot of mineral resources. >> michel: no, not really. >> anthony: uh, no oil. if you were a cynical person. >> michel: i'm not. [ laughter ] >> anthony: why do you think he came? >> michel: well you have china, you have russia, you have, ah -- lots of things. >> anthony: you think we need a -- we -- you think that maybe we think we need a friend in the neighborhood? >> michel: i think ah, everybody needs friends. [ laughter ] >> anthony: nice answer. best battery ur comps can match the power of energizer. because energizer ultimate lithium is the longest lasting aa battery in the world. [confetti cannon popping] energizer. backed by science. matched by no one. don't worry. travelocity is there for you with 24/7 customer service. now, if your flight runs out of those mini bottles? then, you can worry. travelocity. wander wisely. travelocity.

plants capture co2. what if other kinds of plants captured it too? if these industrial plants had technology that captured carbon like trees we could help lower emissions. carbon capture is important technology - and experts agree. that's why we're working on ways to improve it. so plants... can be a little more... like plants. ♪ getting used to each other's idiosyncrasies. it's an adventure. a test. [ grunting ] a test that jeff failed miserably. [ upbeat music starts ] the spacious volkswagen tiguan. more room means more fun. (burke) at fso we know how ton almost evercover almost anything.

even rooftop parking. strange forces at work? only if you're referring to gravity-and we covered it. talk to farmers. we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪

anthony: so you were born in a refugee camp? >> james: yes. >> anthony: moved to the states, what age? >> james: 2. i don't really remember much. my dad never once talked about the secret war. he never explained why we had to come to the states, and you know, it was just like, we're here. enjoy. [ laughter ] >> anthony: almsgiving is a daily ritual, but this is special. >> mr. see: people always sit out along the street. >> anthony: right. >> mr. see: wait for the man coming and give sticky rice. most people they give sticky

rice. >> anthony: with wan ok phansa approaching, today is super alms day. a once a year halloween -- like bonanza, where in addition to the usual sticky rice, monks are offered all manner of treats. >> mr. see: i was a novice, come from my home village to live in the temple in luang prabang. i finish a monk. >> anthony: in orange robes, the whole bit? >> mr. see: mm-hm. >> anthony: now, do most young men go to the temple to ah -- >> mr. see: to get education, yes. >> james: it's a little like public education, just to become a novice. >> mr. see: yes, yes. >> anthony: ahh! >> james: yeah, unless, unless -- >> anthony: so everybody. >> james: everybody, yeah. that's where you learn english. >> mr. see: yeah. >> james: and you speak french too? >> mr. see: no, no. >> anthony: mr. see lives with his extended family here in this compound, on the outskirts of luang prabang.

>> anthony: looks awesome. so, what do we got here? >> james: or lamb is in a iconic lao dish. with mushrooms, and dill. the key ingredient is the pepperwood. these, ah, wooden blocks with has like ah, white peppers. >> anthony: that infuses the dish, you don't eat it? >> james: it's like a -- you don't eat it. it's a very herbaceous, peppery, really rich. >> mr. see: yeah. >> anthony: unlike anything i've ever had. >> james: mmhm. we have two types of larb, one's raw, one's cooked. >> anthony: mmhm. so it's cooked buffalo, raw buffalo. >> james: buffalo. but yeah. >> anthony: man, it's really good. >> james: yeah. this was kinda improvised. um, "lut bang." lut bang translates to, ah, "fixed blood." so, it's buffalo blood. it's a really tricky way to prepare the dish, because you want the blood to set, so the way you do it is to dilute the blood with water. >> anthony: right. >> james: and just pour it over herbs and that's it. laos panna cotta. [ laughter ] >> anthony: mmm, this is really, really good. you know the balance is so beautiful. >> james: this meal kinda represents like the, lao table. you always got to have a soup. you always got to have some kind of larb, a stew.

some kind of muddled salad. sticky rice, of course, and dip. >> anthony: and beer lao. >> james: and beer lao. yes. >> anthony: let's get some beer. >> mr. see: beer lao. >> anthony: your parents left laos, in what? ah -- >> james: ah, '81. >> anthony: '81. >> james: and you know, we migrated to a community of other laotians. and you know, it was pretty much a community like this. we all share, we barter. >> anthony: scratching out a living. i mean, if you were laotian and you wanted to make money back then, you were cooking thai food. >> james: exactly. my mom worked in thai restaurants, and -- >> anthony: what does your mom think of your lao cooking? >> james: i think she's pretty impressed, surprisingly. she's like, first thing she does when she walks through my kitchen is she goes to the waste bin. and she goes, looks in the trash, and goes -- >> anthony: why are you throwing this out? >> james: yeah. yeah, she's like, cilantro stems. >> anthony: so how many years were you a novice?

