Bill Mauldin was an American editorial cartoonist who won two Pulitzer Prizes
for his work. He was most famous for his World War II cartoons depicting two
American soldiers, “Willie and Joe,” weary and bedraggled infantry troopers who
stoically endured the difficulties and dangers of duty in the field. These
cartoons were widely published and distributed in the American army, abroad and
in the United States. One Stars and Stripes cartoon showed the two GI’s
firing artillery and saying: “Tell them leaflet people the krauts ain’t got time
fer readin' today.” Here, another cartoonist has copied Mauldin’s style and made
a cartoon of Communist Chinese surrendering during the Korean War. Mauldin drew
the exact same cartoon during WWII showing German soldiers surrendering.
I am the historian of the Psychological Operations Veterans Association and know
a lot about how PSYOP units work and the products they develop such as leaflets,
posters, newspapers, radio broadcasts and loudspeaker messages. I must admit
that leaflets are my favorites. There are so many kinds: reward leaflets, safe
conduct passes, leaflets that look like stamps or envelopes, others that look
like banknotes, and a host of different themes and concepts. We find music on
leaflets, poetry, even the occasional pornographic leaflet. But I have a secret
kind of leaflet that is a favorite. That is a leaflet that depicts a leaflet. It
can be dropped from an aircraft, found on the ground, or held and read by an
enemy. It is such an odd idea, a leaflet on a leaflet, that I find it
intriguing. I want to show the reader a few examples here and hope you like the
simplicity and brilliance of the concept. This is not meant to be one of my
10,000-20,000-word in-depth articles. This is just a short peek at some very
interesting and odd leaflets.
World War Two
Leaflet 4-F-8
During the invasion of the Philippine Islands during WWII. General MacArthur
used his Psychological Warfare Branch (PWB) to produce leaflets against Japan.
This leaflet depicts many of the different leaflets dropped on the Japanese by
the PWB. I recognize them all. That is very rare when you can identify a leaflet
depicted on another leaflet. The leaflets seem to be dropped over the
Philippines by American P-38 fighters, sometimes called "Fork-tailed devils."
These were the fighters that tracked and shot down Admiral Yamamoto, the man
behind the infamous sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. The back is all text in
English and Tagalog and says:
FILIPINOS
These leaflets and newspaper written In Japanese are to let them know the
growing peril and hopelessness of their situation. The Jap officers do not wish
their men to believe the truths we tell them. It is best they should know. It
will hasten the day they are cleared from your land. Assist by placing the
papers and leaflets where they will be found and read by the Jap.
Leaflet 5-J-21
This leaflet is in Japanese, English
and Tagalog. The title is “No Escape Route” and it targets the Japanese
troops in the vicinity of Manila. It was requested by the 11th Airborne. The front is a map showing
the Japanese that there is no escape. The text in Japanese and Tagalog is:
You know escape is cut off
The back is a seven panel-panel cartoon titled: The Wise Soldier.
An American officer tells Filipino Guerrillas to treat Japanese who have
ceased resistance kindly.
A Japanese soldier goes in daylight to a nearby
village.
A guerrilla guides the Japanese soldier to an American position.
The soldier is given food, clean clothes and sanitary quarters.
The wounded
or sick soldier receives medical care.
The soldiers read or do work that
they enjoy.
The war is over and the soldiers return to the new Japan
where their wives and children are waiting.
The 11th Airborne Division was a United States Army airborne formation, first
activated on 25 February 1943. Consisting of one parachute and two glider infantry
regiments, with supporting troops, the division underwent rigorous training
throughout 1943. The 11th Airborne saw its first action on the island of Leyte
in the Philippines, but in a traditional infantry role. In January 1945 the
division took part in the invasion of Luzon. The two glider infantry regiments
again operated as conventional infantry, securing a beachhead before fighting
their way inland. The parachute infantry regiment was held in reserve for several
days before conducting the division's first airborne operation, a combat drop
on the Tagaytay Ridge. Reunited, the division participated in the Liberation
of Manila, and two companies of divisional paratroopers conducted an audacious
raid on the Los Banos internment camp, liberating two thousand civilians.
Leaflet 132D-J-1
132D-J-1
depicts a Japanese country girl suddenly surrounded by a shower of leaflets
falling from the sky. The girl looks at one leaflet on the ground and reads
the title:
Facts
The back is all
text, just one short question:
Why is it wrong to read leaflets?
