Hickory Elks honors Police Officer Soua Vang
On Feb. 1, The Hickory Elks held its Americanism Recognition Ceremony to honor an exceptional member of Hickory’s fire and police departments.
Master Police Officer Soua Vang was chosen by his peers as the 2020 Exceptional Police Officer of the Year in special recognition of his many years of dedicated service to both his county and community.
Soua Vang started working for the Hickory Police Department on June 16, 1995 at 26 years old. On Dec. 1, 2019, he retired after 25 years of service.
Before working for the Hickory Police Department, Soua Vang served as a rifleman in the United States Marine Corps . He is also a veteran of the Gulf War, serving in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. As a Marine, he received a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, a Good Conduct Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, a Southwest Asia Service Medal, a Combat Action Ribbon, a National Unit Citation, and an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.
As a police officer, Soua Vang was a valuable asset for his ability to speak Hmong and making positive impacts for his coworkers and neighborhoods.
