This leaflet is in a cartoon style and depicts a farmer being drafted by the Viet
Cong, lectured, then having second thoughts and informing on the Communists. In the final
picture he is shown with his happy family holding presents in one hand and cash in the
other. He was amply rewarded for informing on the guerrillas. Since there is no text on
this leaflet and it is written in a cartoon style it would clearly seem to be for those
Vietnamese who could not read. The message is still very clear.
Cambodia leaflets
Full Uncut Sheet of Camel Path Leaflets
Since U.S. operations in Cambodia were secret. the operation was called “Camel
Path.” leaflets were all printed at the same time and not mixed with other leaflets
for Vietnam proper. On this sheet I see CP-03A, CP-05A, CP-06A, CP-08A, CP-09, CP-55A,
CP-1387A, and R-2. This is an interesting mix. The seven “A” leaflets all seem
to be “additional,” or leaflets that bear some text or images in common with
leaflets to Vietnam. So even though these were classified secret, apparently they stole
much of the propaganda from standard leaflets for Vietnam. The R-2 is even more
interesting. It is a scrap leaflet designed to fill in an empty place on the sheet so the
printers get full value out of every sheet.
To give an example of the way the leaflets were prepared and dropped I note from a
leaflet order sent to the 7th group for a mix of six Camel Path leaflets ordered in
November 1967 for dissemination in January 1968. The leaflets are CP-02, 08A, 09, 10, 55A,
and 1389A. All are black and white and sized 3 x 6-inches. 5 million of each was ordered.
They would be placed in a mix and dropped together. The leaflets were forwarded to the
respective PSYOP companies. 15,000,000 were for 245th PSYOP Company in Pleiku, 10,000,000
for the 246th PSYOP Company in Bien Hoa and 5,000,000 for 19th PSYOP Company in Can Tho.
On 1 December 1967, due to the increasing need for more PSYOP personnel, the 6th
PSYOP Battalion was redesignated the 4th PSYOP Group; the 244th PSYOP Company was
redesignated the 7th PSYOP Battalion; the 245th PSYOP Company was redesignated the 8th
PSYOP Battalion; and the 19th PSYOP Company was redesignated the 10th PSYOP Battalion.
10th PSYOP Battalion - IV Corps Tactical Zone - Can Tho
Supported Units
Commanding General, Delta Military Assistance Command (DMAC), IV Corps Tactical
Zone; Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (CORDS); 9th Infantry
Division; Naval Forces, Vietnam; 40th POLWAR Battalion (Vietnamese Army); Company D, 5th
Special Forces Group; Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) Advisory teams.
Major Ed Rouse asked me to write this story in 2018, and I started from scratch looking
over all my files. What I did not see was a brief introduction to this battalion that I
wrote in 1980. It still looks accurate so I will add it now:
In IV Corps, the 10th PSYOP Battalion was formed from the 19th PSYOP Company at Can
Tho, where it operated until it departed Vietnam on 16 April 1971. The 10th maintained 15
field units in IV Corps: Bac Lieu; Ben Tre; Ca Mau; Cao Lanh; Chau Doc; Dong Tam; Go Cong;
Long Xuyen; Moc Hoa; My Tho; Rach Gia; Sa Dec; Soc Trang; Tra Vinh and Vinh Long.
Headquarters had four printing presses that could produce three-color leaflets in runs of
about 100,000. Larger orders were usually printed by the 7th PSYOP Group on Okinawa. The
10th flew five or more leaflet-drop missions a day, often using C-47 aircraft.
In 1967, the 4th PSYOP Group published a 13-page report titled 4th Psychological
Operations Group – Republic of Vietnam. The report explained the mission of the
Battalions:
The battalion mission in each corps tactical zone is two-fold; first, to provide
psychological support to all U.S. combat units. This support includes the use of field
teams equipped with powerful ground loudspeakers and audio-visual equipment. Habitually
operating with front-line fighting units, loudspeaker teams provide close support to
tactical operations and are highly successful in this role. Secondly, the battalions are
required to support non-military “pacification” or “internal
development” programs. For example, they employ audio-visual “Jeepsters” in
support of revolutionary development, civic action and medical aid projects and programs
throughout Vietnam. The latter role appears to be an ever-increasing one for the 4th PSYOP
Group. Field teams of the Group have been part of every major combat operation in Vietnam
since February 1966, including Operations Cedar Falls, Byrd, Hastings and Manhattan. The
battalions work closely with the Air Force 14th Special Operations Wing, elements of which
are co-located with the PSYOP Battalions. The Special Operations Squadrons fly leaflet and
loudspeaker missions which are requested and targeted by the battalions.
The 10th PSYOP Battalion’s own files give its version of their
origin:
Constituted 7 November 1967 in the regular Army as the 10th PSYOP
Battalion, the Battalion was activated 1 December 1967 for service in
Vietnam. The 10th POB operated in the southern Mekong Delta region of the
Republic of Vietnam’s in the IV Corps Tactical Zone headquartered at Can
Tho. The 10th supported such diverse programs in South Vietnam as
encouraging defection and surrender in the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese
Army ranks, informing the citizenry about South Vietnam Government programs,
and in building unity.
The 10th PSYOP Battalion was among the units supporting Operation
Roundup during a three-month period in the fall of 1970. Operation Roundup,
conducted in Kien Hoa province, and “Project Falling Leaves” in Kien Giang
Province produced a tremendous increase in the surrender of enemy personnel.
In both provinces enemy strength was high, morale was good and both areas
had been held by the Viet Cong since 1954. The program saturated enemy
controlled towns, villages, and hamlets with a stream of PSYOP material to
encourage enemy troops to rally the South Vietnam Government forces,
especially as military pressure was applied. They did, and in exceptionally
large numbers.
The Art and Science of Psychological Operations: Case Studies of Military
Applications,
Volume One, April 1976, mentions the 10th PSYOP Battalion:
Operation Roundup was carried out over a three-month period in the fall of
1970. The original plan was to saturate enemy controlled towns, villages,
and hamlets with a continuous stream of PSYOP materials. It was expected
that as the military pressure was applied, large numbers of enemy troops
would respond to the PSYOP messages and take any opportunity to rally to the
government forces. This proved to be true. Daily operations were planned and
conducted using the assets of the 9th Special Operations Squadron, the U.S.
Air Force, the Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF), the 10th PSYOP Battalion from
Can Tho, the 40th POLWAR (ARVN-Political Warfare) Battalion, the 4th PSYOP
Group, and CORDS PSYOP from IV Military Region. As enemy forces began to
rally to the friendly outposts and units, many of the Viet Cong agreed to
make special surrender leaflets directed at their comrades. The rallier's
picture was taken, close-up, with a Polaroid camera; then the rallier wrote
and signed a simple message on a blank leaflet form. After a photo plate was
made of this layout, it was flown to Can Tho and rush-printed on the presses
of the Combined PSYOP Operations Center (U.S. 10th PSYOP and ARVN 40th
POLWAR Battalions). In a matter of a few hours, the leaflets were then air
dropped on the map coordinates of the enemy unit as gained from the
rallier's interview statement. The system is self-multiplying. As more
rally, more leaflets are made, and as more leaflets are directed to specific
targets, there are more ralliers. Leaflets were not the only medium used.
Loudspeaker teams of former Viet Cong soldiers were sent back into the areas
of their units to speak to their comrades in the bush. Radio broadcasts were
made over Can Tho Radio (the enemy likes the station) urging them to rally,
by name and unit. Ex-Viet Cong, enlisted in the Armed Propaganda Teams
returned to the enemy areas to meet clandestinely with their former comrades
and urge them, face-to-face, to rally.
Operation Roundup was a major success and produced the largest number of
ralliers in the seven-year history of the Chieu Hoi Program. More than 1,400
enemy soldiers and political cadres came over to the government side. The
twelve weeks gained more neutralization of enemy units and cadre structures
than had previous months and years of purely combat attacks.
The 10th PSYOP Battalion then took part in Operation Falling Leaves:
All possible variations in the use of media were used. Loudspeaker teams
accompanied RF ground operations and deep penetration by the Armed
Propaganda Teams. Special boat-carried loudspeaker units were established
using the assets of the National Marine Police. Extensive face-to-face
communication was conducted by the Armed Propaganda Teams, Sector POLWAR
Company, and the Vietnamese Information Service. Leaflets were dropped on 27
identified Viet Cong unit locations daily by fixed wing aircraft and
helicopters of the U.S. Army, the VNAF, and the ARVN. Radio tapes made by
"Hoi Chanhs" were played back within minutes to members of their former
units while many such tapes were broadcast over Radio Can Tho. TV
appearances were broadcast of surrendered Viet Congs so that the relatives
of enemy soldiers still in the bush would see the broadcast and urge their
men to join in the surrenders.
During the month of December 1970, there were 44 ralliers from the area;
during the month of January 1971, 74 ralliers came in. During the month of
February and the last five days of January, the first half of Project
Falling Leaves v:as carried out and 554 enemy troops rallied., During the
month of March, through the 25th, 596 enemy troops came in and voluntarily
surrendered. Project Falling Leaves terminated on March 25th. The initial
significance is that during a two-month period when PSYOP supplemented
military action, there were 1150 ralliers, while in the six weeks before and
the four weeks after the intensive PSYOP campaign was conducted, there were
only a total of 211 ralliers. Widespread discussions among Province PSYOP
advisors in the delta in the fall of 1970 led to general agreement that
military action and PSYOP complement each other and that neither will
accomplish the desired results with maximum efficiency without the other.
10th PSYOP Battalion Officers Club - Can Tho - 1968
Photo by William Ruzin
Reveille at the 4th PSYOP Group Cruz Compound on Pham Ngu Lao Street in
Saigon.
The Cruz Compound was located at 16 Pham Ngu Lao Street in the Saigon rail yards. Staff
Sergeant Pedro A. Cruz was a member of the 19th PSYOP Company (later the 10th PSYOP
Battalion) who was killed by enemy fire in May, 1967, while continually placing himself in
danger to keep a loudspeaker transmitting in support of the 101st Airborne Division. He
was awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device for valor. The 4th PSYOP Group
Headquarters was named the Cruz Compound shortly afterwards.
Nick Rowe
1st Lieutenant James "Nick" Rowe
On October 29, 1963, Special Forces Officer 1st Lieutenant James "Nick"
Rowe was one of several Special Forces advisors assisting the Vietnamese government in the
training, equipping and employment of the Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) forces.
The team (Detachment A-23) left their camp at Tan Phu for the village of Le Coeur. Along
the way they ran into an ambush and Rowe was captured. For 62 months, Rowe battled
dysentery, beriberi, fungal diseases, and grueling psychological and physical torment.
Each day he faced the undermining realization that he might be executed, or worse, kept
alive, but never released. His home was a wooden cage, three feet by four feet by six feet
in dimension. His bed was a sleeping mat. In spite of all this, Rowe was a survivor. From
the start of his capture, he began looking for ways to resist his captors while he could
make plans for his escape. Rowe made several unsuccessful escape attempts which only
resulted in furthering angering his captors. Finally in December 1968, his captors had had
enough with his refusal to accept the communist ideology and his continued escape
attempts; Rowe was scheduled to be executed.
On 31 December 1968, while away from the camp in the U Minh forest, Rowe took
advantage of a sudden flight of American helicopters. He struck down his guards, and ran
into a clearing where the helicopters noticed him and rescued him, still clad in black
prisoner pajamas.
Nick Rowe's Leaflet 10-070-69
Stanley Sandler says in Cease Resistance: It's Good for You: A History of U.S.
Army Combat Psychological Operations, 1999:
The experience of one Special Forces Office, Lt. James 'Nick' Rowe, formed the
basis for at least one US PSYOP leaflet. Rowe had been held in a Viet Cong bamboo cage for
no less than five years, but just before his escape he had noticed that his captors were
confused and bewildered because their old sanctuaries were being invaded by what had been
dismissed by their cadres as 'weak' United States and Government of Vietnam forces. Many
of them would have liked to give up the struggle but were afraid of being killed while
trying to defect. A leaflet was quickly printed up with a message from Lt. Rowe reassuring
his former captors that they would be welcomed and treated decently.
Eighteen hours after his escape, 100,000 copies of a leaflet in Rowe's own
handwriting were dropped over the U Minh Combat Zone offering a reward of 600,000 $VN and
fair treatment to anyone bringing more American prisoners to the Government Zone. The text
of the leaflet read:
To Fighters and Cadre in This Area
I am First Lieutenant Rowe. On 31 December 1968 I was liberated by American and
ARVN forces. I am now in a hospital feeling very good, and have met with my friends. I
miss you and want you to also be treated well, instead of being shot down on the field. In
these past few days I saw this clearly: the information I received in prison about the
war, about the troop morale of RVN and American soldiers, about the victory of the
Liberation troops, is completely untrue.
At the present time it is clear that RVN soldiers are ready to fight, American
helicopters are powerful, and you cannot win. I appeal to you to surrender when you see
RVN soldiers or American helicopters. Don't be afraid of being beaten or shot to death. I
promise you that you will be treated well and you will be provided a mosquito net,
clothes, food, etc. You allowed me to live and now I want you to live. If you bring more
American prisoners to the Government Zone, you will be awarded 600,000 $VN and be treated
very well.
Lieutenant Rowe documented his POW experience in a book titled Five Years to
Freedom. He also went on to attain the rank of Colonel and became a legend in the
world of Special Forces. For more information on Colonel James "Nick" Rowe click here.