>> mr. see: ah, three years. >> anthony: three years? >> mr. see: yes. >> james: well what's the minimum? can you just stay as a novice? >> mr. see: ah, minimum seven days. >> james: seven days. holy moly! >> anthony: wow, that's easy. >> mr. see: easy. >> anthony: i, i don't have time. >> anthony: what's life like at the temple? sleep on the floor? do you sleep in a bed? >> mr. see: normally we sleep on the floor. ah, lately i sleep on bed. yeah, bed. >> james: one meal a day, right? >> anthony: one meal a day? >> mr. see: two. >> james and anthony: two. >> mr. see: breakfast and lunch. >> james: oh, yes. they get a snack from, ah, almsgiving. >> mr. see: yes, snack and drink. coffee, ovaltine. >> anthony: coffee and ovaltine, did he say, yeah? >> mr. see: ovaltine. >> james: yeah. >> mr. see: this one in here? >> james: he got it, here's the cup. there you go. >> mr. see: oh, ovaltine. >> james: yeah. [ laughter ] >> mr. see: cheers! [ monks singing and chanting ] fact is, every insurance company hopes you drive safely. but allstate actually helps you drive safely...

with drivewise. it lets you know when you go too fast... ...and brake too hard. with feedback to help you drive safer. giving you the power to actually lower your cost. unfortunately, it can't do anything about that. now that you know the truth... are you in good hands? what is that? uh mine, why? it's just that it's... lavender. yes it is, it's for men but i like the smell of it laughs ♪ i don't know...our relationship is just kinda boring. uhm, you're not alone. i used to have a limited selection of shows on-demand. and let me tell you, it got very boring. i got directv last week and they have more than 50,000 titles to choose from. but what about my problems? classic narcissist. what was that? nothing.

tv without thousands titles on demand is just kinda tv. don't just kinda tv. directv sign up for directv and get hbo included for a year. call 1.800.directv for adults with moderately to severely active crohn's disease, stelara® works differently. studies showed relief and remission, with dosing every 8 weeks. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections and cancer. some serious infections require hospitalization. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection or flu-like symptoms or sores, have had cancer, or develop new skin growths, or if anyone in your house needs or recently had a vaccine. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems, including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. talk to your doctor today, and learn how janssen can help you explore cost support options. remission can start with stelara®.

to save 30% on all the medications we carry. so go directly to petmeds.com now. anthony: the american experience in this part of the world is something that everyone wants to pretend never happened. more bombs dropped here than all of world war ii. >> french guy: this is the gold medal of laos, is they say one

ton per person. and if they continue to clean the country at that, more 600 years to clean. >> man 1: okay, come on, 'kay, come on! come on, come on! >> man 2: ah no, this is the strong stuff. >> man 1: you like? drink four times a day, good for you! hello! one, two, three! >> anthony: motorbike. the only way to see this part of the world. the thick, unmoving air.

the smell past rice paddies, water buffaloes, what feels like another century. >> anthony: laos is a kind of place that could easily capture your heart, and not let you go. >> anthony: it's what you do, right? i mean, if you're thinking of a place to open a bar or a restaurant, you're gonna put it by the river. right? >> french guy: yeah, yes, yes. >> anthony: nice breeze, nice view. >> french guy: and you see lao, lao people, they come here during the afternoon. they have a drink. it's nice. >> french guy: perfect. >> anthony: more than a few people came here for vacation, and never went home like ben. >> anthony: so how long have you been in laos? >> french guy: in laos, oh, around 15 years. i haven't been back to france for a long time. >> anthony: when you first came here, what was it like?

