When Thun lost his father, Groundworks was here to help create a meaningful memorial for a pillar of the Lao community in the greater Holland area.
Captain Khammanh LeuamChampassak was born in Laos in 1938, lived through periods of conflict in the transition from a French colony to an independent state, and served as an officer in the Royal Lao Armed forces.
As part of US efforts to collaborate with foreign allies, he trained with a select group at the US Army Armor School in Kentucky. While there he met a couple who shared their faith with him before he returned to Laos. The experience led him to choose the U.S. when resettling as a refugee fleeing communist forces as they took over Laos in the 1970s. Khammanh chose America for its freedoms, Christian culture, and the opportunities it had to give his family a better life.
“My father willingly left his country and fell in love with this country,” states his son Thun. “He came humbly and worked in manufacturing jobs to support his family.”
Khammanh arrived in Holland, Michigan on February 15, 1979, marking the first time people of Lao ethnicity settled in the greater holland area. He hosted families at his home, which was nicknamed “Hotel 702” by immigrants, referencing his street address of 702 East 8th Street. Over time, those with Lao heritage would become the largest Asian minority group in the area.
When Khammanh passed away last month, Thun wanted the memorial experience to be one that honored both his father and the Lao community. He decided to display his father’s military heritage at the memorial – something Khammanh was well known for across the community.
Thun wanted to recreate a patch like one found on his father’s Lao military uniform but knew there was little time in the space between losing his father and the planned memorial gathering. He wasn’t able to to buy patches made by others on Etsy or a similar website; he wanted something that matched the authentic uniforms of that era.
Thun was aware of Groundworks and reached out to ask if it might be possible to make the patch using the resources available. Groundworks staff member Dan helped him refine the embroidery file and the idea, working through kinks together as they tackled the project. “Groundworks saved the day,” Thun states. “That patch shows what rank my dad was.” Had he more time, Thun says he might have 3D printed another emblem for the same purpose, but what he was able to create in the time allowed provided an important visual artifact for his family and the Holland area Lao community.
“I tell many people about Groundworks,” says Thun. “There are just so many great resources. A library card is one of the best cards to have in your wallet, one everyone should take advantage of.”
