In September 1969, Branfman was working as an educational advisor for the U.S. government in Laos when thousands of refugees fled into the Laotian capital of Vientiane.

Working as a translator for international media, he began to interpret countless villagers' stories of planes dropping bombs.

Gathering details, he journeyed to Washington and spoke at a special session of the U.S. Senate Committee on Refugees, exposing the U.S. government's covert activities.

He also contributed to the traveling exhibition Legacies of War,[2] that was created to raise awareness about the history of the Vietnam War-era bombing in Laos.

In the acclaimed 2007 TV documentary, now released on DVD, Most Secret Place On Earth: CIA's Covert War In Laos Branfman is one of those who speak to camera.