The answer of
course is obvious. No country at war wants its people reading enemy leaflets
that might cause distrust of the government or lack of belief in the
ultimate victory of its military forces. Since the Japanese were told that
all leaflets were lies and should never be read, this leaflet encourages the
people look at them. The Americans want the Japanese to know the true status
of the war and that Japan is losing on all fronts.
The fields spring up green.
I have never held this leaflet in my hand or seen an actual copy of it. The
image appears in a book by Leo J. Margolis titled Paper Bullets. The
“leaflet on leaflet” image is not quite correct because this image is on a
seed packet dropped on our native allies the
Kachins on Burma. It shows a clearly marked American fighter flying
over their village and dropping what I suppose we should call packets. The
text on the front is:
Wherever the Japanese go, they bring destruction.
Wherever the Allied forces come, the fields spring up green.
On the back of the seed packet four vegetables are depicted, each with a
description of how to plant and harvest it. The first plant looks like a
radish, the second is a tomato. The third is Kohlrabi, a type of cabbage,
and the fourth looks like peas. During WWII American aircraft regularly
dropped seeds, coffee, tea, etc., on the occupied nations to remind them
that America cared and would eventually liberate them.
Boomerang
The British were heavy into leafleting all during WWII. German
leaflets were dropping on London and British leaflets were dropping on
Berlin. Some of their postcards depicted different versions of these
operations. This first one depicts Propaganda Chief Goebbels shaking his
fist and pointing a pistol at British aircraft overhead burying him in
leaflets. I assume the title “Boomerang” is referring to the Germans
leafleting Britain and now having the favor returned. According to A
Complete Index of Allied Airborne Leaflets and Magazines, the first
leaflet dropped on Germany by Ellic Howe’s British propaganda workshop was
on the night of 25 September 1939. The Germans were leafleting Poland and
France in 1939. The first English-language leaflets mentioned in German
Leaflets of 1939-1940 are titled “From the Fuehrer’s Speech” and “A Last
appeal to Reason by Adolf Hitler,” in August 1940. Both quote Hitler’s
speech before the Reichstag on 19 July 1940.
Now Give us a Leaflet, Bert
This postcard also seems to be making a joke of dropping leaflets
on the Germans. The crewman of a British fighter flying over a German city
has his pants down and asks for a leaflet to drop. I will let the reader
decide the meaning of that text. I suspect a bit of anal humor. I should
confess that I always liked this postcard because I sometimes went by the
name of Bert.
D-Day
This card was
sent to me many years ago by a fellow historian who lived in France. The
back of the card explains that it was in commemoration of the 50th
Anniversary of the D-Day landing of 1944. It depicts a limited-edition
postcard of 1000 copies of a watercolor painting by Jan Guignery in an
exhibition titled Tracts de Guerre. The front of the card depicts a
Free French Spitfire dropping the propaganda newsletter "Courrier of the
Air" over France. At the left
there is a German sentry and a poem in French titled From Ouistreham to
St. Laurent.
On 6 June
1944, No. 4 Commando landed at Ouistreham and fought their way to Pegasus
Bridge, with the 177 Free French of the No. 10 Commando spearheading the
advance. The assault on Ouistreham was featured in the movie The Longest
Day. The poem says:
From Ouistreham to Saint Laurent.
No,
We did not know when we were children.
that the beaches of our holidays,
it was as much, it was as much,
The soil of France.
From Ouistreham to Arromanches, *
how much steel, how much fire.
So that the sand of our games,
was returned to other childhoods.
How many lives, how much blood,
from the ocean and across the Channel.
Past their experiences,
from Courseulles to Saint Laurent. **
All these sailors lost on land,
under the apple trees of Normandy.
They are the dead of our war,
The grass on them has turned green.
No,
We didn’t know …
Maurice Druon
*
Towns by the Normandy beaches where the Allies landed.
** More towns
by the Normandy beaches where the Allies landed.
In many of the
several hundred articles I have written on psychological warfare I mention
that it was sometimes difficult to get leaflets dropped. The Air Force much
preferred real bombs to leaflet bombs, and the Army much preferred high
explosive artillery shells to leaflet shells. Various methods were used to
get the men to understand the importance of leaflets. This included radio
messages, articles in various Army and Air force publications, and even
lectures and souvenir leaflets along with translations to those who
disseminated them. Apparently, the Germans had similar problems. Here they
prepared a leaflet to tell German soldiers to carry a packet of leaflets at
all times to spread in front of the enemy when possible to weaken him and
lower his morale.
