Hog’s Exit: Jerry Daniels, the Hmong, and the CIA

Modern Southeast Asia

by Gayle L. Morrison

It just didn’t sit right. Not with his friends, not with his coworkers, not with his hunting and fishing buddies, and certainly not with his family. The American Embassy in Bangkok had reported the accidental death of Jerry “Hog” Daniels by carbon monoxide poisoning. Three decades later, his family and most of his friends remain unconvinced that the U.S. government told them the truth about his death.
            As a former CIA case officer to legendary Hmong leader General Vang Pao during the “secret war” in Laos, Jerry Daniels was experienced, smart, and careful. Those who knew him well said he wasn’t the type to die as reported. Raising even more doubts, his casket was “Permanently Sealed” by the U.S. State Department before being shipped home to Missoula, Montana, where he was honored with a three-day funeral ceremony organized by his former comrades-in-arms, the Hmong hilltribe warriors from Laos.
            This book examines the unique personality and reported death of a man who was a pivotal agent in U.S./Hmong history. Friends and family share their memories of Daniels growing up in Montana, cheating death in Laos, and carousing in the bars and brothels of Thailand. First-person accounts from Americans and Hmong, ranchers and refugees, State Department officials and smokejumpers capture both human and historical stories about the life of this dedicated and irreverent individual and offer speculation on the unsettling circumstances of his death. Equally important, Hog’s Exit is the first complete account in English to document the drama and beauty of the Hmong funeral process.
            Hog’s Exit provides a fascinating view of a man and the two very different cultures in which he lived.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History

512 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very informative and exceedingly well researched examination on the life and suspicious death of Jerry Daniels, the CIA case officer assigned to the Hmong during the Secret War. This work spans all phases of Mr. Daniel’s’ life from smoke jumping to cargo dropping, to working as General Vang Pao’s adviser on the ground in Laos, and all the way to his final work in Refugee Services trying to get the Hmong resettled. Questions remain as to how, why, and maybe even who caused this man’s a death.

Ms. Morrison uses interviews, State Department cables, newspaper articles, and other documents to tell these stories. And even though there are more questions than answers, I think this is a fantastic story told with love and passion. While I would have loved to know the answer to his death, it didn’t ruin my enjoyment. I recommend this most highly.

[Mary Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm currently on page 11. The print is small and the book is fat. There are a lot of details in here so I hope it remains interesting. So far it is - mostly because it has interviews with all kinds of people so I believe I'm really going to get a sense of this person, without him saying anything.

Liked this book but have yet to finish it - I had to return it to the library. Found out that there was a person I knew interviewed for this book and was quoted often. Was able to attend a lecture by the author at Missoula Art Museum, and a presentation at Missoula Cemetery's "Stories and Stones" day. I will get back to reading this at some point....