Chieu Hoi Image Projected on to Low-hanging Clouds
The 10th PSYOP Battalion was involved in some very modernistic and experimental
programs in Vietnam. There were experiments in Vietnam in 1968 where a C-47 aircraft was
used to project messages on the underside of clouds. Bill Tyner, former S3 (Operations)
Air Liaison officer of the 10th PSYOP Battalion in Vietnam told me:
Everyone remembers the old Batman TV show from around the mid-1960s. Someone in
our Propaganda Development Center thought that the idea of a “bat signal” was a
good one that could be used in psychological operations. He thought that we might be able
to take a transparency and place it into a projector, turn on the intense illumination and
manipulate the focusing lens, and then project an image out great distances. He envisioned
using such symbols as “Chieu Hoi” (open Arms) or the flag of the Republic of
Vietnam.
Once the projector and transparencies were prepared and ready I had to obtain a
power source to run to run the high-wattage projector lamp. An Army 3.5 kilowatt generator
set was obtained and placed in our loudspeaker (Gabby) C-47 aircraft. The commander of the
5th Special Operations Squadron was unhappy about that extra power source in his aircraft,
but eventually he went along with the experiment.
The ideal clouds would be a low-hanging “mattress” blanket cloud cover,
but in the Delta they were not all that common. On a less than ideal night Gabby took off
and flew a mission provided by our S3 shop. We usually targeted large Viet Cong formations
and I believe this was a suspected VC battalion. The illumination unit worked and the
image was projected, but there was no way of determining how well it was seen without a
prisoner to interview.
The next mission was over Vinh Long and our field team witnessed the projection
and reported that it was blurry and not very effective. The problem was the transparency
of the cloud cover. It was not dense enough, and on that particular mission the cloud
cover was so low that it was extremely dangerous for the aircraft and the safety of the
crew. “Angels 3” was considered the nominal altitude for safe operation and the
low cloud cover would bring Gabby within 1500 feet of the Viet Cong muzzles. That was
simply not going to happen.
Still, even under those poor conditions there was an image. We had proven that
the system should work under perfect conditions and had proven that messages could be
projected onto low-floating clouds with the use of a projector and portable generator.
The operation itself proved a failure. After the second mission, some members of
our staunch allies, the Army of Vietnam (ARVN's) were seen running off with our generator
set from what had once been a locked storage shed at Binh Thuy Vietnamese Air Force Base.
Without the power source all further missions were cancelled. Those spotlight missions
were innovative and showed a great deal of originality and imagination, but unfortunately
it would take a lot more to defeat the Viet Cong insurgency.
Curiously, this was not the first use of such an image projection. The British
looked into such a program in March 1940, and 50 years later the U.S. Army considered a
similar operation during Operation Desert Storm.
Bandits
According to the Operations Report Lessons Learned Headquarters 10th
Psychological Operations Battalion period ending 31 January 1968 dated 6 February 1968
the 10th PSYOP Battalion dealt with a group known as the “KKK,” a quasi-bandit
guerrilla band of Cambodian extract operating along the Cambodian border in Chau Doc
province. The KKK was organized in company and battalion levels and constituted a threat
to the local government and administration by taxing the people and in some instances
attacking villages and assassinating leaders. Between 24 December 1967 and 3 January 1968,
185 of these KKK bandits rallied to the GVN. An arrangement was worked out by province
officials and they offered full Chieu Hoi type benefits to the KKK members although
current GVN policy does not classify the KKK as being eligible. Seizing the possibility of
influencing the KKK personnel of the 10th POB dispatched 2 field teams to the area to
determine conditions and make leaflet and loudspeaker appeals.
A later Operational Report of Lessons Learned for the Quarterly Period ending 31
July 1968 of the 10th PSYOP Battalion mentions some of the Battalion’s
achievements for that period:
During Operation Kon Tiki sealed plastic bags containing the rural magazine
“Hong Que,” the newspaper “Tu Do,” propaganda leaflets, a Vietnamese
flag, and small miscellaneous gifts were set adrift in Delta waterways leading into VC
controlled areas. The objective of the operation was to overcome the measures employed by
the VC to limit the effect of leaflet and loudspeaker propaganda. The operation was
completed as planned. On 13 May 1968, from 0400 through 0615 hours, 153,000 plastic bags
were disseminated. Area of dissemination included 43 points within 11 provinces. A total
of 85 Navy PBR’s participated in the operation. Following the distribution phase,
aerial and ground observation teams were sent into the target area to determine if the
bags were picked up. The observation teams reported no bags sighted.
Civil Operations for Revolutionary Development Support/Psychological Operations
reported the operation may have contributed to the increased Chieu Hoi rate which followed
the operation and continued for two weeks. A Hoi Chanh from Phong Dinh province,
interrogated at the Phong Dinh Sector Chieu Hoi Canter, stated, “I read a directive
ordering me to inform the people in my area not to touch the bags because they were
poisoned." He further stated he had not seen any of the bags in his area.
A propaganda “shopping Bag.”
The shopping bag
coded 2274 has a Chieu Hoi symbol in the center and text below.
Please ask your relatives to return, so you can stop worrying about their
lives.
A psychological operations campaign designated "Shopping Bag Campaign" has
been developed. Small paper bags are to be over printed with propaganda messages and
disseminated to market place venders. Goods purchased from the venders will be placed in
the bags. The objective of the campaign is to infiltrate propaganda into VC infested
areas. In support of the campaign the battalion has developed and printed Chieu Hoi and
National Police messages:
Cooperate with the National Police
Chieu Hoi to a better way of life
A third theme is being developed to encourage participation in civil defense
organizations. Initially, 60,000 bags (20,000 per theme) will be disseminated. Upon
receipt of feedback indicating positive effectiveness, the battalion will continue to
develop and print messages in support of the campaign.
C-47 Gooney Bird with Loudspeakers
The 10th flew 5 or more leaflet-drop missions per day, using two C47 aircraft and
U-10 HelioCouriers. The USAF 5th SOS located at Binh Thuy Vietnamese Air Force Base had
two C47 “Gooney Birds” plus six U-10 Super HelioCouriers. These were also used
elsewhere in IV Corps. The unit was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army) for
Vietnam 1967-1968, and the Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal, First Class for
Vietnam 1967-1970.
A U.S. Float Containing a PSYOP Radio
Another interesting mission occurred in January 1968 when a study was completed and
plans were formulated for a project to reach the population of tightly controlled Viet
Cong areas by means of attractive waterproof jackets containing leaflets and brochures
along with gifts (soap, thread and needles, tooth brushes, crayons, etc.) floated into the
targeted areas by means of numerous canals and waterways of IV Corps. Arrangements were
made with the Binh Thay Naval Base S5 (Civil Affairs) to supply the 10th POB with detailed
intelligence of the targeted groups in the river target areas and a means of delivery. A
search was made for a source of cellophane bags and a bag sealer.
A lieutenant who was involved told me that he had written to his wife at home asking
for her to find the cellophane bags and a hot iron to seal them. He said that the project
was not a success, sealing the bags produced only a marginal closure and some of them
leaked.
Operation Tintinnabulation
The 10th PSYOP Battalion was involved with an experimental Chieu Hoi (Open Arms)
sound tape. The 1969 document Employment of U.S. Army Psychological Operation Units in
Vietnam says about Operation Tintinnabulation:
Operation Tintinnabulation was a new Propaganda technique being tested by the
10th PSYOP Battalion, in cooperation with the 5th Special Operations Squadron, was
recently employed against two VC battalions. Tintinnabulation (which literally means the
ringing of bells) involves two C-47 aircraft, one "Spooky" (minigun-equipped)
and the other a "Gabby" (loudspeaker-equipped). During the initial phase, the
Gabby employs a frequency pulsating noisemaker designed to harass and confuse the enemy
forces during night hours, while the Spooky provides air cover. During the second phase,
the harassing noisemaker continues, however, emphasis is given to use of Chieu Hoi tapes.
The first phase is designed to eliminate the feeling that the night provides security to
the target audience, while the second phase is designed to reinforce the enemy’s
desire to rally. Targets for both phases are recommended based on the results of daytime
ground operations.
During a recent operation in Vinh Long Province, a total of 24 missions were
flown with over-the-target time of approximately 2 hours per aircraft. The number of Hoi
Chanhs in the province more than tripled (122 in September to 379 in December), and
ralliers stated that the effects of the night missions caused them to rally. The initial
success of Operation Tintinnabulation suggested this concept should be considered for use
in other areas.
A November 1968 report states that phase I of Operation Tintinnabulation ended on 14
November. A night operation, this phase utilized the C-47 aircraft and speaker system with
the frequency pulsating generator (Noisemaker) and various tapes of eerie music designed
to eliminate the feeling that the night provides security to the target audience. Phase II
was initiated on 15 November and incorporates the use of loudspeaker and C-47 aircraft
equipped with mini-guns to suppress ground fire. Specially designed tapes based on Hoi
Chanh feedback are used in this phase. On 19 November, 16 Hoi Chanh rallied and 14 of them
stated that the night loudspeaker – gunship operations were a major factor in their
decision to rally.
Armed Propaganda Teams
This official military photograph dated 8 October 1969 depicts a member of an Armed
Propaganda Team placing JUSPAO propaganda poster 2680, “Where is the Truth,” to
a hut in a small hamlet near Phan Thiet in southern II Corps. The faces on the poster are
all former high-ranking VC officers who returned to the government under Chieu Hoi.
The 10th PSYOP Battalion worked with many Armed Propaganda Teams (APTs). U.S. policy
proclaimed that the propaganda teams must be regularly committed to PSYOP missions and
used in a size force required for the mission. The APT are best employed by platoon, or at
the very least by squad. Company sided operations should not be overlooked. Every
operation must accomplish specific tasks; a “walk in the sun” does not
contribute to the pacification effort.
We also find mention of the best way to utilize the teams in Employment of US
Army Psychological Operations Units in Vietnam, dated 7 June 1969. The booklet says
that proper use of the Armed Propaganda Teams can be the most effective PSYOP medium
directed against the enemy. Starting in December 1968, the 10th Psychological Operations
Battalion employed PSYOP advisors with Armed Propaganda Teams in IV Corps Tactical Zone to
assist in training. The unit reported that the VC contested or controlled areas provided
the ideal environment for Armed Propaganda Team operations.
The security and ambush site may be maintained overnight to intercept Viet Cong
members traveling to or from their hamlets. The 10th PSYOP Battalion reported that the
Armed Propaganda Teams was the most effective PSYOP weapon in penetrating Viet Cong havens
and striking at the enemy from within its own perimeter. Among the suggestions are: Armed
Propaganda Teams should be used in the Viet Cong contested or controlled areas and should
operate as a platoon size, highly mobile unit. The platoon should be divided into three
squads with one squad designated to disseminate the PSYOP and two used for security
purposes. The two security squads should be heavily armed to provide the protection
essential for the conduct of face-to-face communications by the PSYOP squad.
The PSYOP squad should consist of ex-Viet Cong members who have rallied from that
operational area. The PSYOP squad need not be heavily armed as its primary mission is to
conduct face-to-face communications and to root out the Viet Cong infrastructure. The
security squads and the American advisor should not enter the hamlets but establish
security cordons and ambush sites near likely avenues of approach into the hamlet. Heavily
armed personnel moving into a hamlet are considered detrimental to the work of the PSYOP
squad. After security is established the PSYOP squad should visit door-to-door in the
hamlet to talk with families and distribute propaganda material through face-to-face
communication urging the family and friends of Viet Cong to encourage the insurgents to
rally to the Government.
The Operational Report - Lessons Learned, Headquarters, 10th
Psychological Operations Battalion, Period Ending 31 January 1970 tells
of the onset of Vietnamization. The United States is preparing to pull out
of Vietnam and every effort is being made to see that the Vietnamese
military is trained and ready to take over the fight.
On 15 November 1969, redeployment of all field teams assigned to
the 10th PSYOP Battalion was completed. Since that time, all tactical
psychological operations in IV CTZ have been conducted by Vietnamese
agencies with support being provided by this Battalion. Concurrent with the
redeployment of the field teams the mission of the 10th PSYOP Battalion was
changed. The mission now is:
“To support psychological operations of Vietnamese military and
pacification programs. To process, evaluate, produce, and deliver
communications material in support of these activities in IV Combat Tactical
Zone.”
The Combined Psychological Operations Center (CPOC) has become the
coordination center for PSYOP support in IV Combat Tactical Zone. In
addition, this Center has the capability to coordinate quick-reaction
missions. Two Quick Reaction Exploitation Teams, each consisting of an
American and Vietnamese interrogator, have been formed and can be rapidly
deployed to any location in IV Combat Tactical Zone. They are equipped with
tape recorders and cameras to exploit any situation. When a team has been
deployed, one 1250W press is readied to produce any propaganda which may be
developed. Several of these missions have been received, processed, printed,
or recorded, and disseminated within twenty-four hours.
The CPOC is staffed by Vietnamese PSYOP personnel from the 4Oth
POLWAR Bloc, IV Combat Tactical Zone, 40th POLWAR Battalion, and members of
the 10th PSYOP Battalion. Currently seventy-seven personnel, thirty-four
Vietnamese and forty-three Americans, man the center which includes the
printing plant. They work in the areas of Research and Analysis, Media
Analysis, Media Production, Media Control, and Media Dissemination.
The CPOC is headed by a Vietnamese officer with an American officer
as his deputy. The environment of the Center, in which Vietnamese and
Americans work together, has provided opportunity for the ideas of both
groups to interact. In this manner the Vietnamese are receiving training in
all aspects of propaganda development. As their experience increases, the
Vietnamese are assuming more responsibilities in each of the sections.
The CPOC, working with the PHOENIX (Phung Hoang) program, has
developed a 1eaflett layout for depicting wanted members of the Viet Cong
Infrastructure. These leaflets, which may be used as posters or two-sided
handouts, are produced by the CPOC from information and photographs provided
by province Phoenix personnel. The posters have been extremely successful.
