Imagine Minnesotans had to exodus out east into Wisconsin. From the Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs, you have Stillwater bridge, 94-East bridge, Osceola, or Prescott. Crossing the Mekong was the same - there were points where it was more shallow, less current, smaller channel, etc. Everyone obviously funneled to these points. It's not like Hmong people just started jumping in like rats from a fire.
Where there's war, there's opportunity. Tobacco, opium, paper money, silver bars, these will help you get across the river and into camps. These stories about people jumping in like rats and swimming...com e on, get real. It's the effing Mekong! It's like blindly jumping into the St. Croix river bordering Wisconsin and Minnesota. YOU'RE NOT MAKING IT ACROSS BY SWIMMING.