>> french guy: heh. ah, it was just opened, you know, it was beginning of 2000. >> anthony: what do you mean by "just opened?" >> french guy: before it was very difficult to travel, you know? no, if you have a permit to travel in luang prabang -- >> anthony: right. >> french guy: you can only visit luang prabang. you want to go another province, you need to have a special permit to change, and uh, i had a friend. my friend say, "noel, let's go to laos. it's more protected and more, more, more natural, more authentic." i say, "okay, why not?" the first time i arrived in luang prabang, i was feeling, like ah, indiana jones discovering a beautiful city. and the point is, i fell in love and i couldn't go back. >> anthony: what's your typical day here? like, what -- if you're not working, you're on a good day, you know, sunday. >> french guy: on a good day you have a party. you have a party with old friends, ah, that's before the -- again, there is nothing special to do. it's just a way of life. >> french guy: yeah. training. >> anthony: so how has it changed over the years?

i mean, you go to saigon or hanoi? ah, money, money, money coming in, foreign ownership of everything. is -- that's not happening here? >> french guy: yes, i can see there is an acceleration now. when you go to the market and you say, where is it from? they say, thailand. vietnam, china, and to find local fruit, it's difficult. but if you talk to old people, they will say -- we are like the bamboo. we are not trees, so when there is too, too much wind, voila, we bend in the wind, we get up. >> french guy: i was a monk for little bit more than one month. in fact, i signed for three weeks. after three weeks i wanted to stay a little bit. they push a lot the way to not suffer. to learn how to disconnect the important things in life. that's why the people, they drink a lot. they like to enjoy, to share. if you don't share, you are poor. more you give, more you're rich. you have money a lot, you lose your money tomorrow, some people will be upset. when you go up and going down, it's never a good feeling. as they say, look at the river. it's go up, it's go down, but always in the same way.

and at the end, is the end. yesss, i'm doing it all. the water. the exercise. the fiber. month after month, and i still have belly pain and recurring constipation. so i asked my doctor what else i could do, and i said yesss to linzess. linzess treats adults with ibs with constipation or chronic constipation. linzess is not a laxative, it works differently. it helps relieve belly pain and lets you have more frequent and complete bowel movements. do not give linzess to children less than 6, and it should not be given to children 6 to less than 18, it may harm them. do not take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. get immediate help if you develop unusual or severe stomach pain, especially with bloody or black stools. the most common side effect is diarrhea, sometimes severe. if it's severe, stop taking linzess and call your doctor right away.

other side effects include gas, stomach area pain, and swelling. i'm still doing it all. the water. the exercise. the fiber. and i said yesss to linzess for help with belly pain and recurring constipation. ask your doctor.

roxana: when i got into teaching, it was this idea of really transforming our schools. marisa: one of my biggest responsibilities as a teacher is to serve as an advocate for my kids. newscaster: hundreds of teachers are hitting the picket lines. newscaster: thousands gathered here. rosanne: we need smaller class sizes. angelia: more counselors and more nurses. roxana: we have to be able to invest in our young people.

angelia: every student has a right to quality education. ever: no matter what neighborhood you live in. roxana: our students don't have part-time needs, so they can't have part-time solutions. rodney: because we know quality public schools... roxana: make a better california... marisa: for all of us.

>> anthony: let us assume the best of the intelligence officers who served here, of the pilots and bombardiers who ran missions over laos. >> guide: watch your step. >> anthony: that they were doing their duty as they saw it, that they believed they were serving the interests of their country. >> anthony: so, this is a banana plantation? >> guide: yes, banana and lemongrass. >> anthony: that still leaves us with the unarguable fact that today, generations later, uxos or unexploded ordinances remain a huge problem. >> anthony: what's here? a cluster bomb, mostly? or bombies? >> guide: yes, yes. in this area of 66,000 square >> anthony: organizations like uxo laos are tasked with

cleaning up the mess. you go with a metal detector, dig them out by hand, no machines? >> expert: yeah. yes, yes. >> anthony: uh, detonate them? >> expert: the technology we use nowadays is the same that 20 years ago. >> anthony: right. [ explosion ] >> anthony: wow. [ explosion ] it's a big bang. wow. >> man: imagine how the children pick it up. >> anthony: yeah. laos is the most heavily bombed country per capita in the history of the world. 80 million is the number of cluster bombs that did not detonate. since the war in vietnam ended, and we left our secret war here

behind, 20,000 people, many of whom were not even alive during the conflicts, have been killed or maimed. now most of the people who are blown up, who are they? mostly farmers? >> expert: nowadays, the, the pictures need, need to be changed to the children. right now, because the children is, is look like, like tennis ball. is good for playing, for children to pick up as, as a toy. >> anthony: so far, only half of 1% of the country has been cleared. >> expert: 80 million cluster bombs are still left in the country. >> anthony: right, right. >> expert: twenty years. what we need is 1.4 million. just for the -- >> anthony: in twenty -- in 20 years? >> expert: 20 years. >> anthony: so that's a lot left.