For example, shortly after the publication of a poster portraying ten wanted
men, two of the individuals were arrested and three rallied.
Every province in IV Combat Tactical Zone now receives at least one
leaflet and one loudspeaker mission each week. Assurance of this support is
made possible by the joint scheduling of assets. The Vietnamese, under the
guidance of US advisors, now fly 6O56 of the forty-six missions which the
Center receives weekly. Prior to the forming of the Center, in October 1969,
Vietnamese aircraft accounted for only 2856 of the missions flown.
Vietnamese soldiers from the 40th POLWAR Battalion have been
trained in the procedures involved in the operation of the printing
facility. Members of that unit have received training in fields including
press operation, platemaking, varityping, and photography. The goal of this
training is to prepare the Vietnamese to operate a printing plant comparable
to that of the 10th PSYOP Battalion.
The Paper Bag Helicopter Leaflet Dissemination Process
The 10th Battalion has coordinated with the l64th Combat Aviation
Group to carry Chieu Hoi leaflets on all helicopter gunships. The concept is
to put a limited number of leaflets on an enemy position immediately
following an attack by gunships. A new system of dissemination, utilizing
paper bags, was developed. Experiments have proved that a 16-pound paper bag
containing 1,500 leaflets is an ideal means of leaflet dissemination from a
helicopter.
We Mention Operations “Round Up” and “Falling Leaves” above. Some
more on those two operations in 1970:
ROUND UP. As enemy forces
began to rally, some Viet Cong agreed to make special surrender leaflets
directed at their comrades. The defector’s close-up picture was taken with a
Polaroid camera and the rallier wrote and signed a simple message on a blank
leaflet form. A photo plate was made of this layout, flown to Can Thi, and
rush-printed by the PSYOP Operations Center. In a matter of hours, the
leaflets were dropped on an enemy position pointed out by the rallier. This
system was self-multiplying. As more rallied, more leaflets were made, and
more Viet Cong rallied. Loudspeaker teams of former Viet Cong soldiers who
had defected were sent back to their former unit area where they spoke to
their comrades in the “bush.” Radio broadcasts were made over the Can Tho
radio – the enemy liked that station – urging them by name and unit to
rally. Ex-Viet Cong, now members of Armed Propaganda Teams returned to the
enemy areas to move secretly among their former comrades and urge them,
face-to-face to rally to the South Vietnam Government. More than 1400 enemy
soldiers and political cadre came over to the government side.
FALLING LEAVES. In December
1970, the Army of Vietnam’s 21st Division began to clear the U Minh
Forest. This region was under Viet Cong control since 1954. No friendly
forces had entered the area since 1964. In January and February 1971,
the area was leafleted, and loudspeakers were used, and the result was
554 Viet Cong rallied. In March, another 596 Viet Cong rallied. The
1,150 ralliers said in intensive interviews that it was PSYOP that
induced them to surrender.
As I read through the operation records I see consistent mention of the unit closing
down sections as part of Vietnamization. In a 25 May 1970 report I find:
The Media Production Section of the 10th PSYOP Battalion accomplished further
Vietnamization. One entire shift of printers is now composed of Vietnamese Army personnel
with Americans serving as their advisors. One half of the members of another shift are
Vietnamese who have had less experience in the printing plant and require closer
instruction and supervision by U.S. personnel.
CREDIBILIS
All the PSYOP Battalions, the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 10th, were
subordinate to the 4th PSYOP Group. The Group was activated in the U.S. Army
on 7 November 1967 and activated with headquarters in Saigon on 1 December
1967. The Group published a monthly magazine called Credibilis (“Credible,
worthy of belief”) that told of the exploits of the Group and the
Battalions. It is a nice way of keeping track of what any battalion was
doing at any specific time.
In December 1968, Credibilis looked back on that year in Vietnam
and said in part about the 10th Battalion:
First Lieutenant Wilfred D. Wiehn Jr., PDC Chief inspects The Route 4 poster
In the Delta, CORDs, PSYOP, and the military G5 section are
combined. They closely combine Civil Operations and Revolutionary
Development in IV Corps. The Product Development Center worked closely with
Vietnamese newspaper to prepare a leaflet that advertised Route 4, “The
People’s Road.” The poster was made in such a way that it could be cut in
half and the pictures placed in a frame. To get the Viet Cong to pick up
their leaflets, one was printed with a full-color VC flag on it. The back
had a propaganda message. It worked. The next day four Viet Cong defected.
When the Viet Cong planned to attack Can Tho, loudspeaker messages from the
10th, tell them that their plans were known and they would all be killed,
the VC left the area immediately. During 1968, the 10th Battalion printers
produced an average of 7,000.000 impressions a month. The Battalion prints a
monthly newsletter, a newsletter for the U.S. Air Force 5th Special
Operations Squadron and public health and fire prevention posters for the IV
Corps. The Battalion disseminated 350,000,000 leaflets in 1968.
The Credibilis issue of January 1969 mentioned the 10th PSYOP
Battalion receiving a Unit Appreciation Certificate from the Vietnamese
commanding general of their IV Corps for their work during the Quyet
Chien (Determined to Win) campaign. Using leaflet and loudspeaker
operations in all areas of IV Corps, in cooperation with the Chieu Hoi
program, 2,234 Viet Cong surrendered bringing with them 279 weapons.
The Monthly Operations Report
The Magazine Credibilis is usually about 20-pages long, highly
illustrated, and mostly light news for the Group members. The Monthly
Operations Report is a completely different animal. It has no fancy cover.
It would be sent back to Ft. Bragg and perhaps the Pentagon and Joint Chiefs
of Staff. Its length was decided by how much the Group and Battalions did in
a month, it is single-spaced, usually with no illustrations and it mentions
everything that was done in each month. It is highly detailed. If a
Battalion had 18 loudspeakers teams, it would mention each one of them. I
was going to give an example of some of the comments on several such
reports, but because they give so much information’s I will just mention a
few comments from the December 1969 report. The reader will understand I am
ignoring 98% of the text.
The 4th Group sent the 10th Battalion 7,161,000 3 x 6-inch leaflets
to disseminate. During December 1969, 1,729 enemy rallied under the Chieu
Hoi program. The total number of Hoi Chanh who rallied in the 10th
Battalion’s IV Combat Tactical Zone in 1969 was 29,790. This is triple the
number of 1968. On 17 December, the Battalion supported the Vietnamese 40th
POLWAR Battalion and spent $20,000 VN to help pay for a MEDCAP, musical
show, clothing, toiletry items, and loudspeaker broadcasts in Be Ke village.
The Propaganda Development Section received 221 PSYOP support requests for
82 posters, 98 leaflets, 23 M-85 plates, 18 miscellaneous requests. The
Battalion did produce 4,120,959 impressions and printed 9,246,300 leaflets.
The Battalion supported the Phoenix (Phong Huong) by printing posters of
wanted Viet Cong Infrastructure members. The Battalion has finished a
Vietnamese language of a “Guidebook Media Catalog” that shows all the
leaflets and tapes available.
Combat Intelligence Lessons
Before I start to depict the
leaflets, I thought I would add this comment from the 4th PSYOP Group, found
in the classified confidential report Combat
Intelligence Lessons, printed from about 1968 to 1971 that talks about
the need for better coordination:
PSYOP/Intelligence Staff Coordination in staff operations.
Psychological operations (PSYOP) personnel in Vietnam have not been
integrated adequately into the normal activities of military staffs. The
average staff officer does not appreciate fully the importance of PSYOP and
occasionally PSYOP staff members have isolated themselves and have failed to
utilize the staff resources which are available to them. This lack of staff
integration has been especially critical in coordination with G2 and S2
sections. In Vietnam there has been a tendency to isolate so called PSYOP
intelligence from the normal intelligence gathering process. The
intelligence required for effective PSYOP is an all-encompassing type of
intelligence which requires an integration of all factors bearing on the
conduct of the war.
A new leaflet, on the theme “the Government of Vietnam image,” intended
for us on persons in Viet Cong-infiltrated and Viet Cong-controlled areas in III Corps,
was pretested on 20 South Vietnamese Hoi Chanh (defectors from the Viet Cong). They rated
leaflet 10-91-68 as just “fair.”
Leaflet 10-152-68
This leaflet depicts the aftermath of a Viet Cong attack. It asks:
Are destroyed homes the purpose of your struggle?
The back of the leaflet has three paragraphs of text. It says in part:
Brothers of our beloved Vietnam; why are you allowing yourselves to be used by those
from the North? This terrible campaign which you have waged is destroying our
country…Do not permit the North Government to lay waste to our land. Do not help them
in this unjust cause. Return to your government and help us return to the job of building
our nation.
Leaflet 10-153-68
The very sad leaflet depicts what appears to be the son of a wounded Vietnamese seeing
his father severely injured from a Viet Cong attack. The text is rather long so we will
translate just a small part of the total message. The text on the front is:
The Viet Cong offers the people’s dead bodies as
"Tet" donations to the Communist Party.
The text on the back is:
VC OFFER THE PEOPLE'S DEAD BODIES AS "TET" DONATIONS
TO THE COMMUNIST PARTY
Nobody is unaware of the Viet Cong’s killing innocent people and
creating tragedy in Vietnam for the last 20 years. But nothing is as painful
as the attack on hamlet 7, An-Truong Village, where the blood-thirsty VC
killed many innocent civilians including 11 children, 16 men and women and
wounded 35 others in their beds. These people
have been making their living by peddling in the market. For the past 10
years the people of this village have lived under the cruel control of the
Viet Cong, with their heavy, unjust taxes.
Thanks to the
pacification program of the Republic of Vietnam the past year the people
have been living free, with the hope of a bright future.
For this
reason, the Viet Cong were very angry and didn't hesitate to lay an
automatic mine killing dozens of innocent families. Their bodies were used
as Tet donations to the Communist Party in the "Dong Xuan" campaign.
This tragedy
made the people clearly perceive the false intentions of the Viet Cong of
the "so-called National Liberation Front." They were robbing and killing
more innocent people and the clique was proud of its "great success."
The people
should not listen to the inhuman Viet Cong inducements. The innocent
people's blood will be shed no longer, and we will live in happiness and
peace.
In 1969 the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the Department of Defense studied the
effectiveness of U.S PSYOP leaflets in Vietnam. A sample of 1,757 Vietnamese was used to
represent the target audience. They included the inhabitants of Viet Cong controlled
areas, Hoi Chanh who had defected, and prisoners of war. The questions asked of the panels
was the effectiveness of symbols, appeals both locally and national, and the vulnerability
of certain groups. Leaflets were judged on a scale of very good, good, fair, bad, and very
bad. One problem was to reduce the number of leaflets to a workable size. In this test,
798 leaflets were judged and the leaflets were reduced to 77. Unfortunately, the report
did not explain why certain leaflets were good or bad. Leaflet 10-153-68 was rated VERY
GOOD by the panel.
Leaflet 10-157-68
Leaflet SP-10-157-68 is a letter written from a mother to her beloved sons who are
members of the Viet Cong. She expresses her sorrow and worries for the lives and future of
her sons. Therefore, she tells them to
come home. The text on the front is:
Dear children, while you are alone deep in the mountains, I sit in
the afternoon and cry for your miserable fate. Your father and I feel a
terrible pain and cry for your pitiful lives. I cry for our village,
destroyed by the Viet Cong who burned and destroyed it in the last attack.
The text on the back is:
Children, every night your father and I pray to Buddha for you to
be safe so you can soon return to us. If you die, who will we grow old with?
Since the day you listened to the evil Viet Cong and left home, left us,
your father and I have looked for news of you, but saw no news. Your
grandmother, whenever she hears gunshots, sheds tears. Why have you been
gone for so long and not come home?
Children, we were happy and sad when we heard the news that our
friends have chased you away without mercy when you had nothing to eat in
the past few days. We know that our friends do not hate children who are
innocent, but they cannot tolerate and shelter you. We believe that you are
young children who should enjoy the warm spring with your family. You should
be given books to go to school like your neighbors rather than wandering
around and not having enough food, and not having enough clothes to wear, or
be resented and chased away wherever you go.
Children, who taught you to kill your aunts and uncles? Who taught
you how to burn houses with torches, and to burn down the doors of your
friends? Did you understand that the sly Viet Cong used their sweet talk to
trick you into joining them as human shields to calm their fears of death?
So, right now, when you receive this letter, please throw away your
guns and try to find a way to return to the National Government to see your
family again, so we can be happy together in our old age.
We miss you,
Your father and I
A Fake Copy of the
leaflet
What I found interesting about this leaflet is that it is one of
the few Vietnam leaflets to be counterfeited. They really have no value, so I
assume they were just made to sell to American tourists. The counterfeit is
on a yellow paper and blank on the back. It also has an obvious
watermark right behind the head of the standing Viet Cong at the left.
The watermark on the forgery is Hammermill Bond.
Poster 10-262-68
This 10th Battalion poster is titled "You will pay for your sins."
The theme is "See what happens to those who follow the VC." 2000 copies were
prepared for the civilians of Phong Dinh Province and distributed by hand.
The scene depicts dead VC at top and bottom. The text is:
WHAT
YOU SOW YOU WILL ALSO REAP
The two bloodthirsty butchers Paid for their sins on 11 April 1968
at Binh Pho, Long Tuyen, Phong Dinh.
Tam Thanh, an Assassination Section chief of Can Tho city, and
Economic-Financial Section Chief at Binh region.
With Tam Thanh Hong, Ba Trung, a military cadre at Binh Thuy area,
killed at 2015 hours on 11 April 1968.
