Xépôn

It was the target of Operation Lam Son 719 in 1971, an attempt by the armed forces of South Vietnam and the United States to cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

In the 1990s, gold mining began at the site, helping to create Lao's largest private industry.

A shallow bowl forms between the ridges (permitting north-south traffic out of the valley) near the Laotian town of Ban Dong.

However, the best break in these ridges occurred at Xépôn, where land traffic could move east, southeast, and southwest.

There is evidence of a large copper mining complex, with some shafts up to 66 feet (20 m) deep, in the area around the village.

Thao Ō Anourack, a native of Xépôn, was appointed commander of all Lao Issara forces in the district.

In September 1946, however, several Laotian leaders met in the Vietnamese city of Vinh and, with the sponsorship of the Viet Minh movement, formed the Committee for Lao Resistance in the East to carry on the fight for independence.

[12] Due to its location near the ridge breaks and two major rivers, the village of Xépôn is estimated to have had about 1,500 inhabitants in 1960.

The airfield was located about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) northwest of the village on the south bank of the Nam Se Kok River.

The Royal Lao Army ceased defending the airfield in 1961, and it fell into North Vietnamese hands.

[8] On 8 February, I Corps of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN)—supported by long-range artillery, bombers, and helicopters provided by the U.S. armed forces—invaded Laos.

I Corps officers, many of whom were suspected of North Vietnamese sympathies, were told of the operation at the last minute.

Press reports of the operation leaked almost as soon as the attack began, alerting North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces.

Nearly US$1 million in military equipment was abandoned as ARVN forces fled Laos in a near-rout on 24 March.

U.S. officials reported large quantities of food, ammunition, and other supplies cached in and around Xépôn, and that ARVN troops and U.S. aircraft destroyed them.

[17] But other reports indicate that, while supply caches were destroyed, Xépôn had already been abandoned by the North Vietnamese in favor of other routes.