How Laos Became the Most Bombed Country in World History

The other day, I was driving and stopped at a red light. Right in front of me was a VW sedan with a striking sticker that mentioned bombs dropped in Laos in the 1960s that never detonated and still killing people today. I snapped a picture, intending to learn more and possibly write something about it. 

At the time, I knew very little about what had happened in Laos during the Vietnam War or how this small, landlocked country became an unfortunate victim by proxy.

According to multiple accounts, between 1964 and 1973, the United States dropped over 2 million tons of ordnance in Laos as part of the Vietnam War. Among the bombs dropped were an estimated 270 million cluster submunitions, commonly known as "bombies."

The question becomes, why did the US bombed Laos so heavily? It was all part of the “Secret War,” a covert military operation with three primary objectives: disrupt the Ho Chi Minh Trail, support the Royal Lao Government, and contain the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. 

The Ho Chi Minh Trail ran through Laos and was a vital supply line used by North Vietnamese forces to move troops and weapons into South Vietnam. To choke off this lifeline, the US bombed relentlessly.

At the same time, the US supported the Royal Lao Government in its fight against the communist Pathet Lao, who were allied with North Vietnam. The broader Cold War logic was at play here: if one nation in the region fell to communism, others would follow—a fear known as the Domino Theory.

Lao, the Southeast Asian nation, is slightly smaller than Ghana in size, a native country of mine. All the more reasons why I took interest in learning more about it. 

The scale and aftermath of the bombing are staggering. Laos holds the grim distinction of being the most heavily bombed country per capita in recorded history. Roughly 30 percent of the cluster bombs failed to explode on impact, leaving behind an estimated 80 million unexploded submunitions scattered across the countryside. Just imagine that.

These hidden dangers have continued to kill and maim thousands of Laotians, especially children, long after the war ended. Even today, vast areas of land remain unusable for farming or development due to the lingering threat of unexploded ordnance. 

The US bombing campaign in Laos remains one of the most devastating and under-discussed legacies of the Cold War. It serves as a chilling reminder that war often leaves behind more than wreckage, it leaves behind silence, trauma, and unexploded bombs still waiting in the earth. No more wars, there is just enough for everyone without fighting and fussing. 

I hope you learned something, just like I did after I spotted that sticker on the car. We don’t always need Mr. Critical Eye in motion to see something that matters call for our attention. 

Have a blessed Sunday, and God bless you, and God bless and protect the Laotians. 

I remain,

Pal Ronnie