Leaflet 10-275-68
This leaflet
commemorates a big victory in Chau Doc Province. The front show Vietnamese
troops standing behind a giant collection of captured weapons. The text on the front is:
SOLDIERS OF THE CHAU DOC PROVINCE'S ARMED FORCES WITH THE
SPOILS OF WAR CONFISCATED FROM THE VIET CONG.
The text on
the back is:
A BIG MILITARY VICTORY IN CHAU DOC PROVINCE
Within the
framework of "truong cong dinh" military operations conducted in IV Corps
April 7 and 8, 1968, Special Forces fighters at Ba Xoai and Battalion 2/16
conducted operations in the Cham Forest area along the border between Chau
Doc and Kien Giang provinces. The operation forces killed VC and discovered
six enemy arms caches, seizing a large number of weapons - including:
- 237,000 Rds.
7.62
- 144 RFS
RPG-7 (Rockets)
- 22 cases
B-40 Rds.
- 24 cases 60
mm mortar Rds.
- 50 cases of
120 mm rds.
- 161 rds. 57
RR
- 18 each AP
mines
- 12 rds. 82
mm mortar
- 8 cases of
medical supplies
- 24 each 7.62
LMG RPD
- 5 each 7.62
SGM Heavy Machine Gun
- 44 each
AK-47
- 152 each SKS
Carbine
- 1 each
bi-pod for 82mm mortar
- 1 each
bi-pod for 60mm mortar
- 4 each
bi-pod for 7.62 LMG RPD
- 5 barrels
for anti-aircraft machine gun
- 36 cases
B-41 rds.
- 75 cases
AK-47 rds.
This big
victory completely destroyed the VC aggressive scheme planned for their
early push and weakened the VC military power which had already been lowered
after the TET event.
Leaflet 10-317-68
This leaflet was produced by the 10th PSYOP Battalion in June 1968 in support of
Vietnamese National Police operations. 200,000 leaflets were disseminated to the civilians
in the Phong Dinh Province on the subject of informing the police about enemy movement and
weapons. The front depicts police standing by a cache of enemy weapons. The text is:
The National Police are Determined to Protect People
Here, the weapons, explosives and hand grenades which the Viet Cong planned
bringing into Can Tho City to kill people are shown.
People should closely cooperate with the National Police to destroy any plot of
the so-called National Liberation Front.
The back is a very long all text propaganda message. I will translate a few lines:
By the people’s intelligence report of 9 May 1968, the Phong Dinh National
Police cooperated with friendly forces and launched a mopping-up operation…and
overran the Viet Cong’s base. In the operation, the Phong Dinh National Police forces
captured: 225 cakes of TNT explosives and detonators, 263 hand grenades, one B-41, one
AK-47, and large quantities of ammunition and documents.
If it wasn’t for the people’s cooperation, those weapons and ammunition
would have been used by the Viet Cong and the people would have greatly suffered….
Leaflet 10-323-68
100,000 copies of this 5 x 8-inch all-text leaflet were prepared in June 1968 with
the theme of exploiting the robbery of the Tinh Bien Monks by Viet Cong troops. The text
in Cambodian is:
Dear People:
Let it be known that the Viet Cong are murderers. They killed defenseless
innocent people and children.
At 2:00 a.m. on 8 May 1968, the Viet Cong came to Phu Huu hamlet, Kuan To
village, Tinh Bien district and beat open the door of the Kirivong Temple and forced two
monks to hand over 80,000 piasters before withdrawing in the direction of Mui Nhan.
On 25 May 1968, The Viet Cong placed a grenade in the middle of a rice field near
Chan Ko hamlet, An Cu village, Tri Ton district. Two shepherd children stepped on the Viet
Cong grenade, exploding it. It killed one child and seriously wounded the other. The
wounded child was given first aid and brought to the Chau Doc hospital by U.S. Special
Forces.
The despoilment of the temple property at Tinh Bien and the terrorism at Tri Ton
by the Viet Cong roused the hatred and indignation of the people.
If you, the people, want to live happily with your religion and temples
respected, you must unite and make the Viet Cong stop killing innocent people. The Viet
Cong can threaten one or two people but will surrender before all the people in a hamlet.
When the Viet Cong is annihilated all the people will lead a calm life.
Magazine Cover 10-465-68
Magazine covers and more heavy printing in Vietnam was done by the
7th PSYOP Group on Okinawa and they usually put their own code on it. In
this case the cover has a 10th PSYOP Battalion code. This “Weekly News”
Coversheet was produced for the Vietnamese Information Service (VIS)
Bulletin for An Xuyen Province. The regular printing was 20,000 per issue.
The text on the back says under the image of Tran Hung Dao, a legendary hero
of Vietnam:
Follow the example of
your predecessors. Enthusiastically enlist in the Army and destroy the
Communists to save the nation.
Leaflet 10-492-68
The
Patch of the Vietnamese 14th Infantry Regiment of the 2nd Division
Nation
- Honor - Duty
It is well known that the U. S. PSYOP units supported both American and Vietnamese
units. Here is a recruitment leaflet for the Vietnamese 14th Infantry Regiment, printed by
the 10th PSYOP Battalion. We are used to fancy recruitment posters in the United States,
such as Uncle Sam pointing at the reader with the words “I Want You!” 200,000
copies of this 30 September 1968 recruitment offer were printed at the request of Captain
Le Lam of the 14th Regiment in Vinh Binh. It is far more subdued with no images or
color. The front talks about the need for recruits and what they will do for their nation.
The back tells the potential recruit about training, medical care, the Post Exchange,
retirement after 15 years and pension. The text on the front is:
YOUNG MEN OF VIETNAM
Help to build a safe and secure country for you and your family. Join the 14th
Infantry Regiment and you can serve with pride.
Dear young men: Today our country is plagues by Communist aggressors who halt our
progress and peaceful lives. By serving with the 14th Infantry Regiment you can help to
stop them and at the same time remain near your families and receive many benefits.
Compare the wages of the 14th Infantry Regiment (Regular Forces) with those of the
Regional Forces.
| Wages |
Regular Forces |
Regional Forces |
|
|
|
| Enlisted Allowance |
3,000 |
2,000 |
| Wages for Single Man |
3,400 |
3,100 |
| Wife's allowance |
882 |
700 |
| Per child's allowance |
782 |
630 |
There was a lot of discussion about this leaflet, and of course since the North took
over the country no South Vietnamese soldier ever got his promised pension. One Vietnamese
told me:
In theory, a draftee was in the military for 3 years, while a volunteer served for
15 years. The war went without any end in sight so no one was allowed to be discharged. It
was common to see a father serving with his sons during that time.
Leaflet 10-511-68
I added this Chieu Hoi leaflet because of the symbols and the color. This
10th PSYOP Battalion 1968 leaflet depicts the Chieu Hoi symbol with the
added text:
To the soldiers, officers and cadres currently fighting against the
National Government.
This is an appeal from the Government of The Republic of Vietnam.
Friends, return to the national just cause through the return
policy. You will be warmly welcomed.
Magazine Cover
10-504-68
50,000 copies of the magazine Dan Thang were printed for the
civilians of Tri-Ton District, Chau Doc Province. This is the People Voice
of Tri Ton District.
Leaflet 10-588-68
I seldom add all-text leaflets because I believe that the reader prefers those with
images. This 29 November 1968 leaflet is titled “The Communists are your enemy.”
It targets civilians in Dinh Tuong Province and asks them to inform on Communists hiding
in their villages. The Ninth Infantry Division asked that 50,000 copies of this leaflet be
printed and dropped over the province. The text on the front is:
Citizens
If the Communists are friends of the people, why do they use your hamlets to install
their combat units to fight against Government forces and Allied troops? When they install
mortars to fire from your hamlets, you can’t avoid disaster when they are fired upon
in return. The Communists are not your friends, but your enemies. You should inform on all
their activities.
Poster 10-596-68
This 10.5 x 16-inches poster was created on 20 June 1968, and put
into use on 2 December 1968. It explains to the people living in IV Corps
Tactical Zone the policy for making a claim. It was requested by the PSYWAR
Office of IV Corps in an edition of 5000 pieces.
The text is very long so I will just translate some of the more
interesting comments:
Announcement
The PSYWAR Department announces to the people:
I. On 8 August 1968, The Military Civic Action Program began to
reimburse casualties for damages caused by ARVN of Allied Forces, regardless
of how they occurred.
a. Reimbursements are possible for the following:
b. Damage caused by defoliation by chemical agents.
c. Damaged community agencies, religious buildings, private
schools, and hospitals
d. Loss of life or property during combat since 29 January 1968.
The Central Aid Committee appointed by the Social Medical Service and Aid
Committee will examine cases.
II. Starting now, after an accident, people must submit papers to
the subsector (district), sector (province) Special Zone within 30 days. If
papers are sent by mail, they should be filled out in front of at last one
witness….
Magazine Chau Thanh - 10-524-68
All the PSYOP battalions prepared magazines and newsletters for the
people in their war zones to keep them up to date on what the Government was
doing for them and the status of the war. This issue of Chau Thanh was dated
7 October 1968 and targeted civilians and the military in An Giang District.
20,000 magazines were printed bi-monthly and distributed to the people by
hand. Because this was such a large number to print, these magazines were
usually sent to the 7th PSYOP Group on Okinawa to be printed.
Magazine Happy Life - Leaflet 10-015-69
In July 1969 the 10th Battalion published a new weekly magazine with the title (in
English) HAPPY LIFE. 10,000 copies were printed mostly targeting the RF. This leaflet
advertises the new magazine and says:
HAPPY LIFE to publish every week.
The activities of the Army, people, and cadres in Kien Giang
province.
Leaflet 10-026-69
This is a Chieu Hoi leaflet with the theme of “return to your
families,” but I like it because of the strong images of the attack
helicopter destroying the “Viet Cong.” 100,000 copies of this leaflet were
printed. The text on the back is:
Viet Cong members,
In recent days, your comrades have been killed on the battlefield
by the Republic of Vietnam armed forces helicopters. These helicopters will
not spare you if you continue to hide yourselves to sabotage the people. You
have a way to escape death. Rally and return to your families, where you
will be taken care of by your loved ones.
Poster 10-034-69
10,000 copies of Poster 10-034-69 were printed in July 1968 to teach the Vietnamese
farmers about rat control. The right side of the poster was illustrated, the left side all
text. The message is:
To all Friendly Farmers of South Vietnam
Did you know?
That thousands of tons of metric rice are eaten by rats every year. That
thousands of metric tons of secondary crops have been given to rats every year. That
thousands of human lives have been snuffed out by the fleas brought in on rat’s
backs.
You must:
Join the rat control campaign beginning right now in your province, district,
village and hamlet.
Everyone join the rat control campaign. Use you rat-killing skills; fill your
rice fields with rice.
Kill the rats to protect your crops and increase your production. Visit your
Provincial Agricultural Cadre for information and material on the killing of rats.
Leaflet 10-038-69
The leaflet above teaches the Vietnamese about rat control. This leaflet is in regard
to their health and teaches them about malaria. 20,000 copies of this leaflet titled
“Kill Mosquitoes and destroy their breeding places” was ordered by CORDS for
Phong Dinh province in July of 1968. The text on the front is:
Malaria
This is another disease we get from a mosquito. The signs and symptoms are: a
shaking chill and fever, headache, nausea (feels like vomiting), and a lazy feeling. This
disease may be of long or short duration. If not treated, it will go away, and after three
or four weeks one will have chills and fever, headache, nausea, and a lazy feeling again.
If malaria is not treated by a doctor, it may cause death as it affects various parts of
the body.
How to prevent malaria:
1. Drain and fill in places where water stands.
2. Destroy cans and everything that holds water.
3. Cooperate with malaria workers and have your house sprayed.
4. Use bed nets and screen windows and doors when possible.
5. Get anti-malaria tablets and take them.
6. See a doctor or go to a hospital clinic for treatment.
Leaflet 10-045-69
This satirical leaflet depicts a Viet Cong political cadre lying to
his troops about Tet. He tells them of the great victory they had in 1967
while he hides the truth of their defeat. They attacked again in 1968, an
attack that led to their death and destruction. Now they want to continue
their useless attacks. One million copies of this leaflet were printed and
dropped by air. The text on the front is:
Tet 1967 – Viet Cong offensive fails – thousands of Viet Cong killed.
The Communist leaders tell you that you are winning but the truth is you are
being defeated.
The text on the back says in part:
While preparing for the general attack at Tet, your leaders told
you that the people in the cities and the ARVN troops would rally to your
side, but the truth has proven to be the opposite. The people resisted you
and the ARVN troops defeated you. Your leaders are now renewing their
destructive attacks. Once again, your leaders are using their former
arguments, as at Tet. Certainly, these arguments will only bring you heavy
losses as at Tet. The truth is now clear. Why do you wait? Leave the Viet
Cong ranks and immediately return home.
Leaflet 10-095-69
Tet is one of the major holidays in Vietnam. The U.S. prepared many leaflets using
this holiday as a theme. This leaflet was prepared by the 10th PSYOP Battalion on 1
February 1969 and targets the population of Long Toan District. 5000 copies of the
District Chief’s letter were prepared in both Cambodian and Vietnamese. Some of the
text is:
My Dear Friends,
Spring is coming and all civilians and soldiers are endeavoring to pacify and
build up the villages and hamlets. They hope peace is restored soon so the people can
enjoy a happy New Year, which is the custom of our people. Where will you be during the
coming Tet, in the ranks of the Viet Cong? Don’t you think that your family is
waiting for you to return for Tet?
Cambodian Calendar 10-107-69
The 10th PSYOP Battalion produced a number of novelty items. The large Cambodian
calendar was printed in February 1969. 500,000 were printed and handed out to Cambodians.
Some of the text is:
This calendar is offered by IV Corps Headquarters and Tactical Zone Headquarters.
