MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Gov. Tony Evers has signed an executive order directing flags at Wisconsin state facilities to fly at half-staff on Thursday, May 14 in observance of Hmong-Lao Veterans Day, according to the governor's office.

May 14 marks the anniversary of the final airlift evacuation of Hmong-Lao soldiers and their families from Laos to a refugee camp in Thailand in 1975, following the end of the Vietnam War. Thousands of Hmong-Lao people fought alongside the United States during the war and faced retribution for their service afterward.

Many later resettled in the United States, including in Wisconsin, which is home to the third-largest Hmong population in the country.

Gov. Evers has proclaimed May 14 as Hmong-Lao Veterans Day each year since taking office. The date was officially designated by state law in 2021.