I'm Flutterman!
I am a packet of leaflets.
Comrades! Take me with you and more me further forward! I must go
to the opponent to make him soft.
I help with victories!
First open me up when I'm close to the enemy and then spread the
leaflets!
Take me with you!
The Korean War
Leaflet 1070
I like this leaflet because it is very Biblical, using the “Prodigal Son” as is
theme. The title is
“Good treatment for North Korean Party members.”
On one side a Korean soldier surrenders to the United Nations and is treated
like a son returning home. On the other side, at the end of the war he returns
home as a civilian and is welcomed by his family. This leaflet was also printed
in a Chinese language version coded 7055. This leaflet was printed by the 1st
Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet group. Some of the text is:
United Nations Forces do not discriminate against the North Korean soldiers who
come to the U. N. side.
Whether you are a Communist Party member or an ordinary soldier, you can expect
the same treatment promised by the United Nations.
A good father does not discriminate between his sons. A troubled and defeated
son is always welcome in the house of his father.
Leaflet 1073
One side of the leaflet depicts four North Korean soldiers surrendering holding
safe conduct passes. The text says in part:
The good officer’s first responsibility is to his men.
The real commanders know that if the war is difficult for them and there are
great dangers for their soldiers the wisest thing for them to do is surrender.
Continuing this war for the Communists only brings death to you and your
subordinates. The wisest North Korean commanders are continuously coming over to
the United Nations side with their units. The U.N. forces guarantee equal
treatment to all North Korean soldiers. Your subordinates are waiting for you
wise leadership.
On the other side a North Korean officer looks down at dead and wounded soldiers
to his right, and soldiers being treated by a medic at his left. The text is:
North Korean soldiers to the hopeless pit of war?
North Korean soldiers to the safe United Nations side?
Leaflet 7058
This leaflet
was also printed in Chinese coded 7058. The images are about the same, the
text differs slightly. The text on the front is:
If you continue
fighting when you have already been defeated all your troops will be killed.
A capable commander in this situation would surely lead his men to an
honorable surrender.
If you continue
fighting for the Communist party in Korea, you and your men will just be
dying for nothing. More and more intelligent Communist Chinese officers are
leading their men to our side. The coalition forces give preferential
treatment to the officers and soldiers of the Chinese Communist Party. Your
subordinates are waiting for your wise leadership.
The text on the
back is:
A good
commander must first be responsible for his subordinates. Their life and
death are all in your hands...
Now that you
have figured it out, do you still want to lead them to the abyss and the
fountain of death?
Why not bring
them to our side to surrender?
Leaflet 1077
One side of this leaflet depicts a Ridgway safe conduct pass along with a
vignette of Communist soldiers walking toward a U.N. Tent that is shown to be
well stocked with medical goods. The text on the back is:
But the U.N. soldiers offer you another way!
Life – Good food – Security – Good treatment
Follow the thousands of your comrades who came to the
U.N. side for an honorable surrender!
The other side of this leaflet depicts a starving North Korean soldier, the
center shows North Korean soldiers being killed by rifles, tanks, and F-80
fighters, and at the right a soldier is walking dejectedly. The official data
sheet for this leaflet states that the title is "Three Choices." It is aimed at
the North Korean Army and depicts starvation, shell fire and exhaustion.
There are just three things the Communists can give to the soldiers
of North Korea:
Starvation - Bombardment – Tiredness
At the bottom
there is a skull and the word:
Death
Leaflet 7064
Leaflet 7064 Back
There is a
Chinese-language Companion Chinese leaflet coded 7064. The safe conduct pass
side is almost identical.
The text on the
side that depicts the leaflet is:
Chinese
Communist officers and troops! The United Nations offers another choice!
Life! You will be well treated, well fed and be safe.
Thousands of
your officers and troops have already surrendered honorably! You should too,
and soon!
The back side
is slightly different.