Don’t give rice to the Communists or join the Communist ranks.
Don’t accept the coalition attempts and false peace moves of the Communists.
Election Banner 10-122-69
The battalion printed more than just leaflets and posters. This 16 x 5.5-inch
“election banner” was produced by the 10th PSYOP Battalion in February 1969 for
village and hamlet elections. 10,000 banners were printed and handed out to explain why
the people were voting. The text is:
The purpose of the elections in the villages and hamlets is to help eliminate the
Communists.
Some odd Colorful Banner Leaflets I pulled from my files to show,
Not the ones I Translate Below.
As I continued to look through the 10th PSYOP Battalion leaflets I saw that
these banners leaflets were quite common. I found countless such leaflets,
each with a short text on some pro-Republic of Vietnam theme. Because of
their size, they were not airdropped. They were handed to the people. I
assume they were meant to be placed on a wall or a board like a poster where
they could be seen by others. The ones I quote here seem to all be for
self-defense. They are printed in various colors. The number printed ranges
from 1,000 to 15,000. Some of the messages are:
Each person is a combatant against the Communists; each hamlet is a
fortification against the enemy.
Where the Communists come, homes are destroyed. Rise up and kill the
Communists to keep the village peaceful.
The armed forces kill the enemy at the front, and at the rear we keep it
peaceful.
Males from 17 to 45 are armed to resist the enemy.
Whoever wants to live in peace must eagerly enlist to fight the aggressors.
By enlisting in great numbers, the army will become strong, and victory will
be quickly obtained, peace will soon come.
We are civilian self-defense members who get together to protect our homes.
The civilian self-defense organization breaks any plot of the Viet Cong.
General mobilization serves to shorten the war and build peace.
Leaflet 10-152-69
This leaflet was printed by the 10th PSYOP Battalion in 1969. The leaflet depicts an
Armored Troop Carrier. An ATC could carry a full infantry platoon. It was armed with three
20mm cannon or an Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher and two 20mm cannon, up to two .50
caliber machine guns and four 7.62mm machine guns, two Mark 18 40mm grenade launchers,
plus various small arms, the ATCs not only landed troops, but also re-supplied them and
provided close-in fire support during operations.
It was protected by “stand-off” or bar armor, a series of 1-inch concrete
reinforcing steel rods set about 12 to 18 inches from the boat’s hull and
superstructure. The bar armor was designed to detonate an RPG (rocket propelled grenade)
or recoilless rifle rounds before they hit the armor plate. “Stand-off armor”
proved to be very effective against both hand held and crew served weapons used by the VC,
and significantly reduced casualties and damage when a riverine craft was hit by enemy
fire. Some ATCs were modified with a helicopter flight deck counted over the troop wells.
The text on the back is:
To Our Compatriots Living Along the Rivers
The Government of the Republic of Vietnam sends patrol boats to protect you, to
block communist infiltration, and to prevent the Communists from forcing you to pay taxes
to them. You should help the patrol boats by telling them where Communist tax collection
points are located, if you have precise information on those locations, or by telling them
the locations of Viet Cong weapons caches. You will receive a reward.
Leaflet CC-822D-70
Another series of leaflets that are almost all from 1970 are the
“CC” series. These leaflets were designed and requested by the Vietnamese
4th Corps in the Delta. Since the 10th PSYOP Battalion was supporting the
Vietnamese units in the 4th Combat Zone, they printed the leaflets for the
Vietnamese.
Number 822 is found in four versions with the letter “A” to “D.” I
think “D” is the most interesting because it shows a Viet Cong guerrilla
finding a Chieu Hoi leaflet. I believe that code is misleading because I
think the first number denotes the theme of the leaflet. Therefore, the “8”
defines the theme and the “22” shows that it was the 22nd leaflet printed
that year. Notice his weapon. It is the Karabiner 98 kurz often abbreviated
K98k. It was a WWII bolt-action rifle chambered for the 7.92×57 mm Mauser
cartridge that was adopted on 21 June 1935 as the standard service rifle by
the German Wehrmacht. The text on the front of the leaflet is:
The Government of Vietnam always keeps the promises it makes
Since 1968, 68,500 Communist cadre have rallied and enjoyed all the benefits
shown on the back
The benefits on the back are:
All Hoi Chanhs will be warmly received.
They get an allowance of $50 VN per day for all family members
including his wife and children.
The get clothing valued at $1000 VN.
They get pocket money in the amount of $300 VN a month.
They get free medical care for him and his family.
They get vocational training at the Chieu Hoi center.
They get a resettlement allowance of $1200 VN.
They get a reward for weapons.
On 17 April 1971 the 10th PSYOP Battalion was inactivated in Vietnam. It
was redesignated Headquarters and headquarters Company, 10th PSYOP Battalion
30 October 1975 and allotted to the Army Reserve. It was later reorganized as
a full PSYOP Battalion and assigned to the Fifth United States Army at the
Brigadier General Oscar P. Hampton United States Army Reserve Center in St.
Louis, Missouri, and later to the unit’s current building at 26 Sherman Road
on Jefferson Barracks. Assigned to the Army Reserve in 1975, the Battalion was
subordinate to the 2nd PSYOP Group. On 1 October 1987, the battalion was
assigned to the 321st Civil Affairs Group in San Antonio, Texas. The Battalion
had wartime and peacetime control over the 318th and 307th PSYOP Companies
headquartered in St. Louis, the 308th PSYOP Company in Belton, Missouri, and the 362nd PSYOP
Company in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
On 27 December 1990, the 10th PSYOP Battalion mobilized two 15-man
detachments for Operation Desert Storm. They were from the 318th and 362nd
PSYOP Company. Both detachments were assigned to the 6th PSYOP Battalion.
During Desert Storm the detachments were responsible for the surrender of
7,000 opposing forces.
Detachments from the 10th Battalion were involved in the
humanitarian assistance and restructuring mission in Haiti. Soldiers from
the 10th Battalion deployed to Bosnia for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rotations.
The 10th PSYOP Battalion led the 5th 1998 rotation.
To
conclude, although the 10th PSYOP Battalion was never sent to a war as a full battalion after
Vietnam, there are numerous occasions when selected individuals and teams from its Reserve
Companies did deploy. Some of those deployments are Operation Desert Storm, Haiti, Kosovo,
Guatemala, Honduras and Panama.
Bosnia
War Criminals Poster
Americans got used to
seeing these wanted criminals on posters during Operation Iraqi Freedom when
Saddam Hussein and his cronies were depicted on posters, leaflets and even
playing cards. Fewer people have seen this type of poster, where those
former Yugoslavians who took part in ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Kosovo
were indicted as war criminals.
U.S. Army Reserve Major Thomas Bergman is a member of the 18th
PSYOP Company, 10th PSYOP Battalion, 7th PSYOP Group. He was activated in
December of 1995 for a tour in Bosnia. He had three Tactical PSYOP Teams,
two in support of the two Military Police battalions supporting Tuzla and
Lukavac and one attached to the NORDPOL Brigade (the Nordic countries, the
Baltics, Poland and the United States) in Doboj. His unit provided the first U.S. Army Reserve PSYOP soldiers in
Bosnia reporting to the 4th POG. Regarding the propaganda radio stations he
says:
I realized that the canned IFOR taped music and messages were
inadequate from the start. By
the time the tapes reached the remote transmitters from Sarajevo, the news
was outdated. I requested
funding to buy airtime on local radio stations but was denied. I approached
several Tuzla radio stations and pitched the idea of a weekly hourly call-in
talk show where we could give out current news and answer questions from the
populace. Radio Tuzla agreed and
in early spring 1996 I began conducting a weekly show with the aid of my
interpreter.
Regarding how PSYOP performed in 1995 he says:
All in all, as far as product design, dissemination, and propaganda
support of our supported units, PSYOP failed miserably. We were ill-prepared for a mission which involved more than kicking
radios and surrender leaflets out of airplanes especially when we were
competing with superior forms of existing local media.
On the positive side he adds:
One of my teams was temporarily attached to the Russian Brigade in
the Republika of Serpska to provide loudspeaker support during some tense
attempted border crossings by displaced civilians wishing to return to visit
their homes, cemeteries, etc. My
team was housed and fed by the Russians for almost a week and that may have
been the first time that a U.S. PSYOP element directly supported a Russian
unit.
A Traffic Control Booklet Prepared for the Spanish Contingent
The 10th PSYOP
Battalion was expected to prepared leaflets, posters, and booklets for every
contingent in the Implementation Force in Bosnia. This 4-page booklet (a
carboard leaflet folded to make four sides) was prepared for the Spanish
Force. Some of the text and chapters are:
INFORMATION FOR IMPLEMENTATION FORCE SOLDIERS
TRAFFIC CONTROL METHODS
Checkpoints; general rules of conduct; and actions to be taken by
the Implementation Force when encountering an unauthorized checkpoint.
Should they run into such an illegal checkpoint, it tells the
troops how to react:
This is an unauthorized checkpoint. Please dismantle it
immediately.
Some of the reasons for such unauthorized checkpoint might be:
An immediate emergency with danger of death; a temporary roadblock
due to important works, or the police need to maintain large groups of
agents in traffic control tasks due to a specific need to restrict movement.
The 10th PSYOP Battalion was part of the Combined Joint Information
Campaign Task Force rotation in Bosnia from July 1997 through Feb 1998. John
C. Buford was the Commander and Larry Dietz was the Deputy Commander of the
Task Force. Both were Reservists. This rotation was about roughly half
Reserve and half Active Component. The 10th was part of the 7th PSYOP Group
and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Noel Freesh of St. Louis. Larry Dietz
was the Commander of the 12th PSYOP Battalion.
What the Combined Joint Information Campaign Task Force Hoped to Achieve
The PSYOP Task Force (CJICTF) prosecutes the Commander of the
Stabilization Force’s campaign objectives with messages in multi-media
directed at key target audiences, encouraging respect for democracy,
adherence to the rule of law, acceptance of returnees, and thereby
multiplying the Stabilization Force’s stabilizing influence in Bosnia
Herzegovina.
The approved Objectives (edited for brevity):
Enhance safety and security of SFOR.
Facilitate orderly peace implementation.
Gain civilian adherence to implementation measures.
Gain armed faction compliance with separation and cease-fire
measures.
Establish SFOR as a credible information source.
Dissuade interference with SFOR operations.
Alleviate local population anxieties about SFOR operations and
expected end-state.
Limit effectiveness of hostile propaganda, disinformation, and
other forms of political warfare on SFOR operations.
Curb the development of unreasonable expectations of ethnic
minorities in operational areas.
Magnify the positive effects of Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC).
Reduce accidental injury and death from unexploded munitions.
Unexploded Ordnance Warning – Danger
This large poster is
printed on both sides so that the proper side could be exposed according to
the language in the area where it was used. The poster depicts various
rocket shells, landmines, grenades, and anti-personnel mines. The text on
both sides is:
DANGER
Unexploded ordnance is extremely dangerous, do not attempt to handle these
items
Inform the troops of the enforcement forces of where you have seen them.
On 19 December 1997, the 10th PSYOP Battalion received orders
activating the members of the Battalion for 270 days to support Operation
Joint Guard. The battalion was ordered to Ft. Benning, Georgia, for soldier
readiness processing and preparation for overseas movement. On 20 December
1996, NATO had transitioned its operation in support of the Dayton Peace
Accords in Bosnia and Herzegovina from implementation to stabilization. As a
result, Operation Joint Endeavor ended, and Operation Joint Guard began.
NATO's Implementation Force (IFOR) was similarly replaced by a Stabilization
Force (SFOR). The US Task Force Eagle, comprised at that time of 20,000
soldiers led by elements of the 1st Infantry Division, continued to be the
US component of the NATO mission.
Serbo-Croatian Words and Phrases
In just about every
war the United States takes part in the PSYOP units prepare “Pointee-Talkee”
cards. These cards can help the
American or Allied soldier make himself understood, and sometimes a
conversation can be held just by one person pointing to a word and the other
person reading and understanding.
Veteran Manny Salazar
told me:
I used this
one while running checkpoints and security for 1st Infantry Division back in
1996 (IFOR) and 1998 (SFOR). I remember cards like this being passed around.
I never considered who produced them back then.
Talking with the retired former 10th PSYOP Battalion Commander and
Deputy Commander of the SFOR Combined Joint Information Campaign Task Force
(CJICTF) Colonel David Mitchell,
he told me (edited for brevity):
From January 1997 through April 2000, I commanded the 10th PSYOP
Battalion (10th POB) in St. Louis, Missouri. Below are my personal
recollections and thoughts on the deployment of 10th POB to Bosnia in 1998.
In the Fall of 1997, the 10th POB was notified that it would deploy
in early 1998 to support NATO operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH). When
the final tasking arrived, a determination was made that in addition to the
35 10th POB soldiers, individual soldiers of the 307th and 318th POCs from
St. Louis, the 308th POC from Kansas City and the 345th POC from Dallas
would be consolidated into a Division PSYOP Support Element (DPSE). The
total number of personnel authorized for the deployment was approximately
125.
On February 11, 1998, the 10th POB HQ moved to Sarajevo to support
the Combined Joint Information Campaign Task Force (CJICTF) at the NATO led
Stabilization Force (SFOR) Headquarters and the Division PSYOP Support
Element moved to support Task Force Eagle in the US led Multinational
Division (MND) area of operations.
For the purposes of military operations, the country was divided
into three Military Nation Divisions (MNDs), one led by the US military
(MND-N) whose HQ was located near the city of Tuzla, a second led by the
British military (MND-SW) whose HQ was located near the city of Banja Luka,
and the third division led by the French military (MND-SE) whose HQ was
located near the city of Mostar. Many other NATO and non-NATO countries were
also providing support throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina, to include Russian
soldiers who worked in the US MND.
