Thao Ty

Thao Ty was a Laotian Paratrooper general and commander of the airborne forces of the Royal Lao Army (French: Armée Royale du Laos – ARL), the ground forces branch of the Royal Lao Armed Forces (French: Forces Armées du Royaume – FAR), the official military of the Kingdom of Laos during the 1960s and 1970s.

Career
Lt. Col. Thao Ty rose to prominence in 1963 when he replaced Lt. Col. Siho Lamphouthacoul as the commander of the Royal Lao Police (PRL) Directorate of National Co-ordination (DNC) para-commando regiment. After the DNC’s disbandement in February 1965, Thao Ty was transferred from the Police to the Royal Lao Army (RLA) and given command of the RLA’s second airborne regiment, GM 21. In 1970, he transferred again to the CIA-run guerrilla programme in Savannakhet and was posted in charge of all irregular Special Guerrilla Groups (SGU) forces in the Third Military Region (MR 3). During the following year he was promoted to Brigadier-General after its participation in retaking the town of Paksong in December 1972. He then transferred back to the regular Army in order to head its new 2nd Strike Division. In May 1975 Brig. Gen. Thao Ty was quickly arrested and executed by the Pathet Lao.