opinion
THE WAR THAT NEVER ENDS
A half-century after the war “ended,” people in Vietnam Laos, and Cambodia try to live their lives in a land riddled with unexploded ordinance that still kill and maim civilians.
Danae Hendrickson (She/Her) is the Chief of Mission Advancement and Communications at Legacies of War. She specializes in storytelling that inspires action. Danae is personally tied to the work of Legacies of War. Her mother, who came to the U.S. as a refugee from Laos, passed away in 2013. Her mother’s death prompted her journey to reconnect to Laos, which led to Danae discovering Legacies of War on instagram. She took a deep-dive into the history of The American Secret War in Laos and learned about the current UXO crisis in Laos that her family is still facing every day as they send their kids to school and farm their rice paddies. After learning about the monumental accomplishments of Legacies of War's advocacy work and their approach as a Lao American led organization, Danae was inspired to get involved. Her work today with Legacies is motivated by all who are learning about their history and taking action to heal the wounds of war for their families and their motherland.When she's not combing through declassified documents, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and bird watching in the PNW with her two year old son.