During the deployment I served as both the Battalion Commander and
as the Deputy Commander, CJICTF. The CJICTF HQ consisted mainly of US Army
PSYOP personnel but also included US Navy radio operations and we had
liaison teams from British, French, and German militaries.
A Second Serbo-Croatian Words and Phrases card
Note that although
the first “Pointee-Talkee” card just has English, this later card takes into
account many of the other nations involved in Bosnia to include French,
Spanish and Italian.
Veteran Craig Shaw
told me:
I remember
getting issued both cards when I was in the 502nd Engineer Company right
before leaving for Bosnia in 1995.
ATTENTION!
This warning leaflet
tells the citizens of Bosnia that the Implementation Force will be
sending convoys through the streets. As in most such leaflets it asks
the people to act lawfully and not to disturb the movement in any
manner. The polite request always comes with an attached warning. The
text on both sides is:
ATTENTION!
The Implementation Force will be in the area to help implement the
agreed peace plan.
Do not interfere with the movement of the Implementation Force manpower
or equipment.
The Implementation Force is ready to defend itself from all unfriendly
attacks.
For your own safety, do not approach the Implementation Force convoys.
In 1996, the NATO led Implementation Force (IFOR) transitioned to
the NATO led Stabilization Force (SFOR). A decision was made and supported
in some fashion by each of the Multinational Divisions that the CJICTF would
target the young people of Bosnia-Herzegovina no matter their ethnicity.
This group was chosen because they were the most receptive to bringing new
ideas (read freedom and independence) to BiH. When the 10th POB arrived in
Sarajevo there was a PSYOP printing operation provided by the Product
Development Battalion (I believe that it was the 8th Battalion) from FT
Bragg. Shortly after our arrival that printing capability was sent home,
which in hindsight was a mistake. SFOR had determined that our printing
requirements needed to be resourced at the local level to assist in
rebuilding the local economy and infrastructure. This proved to be an almost
impossible task and most initial publications, listed below, were printed in
Germany, and flown to Bosnia-Herzegovina for distribution. We did source
most of the leaflets, flyers, and posters through local printers in
Bosnia-Herzegovina.
At Stabilization Force Headquarters our focus was on the production
of several high-quality publications which were to be produced in large
quantities and distributed to each Multinational Division for their use.
These publications included:
The Superman Comic Book Printed in Three Languages
SUPERMAN based comic books
which reminded the readers to stay away from, and reporting to the
Stabilization Force, any unexploded ordinance, primarily undocumented
landmines which were believed to be numerous throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina.
These comic books were focused at the youngest of our target group.
[Author’s note]:There were many propaganda publications
used in Bosnia. Perhaps the most interesting is the mine-warning 12-page
Superman comic book entitled "Deadly Legacy" that was produced
pro-bono with DC Comics. The cover shows the man of steel swooping down
to save two young boys who are about to pick up an explosive device on
the ground. The back of the book shows Superman flying the children to
safety and the text:
Superman has come to help the children of Bosnia-Herzegovina! But even
when he cannot be here, you can keep yourself safe from land mines!
Mines kill kids! For more information on how you can prevent these
accidents, call the mine action center.
IFOR distributed over 1 million of the magazines in their first year in
Bosnia.
Veteran Jon Harvey told me:
I was a combat engineer handing out the Superman comics during
visits to schools, teaching mine awareness and the dangers of unexploded
ordinance. I had not even heard of PSYOP until a couple of years later,
and then during reclassification I learned about the origins of that
comic book. One lesson that brought home to me, that I remembered on my
own later PSYOP deployments, was to leverage other forces who are
already going out on relevant related missions to support dissemination
efforts. I was a member of the Minefield Extraction Squad, there primarily
to extract U.S. forces and friendly personnel from suspected minefields. The
mine awareness education in schools was a secondary mission.
BUILDING BRIDGES
The purpose of such gifts as comic books is explained in the Army
uncoded and undated publication Building Bridges – Commander’s Guide
to Face-to-Face Communication. Although undated, the text indicates
that it was printed between 1992 and 1996. The 46-page publication says
about comic books:
DEVELOP PRE-PACKAGED “BRIDGE BUILDING” PRODUCTS
The Commander can bring expendable supplies that can assist the
mission. These items are intended to establish or enhance rapport with
some of those deserving or difficult target audiences. Whether used as
formal gifts or free hand-outs, material handout may have a big impact
on your success with communicating with critical Target audience…Here
are a few suggestions which may be squeezed into the corner of that last
pallet, or in the top of an A bag.
Host nation flags, small American flags, soccer balls, baseballs,
softballs, frisbees, school notebook paper, coloring books,
pencils/pens/crayons. Old T-shirts, patches/pins, and hackeysack balls.
MIRKO was a magazine-style
publication designed to introduce the “pop culture” and was focused on the
teenage target audience. Initial publications were primarily focused on the
pop culture in the US, which was, in hindsight, a short-coming on our part.
Two big pluses for MIRKO were that it provided a “reader’s corner” where
recipients could send comments and receive a written response in subsequent
publications. It also introduced and greatly expanded the listeners of
“Radio Mir” our US Navy operated radio station. Apparently, this publication
was successful, as I have a copy of a MIRKO dated September 2003, some five
years after we left Bosnia-Herzegovina.
An English Language Version of MIRKO – Issue No. 13
This issue features
Michael Jackson, Disneyland-Paris, Radio Balkan, Val Kilmer as “The
Saint,” Jamiroquai, Pop News. A Readers Corner, The Genises Project, and
of course the reminder, “What else are you interested in? Just write.
Yours Mirko.”
[Author’s Note]; Major Richard C. Sater wrote a 19 September 2001
article about Mirko that appeared in the SFOR Informer. It said in part:
Mirko is a monthly publication specifically targeted to teenagers
in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The glossy, colorful pages include interviews
with celebrities (singers, writers, and film stars), both national and
international, Britney Spears side by side with Boris Maric, a young
poet from Brcko. Fashion, sports, films, the pop charts, reader letters
… just like any other teen magazine… published by NATO's Psychological
Operations Task Force, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers, Europe. The
magazine is a tool, and a highly effective one. A quick look at the
contents reveals the subtle message: we share common interests, and we
can get along. Tolerance is a key message, and Mirko is a forum aimed at
a specific audience. With a monthly circulation of 160,000, the
publication has a devoted readership. Three versions are published each
month; 90 percent of the run is Serbo-Croatian, with half printed in the
Roman alphabet and half in Cyrillic. The third version alternates each
month between English and German. The name of the magazine has no
special significance - it's simply a boy's name - but "Mirko" was chosen
because the name is common to all three of the primary ethnic groups in
Bosnia: Bosnian-Croats, Bosnian-Serbs and Bosnians…Once the issue has
been approved for release, it is printed in Sarajevo and readied for
distribution. The magazine has enviable name recognition. It is
estimated that 89 percent of the young people know it…
HERALD OF PROGRESS
HERALD OF PROGRESS is the last
publication that I will mention.
The Herald of Progress was an informational publication that was focused on
all citizens in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It provided an ongoing update on the
progress the Stabilization Force was making in restoring peace and
prosperity and encouraged all to be active participants in that process.
[Authors Note]: Under SFOR the Herald of Peace became the Herald of
Progress with a circulation of about 100,000 by 1997. Its admirers
stated that the Herald of Progress was a dramatic departure from former,
traditional PSYOP print journalistic endeavors. It was a “Madison
Avenue-quality” monthly journal with pertinent articles, color photos,
and political cartoons and commentaries. It was published in both the
Latin and Cyrillic alphabet.
Sergeant Mark Jenkins of the 6th PSYOP Battalion tells us more
about the Herald of Peace, some of these facts from his After-Action
Report prepared 11 June 1996.
Production work for the Herald of Peace in Zagreb began the week of
25 December 1995.The first Zagreb issue was laid out on 28 December 1995
and printed at Radin Press over the weekend. Dissemination began in
Bosnia and Herzegovina on 4 January 1996. Approved articles were
received early in the week (usually Tuesday), translations were
completed by Wednesday evening, Disk files were prepared and forwarded
to EuropaPress on Thursday, printing over the weekend, quality control
check on Monday, delivered and placed on pallets on Tuesday, shipped to
Bosnia on Wednesday.
HERALD OF PEACE
31 May 1996 issue
Main stories:
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe campaign to
inform citizens about the voter education plan.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe continues to
play a key role in peace enforcement.
Bosnian Serb prime minister fired.
The open market provides a successful business in a peaceful
environment.
[Author’s note]: U.S. forces in Sarajevo published a weekly news
magazine called Herald of Peace. The paper, each edition of which
numbered 150,000 copies, was initially published in Stuttgart, Germany,
later in Zagreb, Croatia, and finally in Sarajevo.
My good friend retired Lieutenant Colonel Karl Zetmeir was the
publisher of the Herald of Peace for a short time. He told me about his
experience with the magazine:
One of the most professionally satisfying psychological operations
products I ever worked on was the Herald of Peace. Though a relatively
short-lived product, it represented the hard work and true dedication to
our craft on the part of its PSYOP soldiers as no other. In a
leaflet-dominated world often marked by simple illustrations and
hip-shoot phraseology, the Herald of Peace stands in a class of its own.
We simply called it “the HoP.” It was a magazine produced by the
Combined Joint Information Task Force (CJICTF) in Sarajevo, Bosnia from
1996 through 1997. I reported to the CJICTF in June 1997, where I worked
for the Product Development Chief, Major Roger Smith, as the Officer in
Charge for all print product development, which included being Chief
Editor of the HoP, as well as the Budget/Finance (BUDFIN) officer for
our overall PSYOP campaign efforts. The officer I was replacing in both
those functions was Captain Roger Lintz. Roger’s drive and initiative
had raised the bar from the HoP’s initial format to that of a glossy,
four-color, 36-page, TIME-quality magazine. He had also negotiated a
robust print contract with a Zagreb-based company that made this quality
leap possible. Our transition from his team to mine was seamless and we
eagerly accepted this challenging job.
The operational direction of the HoP came from our boss Roger
Smith. Roger insisted the magazine hold true to stories that supported
the Stabilization Force’s country-wide objectives, and we focused on
themes like freedom of movement, election participation, and other peace
initiatives. The major stories covered subjects like the recently
restored Sarajevo ambulance service or the purchase of new firefighting
equipment. We deliberately steered clear of ‘collage’ photos of US or
other nation’s military forces conducting peacekeeping operations, unit
rotations, changes of command, etc. One Stabilization Force logo was
found on the inside cover, along with letters from the chief editor
(Roger Lintz, followed by me) and our Noncommissioned Officer editor
(Bob Kellogg followed by Hans-Marc Hurd) in each issue. In retrospect,
we were going for the same appeal as that of a “Readers Digest,” that
even older copies would be interesting and fresh to a war-devastated
target audience, particularly in the hinterlands, that rarely saw any
printed media at all.
Gummed Label – Radio MIR
RADIO MIR (“Radio Peace”). I
cannot give enough credit to the Sailors who manned Radio MIR. They lived,
sustained, and secured themselves on a compound which they built from
scratch far removed from any immediate support if trouble came their way.
There were approximately 20 Sailors assigned at any given time. They
produced high quality PSYOP messages and embedded the information into a
popular musical program which was broadcast on three different FM radio
frequencies in the Sarajevo area. They manned and maintained each of these
radio stations 16 hours each day. They also made digital copies of all their
programming which was sent to each MND for their use. Finally, they were
instrumental in helping the Combined Joint Information Campaign Task Force
get many other radio stations in the Sarajevo area to use their products.
The Programming on Radio Mir consisted of: Current news five times
a day; “Classic” rock and roll, “Top 40” hits, Rhythm and Blues, “Eurohits,”
and local area music; Interviews with SFOR commanders and the Office of the
High Representative; and Broadcast talk shows with guest radio station
personalities from local stations.
Product approval for these publications and other products was a
cumbersome process. Finally, it was especially important to remember that
all PSYOP products had to be prepared in two languages. Either
Serbo-Croatian or Bosnian (also referred to as Bosniak) as each ethnic group
continued to be very suspicious of the others.
10th POB’s rotation ended in in mid-September 1998 and all
personnel traveled by bus back to Taszar, Hungary and flew to Ft Benning. At
Ft Benning individual Soldiers were given travel orders to their Home of
Record. Our last day of active duty was September 21, 1998.
Children's Safety Calendar
This is a different kind of explosives-warning for children. It is in the
form of a calendar with various cartoons interspaced with comments on
explosives safety. Some of the Comments are:
Do not play with discarded ammunition you never know what might happen. Do
not play near minefields. Do not try to pick it up — it can still explode.
Do not take discarded mines or bombs. Do not play in abandoned houses. Do
not open discarded boxes. Do not set discarded ammunition on fire.
PARENTS - HELP YOUR
CHILDREN UNDERSTAND.
Specialist Matthew Osborne, a psychological operations specialist with the 307th
Tactical Psychological Operations Detachment, 10th PSYOP Battalion, passes out radios to
Afghan National Police in Subdistrict 1 of Kandahar City, 11 July 2011. The ANP then
passed out radios to community members.
Specialist Josh Brimm, assigned to the 307th PSYOP Company, 10th PSYOP Battalion, plays
a counter improvised explosive device message on a loud speaker during a mission with U.S.
soldiers assigned to the 4th Infantry Division, to patrol the villages around Malajat,
Afghanistan. (Photo by Sergeant Canaan Radcliffe)
Staff Sergeant Sostenes Rocha, assigned to 307th PSYOP Company, 10th PSYOP Battalion,
speaks to a local Afghan man and distributes radios during a mission to patrol the
streets outside of Combat Operating Post 8-1, in downtown Kandahar City, Afghanistan. The
objective of the mission is to set up tactical control points to search vehicles and
occupants, and to gather information from the general population. The people often are
bothered by the checks and will become belligerent. The PSYOP troops using loudspeaker and
face-to-face communications can explain the need to search for weapons, explosives and
even drugs.