>> expert: that's a lot, and, and, and, and many people asking me how many years to go, i, i have no answers. >> man: bomb! three, two, one, one. [ explosion ]

♪ so this is bamboo soup. bamboo is very fresh because they just get it from the first up here. normally the bamboo is little bit bitter. >> anthony: um, hmm. >> translator: but he has to boil it. >> anthony: long time. >> translator: and then to take out the water. >> anthony: ah change the water. >> translator: yeah, change the water and cook it again with chicken or duck. >> anthony: right for flavor. >> translator: yes. >> anthony: so what year was he born? how old is the gentleman. >> translator: what year were you born? >> uncle: i was born in 1960. >> anthony: 1960, so born at the beginning of the, the war here.

>> anthony: while these days the effects of the secret war are receiving more attention, much of how we got here remains off-limits. the cia's relationship with the hmong in part because there are, to this day, insurgents deep in the jungle is well -- sensitive. where did the american doctors come from?

>> translator: so, uh, actually it's, i think this not, this is not a question i think. >> anthony: okay. unfortunately, laos is a country where there can be repercussions from the government for talking politics. you tell me whether we can talk about this or not, whether it's a comfortable subject or not. but here on one hand, we have americans dropping bombs that blow this at the time child up. >> translator: yeah. >> anthony: and then there are american doctors that put him back together. given that, is he angry?

>> translator: uh, what do you think about the americans who dropped the bombs on the village and houses? >> uncle: it does not matter. they hurt us, but they also helped and supported us. they also sent the doctors to provide treatment for the people who got injured. >> anthony: i mean all of the bombing, all of the suffering, all of the death, what did he think it was all for? >> uncle: i don't know what the reason is. h moderately to severely active crohn's disease, stelara® works differently. studies showed relief and remission, with dosing every 8 weeks. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections and cancer. some serious infections require hospitalization. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection or flu-like symptoms or sores, have had cancer, or develop new skin growths, or if anyone in your house needs or recently had a vaccine. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems, including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare,

potentially fatal brain condition. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. talk to your doctor today, and learn how janssen can help you explore cost support options. remission can start with stelara®. ♪ for a dos equis. ♪ dos equis... ♪ every now and then i get a little bit hungry ♪ ♪ and i also need a side of nachos. ♪ ♪ one more round nachos... ♪ every now and then i order dos... ♪ ♪ and i need dos equis tonight... ♪ ♪ and i'd also like some hot wings. ♪ make your summer jams even hotter. with dos equis. keep it interesante. not ecan match the power of energizer.tery because energizer ultimate lithium is the longest lasting aa battery in the world. [confetti cannon popping] energizer. backed by science. matched by no one. i was told to begin my aspirin regimen, blem.

and i just didn't listen. until i almost lost my life. my doctors again ordered me to take aspirin, and i do. be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. listen to the doctor. take it seriously. - [narrator] do you remember that day? that day you met your hero? - ms. bird, do you think i could be a champion like you? - of course you can. and you can call me sue. - [jibber] jibber jabber, coming through! salutations, famous female of orange round ball. - would you like an autograph? - [jabber] excuse me. (crowd muttering) - [woman] is that paper mache? - it's you. - [woman] wow. - [narrator] jibber jabber ruins everything. - is it? - [woman] i am confused. - [narrator] at symetra life insurance company we're cutting through it, to help you choose the retirement benefits and life products that work best for you. the retirement benefits and life products than the education there's nof a young mind.rtant except maybe being first in line to the grand opening of the world's largest rollercoaster. the volkswagen atlas. more room means more fun. iand i don't add up the years.

but what i do count on... is staying happy and healthy. so, i add protein, vitamins and minerals to my diet with boost®. boost® high protein nutritional drink has 20 grams of protein, along with 26 essential vitamins and minerals your body needs. all with guaranteed great taste. and now try new boost® peaches and creme natural flavor. with 27 vitamins and minerals and 10 grams of protein. boost®. be up for life™.

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

the following is a cnn special presentation. every journalist has that story. the one they just can't forget. it usually involves someone who broke the mold, who left a mark on their community, on humanity, and on all of us. the reporters telling their story. over the last several months my colleagues and i decided to once again track down the remarkable individuals behind those stories. and tonight we're going to take you along for the ride. tonight we want to introduce you to our champions for change. ♪ i am a champion ♪ you can't hurt me now ♪ i can't feel