Staff Sergeant Sostenes Rocha, assigned to the 307th PSYOP Company, 10th PSYOP
Battalion hands out pens to local children during a mission with U.S. soldiers assigned to
the 4th Infantry Division, during a patrol to gather information from the local
population, and to distribute PSYOP leaflets and radios. (Photo by Sergeant Canaan
Radcliffe)
Captain Chris Strelluf, a member of the 308th PSYOP Company, 10th PSYOP Battalion,
interacts with local soccer players 8 June 2011 during a ribbon cutting ceremony which
signified the official opening of a new soccer field in subdistrict one of Kandahar City.
The new field was one of many projects headed by Task Force "Raider" and their
Afghan national security forces partners in their joint-reconstruction efforts to improve
quality of life, safety and security for residents of Kandahar City.
Task Force Raider was made up of Afghan uniformed forces and men from Troop C, 3rd
Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, to clear a village in eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar
Province. Improvised explosive devices had been found in the roads surrounding the
village, so they devised a plan to find the culprits. In the past, when U.S. forces came
by themselves, it was seen as disrespectful to the local people. When U.S. and Afghan
forces work together to search their houses it is more acceptable. Afghan culture is very
important, especially when there are females in the house. When the forces work together,
they can observe the culture properly.
Honduras
Hurricane Mitch
In October 1998,
Hurricane Mitch devastated large areas of Central America. The 10th PSYOP
Battalion had been conducting reconnaissance in Honduras and Guatemala in
preparation for the New Horizons 1999 missions prior to the hurricane. In
December 1998, the Honduras New Horizon exercise was moved from Lempira to
El Progresso to support massive disaster relief operations in Honduras. The
first 3-man team arrived in Honduras on 4 January 1999 to support Task Force
Sula. On 11 January 1999, a meeting at Southern Command Headquarters
announced that five disaster relief New Horizon missions would begin in
February 1999, with over 18,000 Reserve and National Guard soldiers
deploying to Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and the Dominican
Republic to rebuild bridges and roads, build schools, and conduct Medical
Readiness Exercises. The 10th PSYOP Battalion was ordered to support
operations in the Aguan Valley in Honduras and began to prepare to deploy
soldiers and equipment. The area had been hardest hit by massive rains and
flooding and had a large refugee population.
Sergeant Eduardo Ramirez Organizes Distribution of Bags of Rice and other
Relief Supplies.
The donations from
all over the world came into Porto Cortez. The donations came in without
paperwork and uninspected. The advisor to the President of Honduras
authorized the U.S. Military to distribute the goods from a local soccer
stadium.
The Belleville
Illinois News-Democrat of 7 June 1999 Covered the deployment of some
members of the 10th PSYOP Battalion to Honduras. The article mentions
Sergeant Eduardo Ramirez heading up a three-man Army Reserve PSYOP team
among about 3,000 American Reservists and National Guard members. It says
that Ramirez quickly found himself part diplomat, part advertising pitchman,
and part public relations specialist. He coordinated American relief efforts
with those of other countries and nongovernmental relief organizations while
working to convince the Hondurans that Americans were there to help. Ramirez
was perfect for the job being fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and a student
of international business at Southern Illinois University. He was so
successful that one PSYOP officer said the embassy would like him assigned
to Honduras.
The Honduran
government said little about the relief effort and the newspapers implied
they might be spies. Ramirez set up a press conference and invited all the
doubtful reporters into the base camp to see everything that was going on.
Instead of weapons, the PSYOP specialists use leaflets, loudspeakers, and
radio broadcasts. Ramirez’s team used leaflets and posters prepared in St.
Louis and local radio broadcasts to warn the residents to avoid the heavy
construction equipment. They also passed out calendars with Honduran
holidays listed and gave out 250 soccer balls.
Sergeant Ramirez and a member of the 7th PSYOP Group post PSYOP/Military
Information Support Team Posters.
The Sergeant spent
six months in Honduras supporting Joint Force Sula. Other members of his
Battalion would come down two at a time and return home after two weeks, but
Ramirez stayed the entire time.
At first the PSOP
specialists supported an Engineer unit, later it was asked to support a
Civil Affairs unit.
He said:
They sent me
down on a peace mission, so I decided to let the media in to see what we
were doing. They did not see weapons; they did not see soldiers training. I
showed them we were there for humanitarian purposes. All these people were
in some way affected by the hurricane. Most of the people depend on the
banana plantations for their livelihood and the banana plantations were
destroyed. We arranged for some Honduran soccer stars to visit the villages.
These guys are household names in Honduras and the people thought it was
great to see them.
Because of the soccer stars, the local press visited us, and the United
States got some excellent publicity for its humanitarian actions.
I coordinated a lot with the U.S. embassy, which for a
guy like me, who had never done anything like that, was really something. I
would love to go back to Honduras. I am interested in international politics
and found my time there interesting.
Talking to Eduardo
Ramirez recently he told me:
The President
of Honduras at the time of the hurricane really seemed to want to help the
people. Later I was assigned to General John F. Kelly and we often talked
about what it had been like in 1998. I told him that we used the theme
“Reconstruction of Honduras” in our radio broadcast and the people were
wonderful. You could walk anywhere without any worries. The U.S. always
tried to help Honduras and for a while it seemed to be working, but the
corruption just got so awful that the country is in trouble. It is much
worse and more dangerous now than it was in 1998.
U.S. and Canadian
servicemen unload mattresses and relief supplies for victims of Hurricane
Mitch from a West Virginia Air National Guard C-130 Hercules at the airport
in La Cieba, Honduras, on Nov. 11, 1998. Over 1,000 U.S. service members are
helping to rush food, shelter, pure water, and medical aid to the central
Americans made homeless by Hurricane Mitch.
The effects of
Hurricane Mitch in Honduras were destructive and deadly, resulting in the
most significant flooding in Honduras in the 20th century. Hurricane Mitch,
the strongest storm of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season, formed on October
22, and after becoming a Category 5 hurricane, it weakened and struck
Honduras on October 29. While near peak intensity, Mitch struck the offshore
Guanaja island, where it nearly destroyed the mangrove forest. On the
mainland, the hurricane dropped torrential rainfall, and many gauges were
washed away in mountainous areas where unofficial rainfall totals were as
high as 75 inches.
The President of
Honduras estimated that Mitch set back 50 years of economic development. The
storm wrecked about 35,000 houses and damaged another 50,000, leaving up to
1.5 million people homeless, or about 20% of the country's population. Mitch
directly caused $2.005 billion in damage, with an additional $1.8 billion in
indirect costs. Over 70% of the transportation infrastructure was damaged,
mostly damaged highways and bridges. Widespread areas experienced power
outages, and about 70% of the country lost water after the storm. Throughout
the country, there were at least 7,000 fatalities, some reported in each
department.
Guatemala
Sergeant Chris Matthewson and Corporal David Bullion, assigned to the 318th Tactical
PSYOP Company, 10th PSYOP Battalion, goes over details about an upcoming Medical Readiness
Training Program called Beyond the Horizon, in Zacapa, Guatemala, 5 May 2014.
Beyond the Horizon is an annual exercise that embraces the partnership between the United
States and Guatemala, to provide focused humanitarian assistance through various medical,
dental, and civic action programs. (Photo by Sergeant Austin Berner)
Soldiers from the 318th PSYOP Company, 10th PSYOP Battalion, visit a local school to
inform the community of an upcoming Beyond the Horizon medical readiness training
exercise 4 June 2014 in Agua Blanca, Guatemala. As part of Task Force Oso, the group is
charged with gathering information from the public on ways to make the exercise better in
the future. (Photo by Corporal Michael Spandau)
Beyond the Horizon is a joint foreign military interaction and humanitarian
exercise sponsored by U.S. Southern Command that involves hundreds of U.S. service members
representing the National Guard, Army Reserve and active forces. Since its inception in
the mid-1980s, U.S. troops have deployed annually for this exercise which takes place in
different countries as designated by U.S. Southern Command. These units deploy for short
periods of time to support and implement agreed upon tasks developed during the planning
phase. In 2016 the exercise ran from April to June and resulted in the 10th PSYOP
Battalion taking part in building three new clinics and two new schools for the people of
Guatemala. The three new clinic facilities included medical equipment and hygiene kits.
The school buildings with fitted with classrooms, digital computers, desks and chairs.
Captain Gerald Walling, assigned to the 10th Psychological Battalion,
318th Tactical Psychological Company, speaks with a group of local Guatemalan boys during
Beyond the Horizon, Zacapa, Guatemala, 5 May 2014. Beyond the Horizon is an annual
exercise that embraces the partnership between the United States and Guatemala, to provide
focused humanitarian assistance through various medical, dental, and civic action
programs. (Photo by Sgt. Austin Berner)
U.S. military health care professionals will conduct multiple Medical Readiness
Training Exercises (MEDRETEs) in each country, working with host nation medical personnel
to provide general and specialized medical and dental services to thousands of citizens
requiring care. These services include public health and preventive medicine, dental care,
adult and pediatric medicine, medical education, immunizations, and nutritional
counseling. The exercises also include veterinarian care, a vital service that ensures the
safety of valuable food sources and helps prevent diseases that could be passed from
animals and livestock to a population.
Iraqi Freedom
Colonel Wayne Tasler (Retired) was the Commander of the 10th PSYOP
Battalion, deployed to Iraq February 2007. He was appointed Commander of the
PSYOP Taskforce 10 February 2008. He told me about his experience in Iraq:
The PSYOP Task Force-10 Headquarters Section Located at Camp Victory, Iraq
Psychological Task Force 10 (POTF 10) consisted of over 510
multi-component, Multi-national personnel deployed in support of Operation
Iraqi Freedom from February 2007 to January 2008 during the “surge of
forces” in Iraq. POTF 10 had command and control of an operational Task
Force Headquarters, regional support assets and dissemination support
assets; and provided for operational oversight of five tactical maneuver
PSYOP Companies. It was responsible for providing tactical and operational
psychological operations the through the development and dissemination of
newsprint, radio, and satellite products to the Multi-National Corps – Iraq
Commander.
The U.S. Army Reserve’s 10th Psychological Operations Battalion
(POB) Headquarters out of Jefferson Barracks (St. Louis), Missouri provided
the POTF-10 headquarters and was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Wayne
Tasler and Command Sergeant Major Rick Lutz. Two of its three subordinate
companies – the 308th Tactical PSYOP Company (TPC) from Belton, Missouri and
the 318th TPC from Jefferson Barracks – deployed with the task force,
augmented with one additional Tactical PSYOP Detachment (TPD) from Jefferson
Barracks and four additional TPDs from the 14th POB out of Moffett Field,
California. Charlie Company, 9th POB, 4th PSYOP Group out of Ft. Bragg,
North Carolina, who were supporting the Marines in western Iraq, fell under
the operational oversight of the POTF as well. Due to the urgent need for
additional PSYOP forces to support the surge of forces (combat brigades), A
Company, 9th POB out of Ft. Bragg deployed to Iraq in the summer of 2007,
followed by the 307th TPC, 10th POB out of Jefferson Barracks shortly
thereafter. At the height of operations of Iraq from mid-2007 to early 2008,
U.S. PSYOP forces supporting Multi-National Corps-I consisted of the POTF
HQs, 5 PSYOP Company headquarters, 20 Tactical PSYOP Detachments, and
coalition PSYOP personnel/units from Poland and the U.K. Separate to the
POTF were PSYOP personnel out of Ft. Bragg supporting the various U.S.
Special Operations forces (SOF) throughout the Iraqi theater.
POTF-10 Headquarters, Camp Victory, Iraq (2007-2008)
Working alongside POTF-10 was also an Information Operations Task
Force (IOTF) that reported to Multi-National Corps-I as well, consisting of
four PSYOP personnel (Active Component/Reserve Component mix) overseeing a
large contracting force. To prevent mission creep or information fratricide
between the two task forces, POTF-10 was charged with the Shia problem set
(Jaysh-al Mahdi, Iran, etc.) and the IOTF was charged with the Sunni problem
set (Al Qaeda, terrorism, etc.). Supporting these task forces were Radio
Oasis operating out of the Green Zone in Baghdad and the Joint Psychological
Operations Task Force (JPOTF) operating out of Qatar. Other PSYOP programs
for POTF-10 included “Counter-IED”, “Anti-Malign Influence”, “Pro Iraqi
Security Forces (ISF)”, “Justice Series/Rewards”, and “National Unity”. Some
of the more successful series within these programs included “The Falcon”
comic book series, “My Homeland, My Homeland” (tagline from the Iraq
National Anthem), and “National Soccer Team/Iraq Unity.” All dissemination
platforms - to include terrestrial/satellite radio and television, local and
national newspapers, billboards, novelty items, handbills, leaflets, etc. -
were used to message the various target audiences.
I asked Colonel Tasler if I might see some of the product his
battalion helped to design. He sent those depicted below
and said, All the products were produced by elements of POTF-10,
comprised of the 10th PSYOP Battalion HQs, the 307th, 308th, and 318th PSYOP
Companies, along with some detachments out of 14th PSYOP Battalion. I asked
him why the leaflets did not have the usual code at the bottom, and he said:
I do
not recall the exact reason as to why our products did not have numbers on
them. I can only surmise it was
because everything was very decentralized. The Multinational Force-I
Commander at the time, General David H, Petraeus delegated PSYOP product
approval down to the maneuver brigade commander if the 0-6 commander had a
trained 37A or 37F NCO on his staff, and the products fell within some very
tight left and right limits. Because
of this sub-delegation, there was no way to control/delegate any type of
numbering of the products. The
approved products went into an approved product book at each location in the
event the product caused any problems.
I also want to thank Mr. Zied Charaf for doing the translations of
all the materials shown below free of charge.
Bumper Sticker in Support of the New Iraqi Armed Forces (ISF)
One Team, One mission, Security for the people of Iraq.
A gummed label depicting the symbol of Task Force 10
The Little Hero
I am not sure what this one represents. It looks like a recruitment
item for the military or police, but it is a small, gummed label but it
talks about the qualities of children so I think it must be tied into a
comic book or something similar. I asked Colonel Tasler why it looked
“comicbookish” to me and he replied:
The sticker is promoting a comic book series we produced in 2007-2008. We
put the sticker and other products in the school backpacks we bought for the
ISF to handout in the lower income schools.
Well of course I thought they looked like comic books. I looked at my
article about propaganda comics during Iraqi Freedom and see that I wrote
about them a dozen years ago. I said in my article:
The Thunder Team
The first Iraqi comic books were created as collaborative effort with the US
Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, which did the initial
character and plot development. They are based on the security forces, both
military and police, in the Middle East. The initiative for the comic-book
project came from the US Department of Defense's Central Command, which is
responsible for US security interests in 25 Middle Eastern and Arab nations.
It is hoped that the comics will help engender respect among children for
the national police force and the new Iraqi Army. The BBC reported in 2005
that the U.S. Army's Fourth PSYOP Group at Fort Bragg in North Carolina has
done initial character and plot development and will produce the series
based on the security forces, military, and police, of the Middle East.
Later it was apparently decided to use the civilian Lincoln Group as the
manager or contractor to publish the comic books. In 2008 the United States
Air Force advertised a solicitation for volumes 16 to 27 of “The Sixth
Brigade.” The dollar value of the contract for 12 issues is not to exceed
$2,400,000. Lincoln Group would supervise the design, production, and
distribution of 12 issues of 60,000 comic books per issue for a total of
720,000 comic books. The comic would highlight the professionalism of the
Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) and enhance the public perception of
the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) as a capable, well-trained, and professional
fighting force.
The text on the gummed sticker is:
The Little Hero
Loyalty, Obeying your parents, Devotion.
A leaflet Offering Life or Death to the Iraqi People
At the right, a tearful Iraqi sees death and destruction. At the
left he sees a peaceful Iraq. The text on the front is:
Choose how you want to live.
The back is all text over a map of Iraq:
Help the Iraqi Security Forces in protecting your families by
reporting the illegal activities to the Goverment Control Center in your area.
GCC: 0770-218-6604
0770-132-2760
Al Qaida attacks the people attending a funeral.
This leaflet seems a bit busy to me. If you did not have the text,
it would be hard to tell what it represents All you can see are signs of
destruction. The text explains:
The terrorist organization al-Qaida attacks a funeral in Zaytouna.
The cowardly
organization al-Qaida attacked the innocent Iraqi citizens while attending a
funeral on the first of January, which led to the killing of men, women,
kids, and elderly people who had come to say goodbye to their loved ones.
This is the way al-Qaida thinks for the future. Is this what you want?
The back is all text and gives four telephone numbers to call if
you have any information about the attack.
Construction for the future.
The leaflet feature three pictures on construction workers building
the new free Iraq. The images and text and the same on front and back. The
text is:
Your use of
legitimate economical activities will lead to economic development that will
create new opportunities and economical activities in Al-Dawrah Markets and
Haifa Street projects.
Author’s Note: this seems to be regarding The Battle of Haifa
Street where a battle was fought during January 2007 for the control of
Haifa Street, a two-mile-long street in downtown Baghdad, Iraq, pitting
American and Iraqi Army forces against various Sunni insurgent forces
between January 6 and January 9, 2007 (phase one), and then two weeks later,
on January 24 when US forces launched a second attempt to clear Haifa Street
of insurgents once and for all. This battle was the precursor for clearing
operations that would set the conditions for "the surge" which ultimately
neutralized insurgent groups in this part of Baghdad during the spring and
summer of 2007. Tasler added:
Haifa Street was a sectarian fault line between Shi'ite and Sunni
neighborhoods. Lots of these fault lines became hot spots in the Shia-Sunni
quasi-civil war going on at the time.
One Nation and a Prosperous Future
I love this leaflet, mostly because I am a big fan of the use of
money as propaganda. During Desert Storm, the Coalition produced 16 fake
Iraqi banknotes with propaganda messages. This is not the same of course,
but it does depict and Iraqi banknote in full color, so that is close enough
for me. In the foreground in a variant AK-47 with handguard. The implication
is that if you use the black market or other illegal methods that money will
buy weapons for terrorists. The image and text are the same on front and
back. The text is:
If you use
illegal economical activities like the black market, you will be supporting
terrorism. Because the money that will be obtained from the black market is
going to be used to buy weapons for the terrorists.
Protect the innocence of these children.
This leaflet is all about children. On the front we see a group of
young boys with their schoolbooks and the text:
Work together to provide Iraq’s children a bright future.
Stop the racial intolerance.
Stop the racial hatred.
Stop the racial violence.
The back depicts a similar group but now there are some girls mixed
in with the boys. The text is:
Protect the innocence of these children
It is a Great Day
This leaflet features athletics and uses an Iraqi victory in the
field of soccer to try and bring pride to the citizens. The front shows the
player and the people holding up a sign saying "Iraq." The sign is in
English and that is a bit odd.
I asked Colonel Tasler and he said that was part of the plan:
That was the Iraq national soccer team in 2007, comprised of a
cross-section of Iraqis consisting of Sunnis, Shias, and 1 Christian I
believe. The picture is of the Iraqi spectators in the stands displaying
their support to their team, in English, for all the world to see.
The text is:
Celebrate!
The Iraqi
national football team brought pride to your nation, and it was a great
model to what proud and united Iraqi people can do.
It is a great day!
The back of the leaflet shows an eagle, the Iraqi flag, and the
trophy they won. The text is:
In their unity, the spirit of the Iraqi people flies high.
Choose how you want to live.
This leaflet is more like what we have seen in the past, warning
the Iraqis not to destroy their oil wells, and asking the people to report
any that do. The front has three photographs of Iraqi oil wells and workers
bringing wealth and property to their country. The text is:
Report any suspicious activities on the oil infrastructure.
Do not let the foreigners weaken your trust in the Government’s ability to
serve you.
The back of the leaflet depicts the result of such sabotage, a
giant fire in the oil fields. The text says:
The foreign fighters are attacking the infrastructure of your oil.
This impedes your government, your programs, and your life.
This leaflet depicts some Iraqi children on the front. The leaflet
warns the people not to let the terrorists use their children to harm
others. The text is:
Protect your children before the enemies of a unified Iraq manipulate them.
They want to manipulate your children to carry out attacks on Iraqi
citizens.
The back shows a group of heavily armed terrorists with a fire in
the background. Because this picture is more threatening, I will show the
back instead of the front. The text is:
Militia groups are desperately trying to recruit fighters.
Terrorism has no religion.
WANTED
“Wanted” posters are popular during and after every war. At the
state of Operation Iraqi Freedom millions of leaflets and posters were
printed requesting information on Saddam Hussein, his two sons, and members
of his political party. For the first time, a deck of cards was printed with
pictures of all the wanted war criminals. This leaflet shows just one, with
handcuffs close by. I will add another larger on after this one. The text
is:
Wanted
Be part of stopping and arresting the criminals through reporting
them to the Iraqi Security Forces. There might be a reward for providing
information.
Call 0790 193 1462. Almad Hito.
The back is all text:
You make the difference - Call 0790 193 1462
This second wanted leaflet is more like what we expect to see, that
is, a more standard wanted leaflet. It depicts 9 wanted criminals on the
front and the back has been checkered so it would be difficult for a
terrorist to use it as stationery and write on it. The charges against eight
are terrorism, the one exception is charged with murder. The text is:
Wanted
For committing crimes against the Iraqi people.
When ye judge between man and man, that ye judge with justice
If you have any information, please call the following numbers:
0790 173 7725 – 0790 194 3033
A reward might be given.
Some of the criminals listed are: Mahmoud Ahmad Alwan Al-Jobouri
(Terrorism), Almad Hato (Murder), and Jawad Al-Talbawi (Terrorism), and
Mohhamad Ridawi (Terrorism).
Staff Sergeant Joseph Schicker of 318th PSYOP Company, 10th PSYOP
Battalion, drops informational leaflets during the aftermath of the destruction of a
suspected insurgent safe house by four 500-pound U.S. Air Force Guided Bombs which were
dropped by a B-1 bomber aircraft in the Gharman area of Baghdad, Iraq, on 19 May
2007. Soldiers cleared houses and told residents to evacuate the area in preparation for
the bombing of the building suspected of being an insurgent “safe house.” (Photo
by Staff Sergeant Bronco Suzuki)
I later had a talk with Schicker about PSYOP. SFC Joseph Schicker was at
that time a member of the 10th Psychological Operations Battalion assigned
in Afghanistan to Task Force Viper. He stated in early 2010 that he had
become frustrated because there did not seem to be any strategic PSYOP plan.
He had tried to use some of his experience and knowledge to make the PSYOP
campaigns more workable, but he seemed to think that the Army was just
reinventing the wheel in Afghanistan. He told me:
PSYOP is dying over here we are being run by Information Operations (IO) and
have lost our seat at the table. They disbanded the Psychological Operations
Task Force, and the company is run by IO. After nine years of war, you would
think that we would have a great wealth of information and products, but we
do not. PSYOP has not kept its house in order. On arrival we found less than
200 products and no area assessments. It seems like every rotation we start
over and reinvent the wheel.
Schicker might have a point about IO running the psychological operations in
Afghanistan. Walter Pincus pointed out in the Washington Post of 27 December
2009 that paid-for news articles, billboards, radio, and television
programs, and even polls and focus groups have been sponsored by the U.S.
Central Command, which has raised its spending for information operations
programs from $40 million in 2008 to $110 million in 2009 to a requested
$244 million in 2010. When Congress asked Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates
the total amount that would be spent by all the services, he was unable to
answer because there was no central coordination. Gates first said $1
billion; then refined his answer to $626 million.
Staff Sergeant David Ingram from 318th Tactical PSYOP Company, 10th PSYOP
Battalion, gives a local boy a soccer ball during a patrol in the southwest Rashid area of
western Baghdad, Iraq in May 2007.
The military booklet: BUILDING BRIDGES: Commander’s Guide to
Face to Face Communication mentions soccer balls and mentions other
gifts that can help to win hearts and minds. It says in part:
In addition to deploying personnel to augment the force, the
Commander can bring expendable supplies that may assist the mission. These
items are intended to establish or enhance rapport with some of those
deserving (or difficult) target audiences. Whether used as formal gifts or
free handouts, material items may have a big impact on your success in
communicating with critical target audiences…Here are a few suggestions
which may be squeezed into the corner of the last pallet, or in the top of
an A-bag:
Host nation flags, small American flags, soccer balls, baseballs
and softballs, Frisbees, school notebook paper, coloring books,
pencils/pens/crayons, old T-shirts, patches and pins, and hackeysack balls
318th PSYOP Company soldiers from the 10th PSYOP Battalion assigned to Tactical PSYOP
Team 1484 hand out toys and clothes to Iraqi civilians at Mahmudiyah, Iraq on 9 June 2007.
A PSYOP soldier receives a “high five” from one of the local children after
soldiers from the Tactical PSYOP Team 1484, 10th PSYOP Battalion, handed out 1500 pounds
of food and other items to Iraqi locals in the village of Al Murtada, Iraq.
An Iraqi officer tests the chemical composition of both real and fake currency during
an anti-counterfeiting class being taught in 2010 by the 3212 Tactical PSYOP Detachment,
318th PSYOP Company, 10th PSYOP Battalion.<
Training and War Games
The 10th PSYOP Battalion talks about training:
The 10th PSYOP Battalion constantly strives to maintain a
harmonious working relationship with the Active Component counterparts in
the 1st and 9th PSYOP Battalions. Communications and on-site visits to Ft.
Bragg, NC, are frequent. Several soldiers conduct the annual training
attached to the 1st PSYOP Battalion to assist in augmenting the Regular
Army. The 10th PSYOP Battalion takes part in many Active Component PSYOP
exercises. These include Golden Saber exercises and numerous joint training
exercises. The 10th PSYOP Battalion is also a consistent factor in the New
Horizon series of Humanitarian Assistance exercises in Central and South
America. Since 1996 the Battalion has deployed elements to support New
Horizon missions in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Belize, and
Guyana. The number of missions being conducted with the Regular Army’s 1st
PSYOP Battalion has increased. These missions include counter-drug PSYOP in
the Caribbean, and Humanitarian and Peacekeeping Joint Exercises in Central
and South America.
Soldiers of the 308th PSYOP Company, 10th PSYOP Battalion, set up a
loudspeaker while attending the PSYOP Qualification Course in October 2010.
Specialist Timothy Jones from the 318th PSYOP Company, 10th PSYOP Battalion, and
Australian Defense Force Private Dirk Seelig install a speaker system for Information
Operations while providing PSYOP support to the 7th Brigade as part of the Australian
Defense Force participating in Talisman Sabre 2011. TS11 is a biennial combined
training activity designed to train Australian and U.S. forces in planning and conducting
combined task force operations to improve Australian Defense Force and U.S. combat
readiness and interoperability.