These are the three dead ends given to you by the Communist Party
Starvation Bombardment
Exhaustion
Leaflet 1126
The front of Leaflet 1126 depicts the standard safe conduct pass signed by
General Ridgway and a long propaganda text in the Korean language. The back of
this leaflet depicts a four-panel cartoon on how to surrender: A safe conduct
pass is found by two North Korean soldiers; in the dark of night, they crawl to
the U.N. lines; they raise their hands and are welcomed; in the last panel they
sit around in a warm room and smoke and eat, one having had his hand bandaged by
the UN troops. The text is:
After you read the U.N. leaflets tell your friends about the contents
Make your escape during nighttime
U.N. soldiers will warmly welcome you
After you safely cross to the U.N. side you will be given food, treated well,
and proper medical treatment
Leaflet 1163*
The front of this leaflet depicts a six-panel cartoon showing a North Korean
soldier finding a leaflet and deciding to defect to the United Nations. He shows
the leaflet to a friend, and they decide to defect together. They sneak out of
their camp at night and hide until morning light. They then present themselves
to a UN soldier who welcomes them. This is one of several leaflets found in a
bright orange that would stand out in the field or on the snow and with the
title “Story of an Escape.” This is story number 2 dated 20 March 1952. It has
an asterisk in the code number that indicates it was requested by the U.S.
Eighth Army. The leaflet was printed by 1st Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet Group
on 20 March 1952. The text on the front is:
DON’T FIGHT FOR THE RUSSIANS, KOREA NEED YOU!
Look, United Nations leaflets. This is a letter from former soldiers of the
North Korean 45th Division.
What they say is true. I have wanted to go over to the UN lines for some time
now. This letter convinces me. Are you with me?
By leaving at night, we will not be seen.
Now that we are near the UN lines we will hide here until morning and then bury
our weapons.
See, I told you we would make it safely.
The back of the leaflet is the letter sent from former members of the 45th North
Korean Division.
Leaflet 1224*
This bright
orange leaflet would certainly be seen on the ground. The front is a 6-panel
cartoon showing enemy North Korea soldiers how to safely defect. The back is
mostly text, but at the top it shows North Korean soldiers running toward
the UN forces holding leaflets and, on the bottom, it depicts a happy North
Korean prisoner of war safe and warm. The leaflet was disseminated about 9
October 1952. The text on the front is:
Happy soldier
at the top:
We survived!
Gentlemen!
Gentlemen, have
you ever heard the story of your platoon leader, your fellow soldier? He not
only saved his own life, but also the lives of his men. Read this story and
follow his example and save your own life!
The six panels
below:
1. The
battle was very rough and difficult. The few remaining men were exhausted.
At this time, I began to wonder, "Why must our elders die? For what
purpose?"
2. I was
immediately ordered to return to combat. I disagreed. However, my request
was ignored, and instead, I was threatened with severe punishment if I
disobeyed the spirit.
3. The
extremely tired subordinates are fighting again. Haven't they been suffering
the hardships of a hopeless and meaningless war for too long?
4. Thus, I
realized that joining the communist army in the first place was my mistake.
I began to regret how wrong I had been to drag my subordinates into the war.
I immediately called them over. They laughed and asked, "Where are you
going?" "To the safe zone," I replied.
5. We
approached the military camp and waited for dawn. Two of the men inside
happened to be holding UN "Safe Conduct Passes" and leaflets.
6. We
managed to get over to the other side safely, shaking and shaking. "Why
couldn't we have done this without killing more people?" I thought to myself
at that time. The leaflet is accepted by the United Nations.
The text on the
back is:
Vertical at
left and right:
Run! Save your life!
Horizontal in
center:
Now we are
here, forgetting the war and living a comfortable life.
The United
Nations will welcome you and provide you with warm treatment, including
food, clothing, and medical care.
The time to flee is now! Save your lives!
Leaflet 7032
This leaflet is a safe conduct pass on one side and a 4-panel cartoon showing
the enemy how to surrender on the other. This leaflet is for Chinese soldier. In
the first panel Chinese soldiers find a leaflet, they break up and throw away
their weapons and head toward the UN lines, across the lines they raise their
hands and in the last panel they are safely within a UN compound. This leaflet
is not quite as welcoming as other leaflets. Here, although in Allied custody
they still have the hands raised. In some others they are sitting around and
sometimes smoking. I think the other leaflets are better because they show the
defectors in a more relaxed pose. The back of the leaflet bears a formal safe
conduct pass in Chinese, English, and Korean signed by General MacArthur. This
leaflet was printed by General Headquarters, Far East Command. The text is:
1. Safe Conduct Pass.0
2. Destroy or bury your weapons.
3. Simply walk out on a main road.
4. UN forces guarantee good treatment for Chinese Communist prisoners.
Leaflet 7062
This leaflet depicts
Chinese defectors holding surrender leaflets and exhorting their fellow
soldiers to join them. The same leaflet exists with Korean soldiers and a
Korean language text coded 1079. The theme of this leaflet is “Mass
surrenders.” With a statement that “Over 160,000 soldiers have come over to
the United Nations.” The leaflet was sponsored by the General Headquarters,
Far East Command, Psychological Warfare Branch.
Leaflet 7076
This 1951 1st Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet Group leaflet is in
the form of a four-panel cartoon, telling the enemy how to come over to the
South Korean and American forces. This same leaflet was printed in the
Korean language coded 1094.
Leaflet 7033
Curiously, the exact same leaflet was printed earlier, though coded
7033. The only difference was the safe conduct side was signed by MacArthur,
now replaced by Rigeway.
Leaflet 1049 – Korean Language
Some slight changes in images, perhaps due to differences in customs
The title of the leaflet is, METHODS OF
SURRENDER. There is a Safe conduct pass on back signed by General
Matthew Ridgway along with the instructions:
Follow the picture instructions on the reverse side to insure safe arrival
behind UN lines.
Food, medical care, and good treatment await you.
At the top right panel, a Chinese soldier reads a U.N. safe conduct
pass.
The second panel at bottom right shows the Chinese soldier
destroying his rifle and the text:
Destroy or Bury Your Weapons. Come Over the Open Roads Only
The top left panel depicts the Chinese soldier surrendering while
another helps a wounded comrade, with the text:
Hold Your Hands High over Your Head. Bring Your Wounded Brothers with You
The bottom left panel depicts the three POWs living happily in a
warm room and the text:
You will receive food, medical treatment, and humane treatment
Leaflet 7211
This leaflet shows a happy Chinese soldier and depicts the life of a smiling
prisoner of war on the front. The text is:
UN troops treat them good.
The back of the leaflet teaches the enemy soldier how to defect. There are five
cartoon panels and in the first he finds a leaflet dropped by a U.N. aircraft.
In the following four panels he awaits his chance and then defects. The text is:
Chose the Allies. The Allied safe conduct pass really moved me, causing me to
flee the terrible life in the Chinese communist army.
1. I was going to flee across the barbed wire, so I waited until dark.
2. I then lay concealed in a bomb crater alongside the road and waited until
daybreak.
3. At dawn I saw two allied soldiers, so I raised both hands up high, stood up
and shouted.
4. In the allied reception camp I am treated well.
Leaflet 7223
This leaflet is one of the few that uses a photograph as well as the cartoon
panels. On the front it depicts a Chinese soldier holding a leaflet surrendering
to a U.N. soldier. The text is:
You too can come over here to the Allied side and receive the Free World’s good
treatment and safety!
The back depicts five cartoon panels where the Chinese soldier follows the
leaflet instructions and waits until early in the morning to slip over to the
U.N. side. In Korean it says:
This is a leaflet directed at Chinese Communist soldiers; if you find it, please
pass it on to them.
The defector explains:
I hated the Communist Party and the war, so I decided to escape. This is the
story of my escape.
1. I manned a telephone at company headquarters, sending out sentries near the
front lines.
2. The sentries ordinarily changed shifts at 0400 in the morning. Early one
morning at 0300, the sentry squad phoned me asking for the time.
3. It clearly was only 0300, but I told them it was already 0400. Therefore, the
squad of sentries returned an hour early.
4. Taking advantage of the time that there were no sentries on the lookout, I
fled toward the Allied lines.
5. Just after daybreak I saw an Allied soldier, threw down my weapon, held both
hands up high and said “Hello!” The Allied soldier welcomed me, gave me some hot
food and brought me to a safe place.
Use your brain. You too can do the same and flee over here to the Allied side
and receive safety and good treatment.
Leaflet 8120
This 22 April
1951 leaflet was created by the Koreans coded KA E-15 and printed by the
Americans as 8120. It is a four-panel cartoon showing Korean troops being
ordered to pick up UN leaflets, deciding instead to use them to defect,
their commissar sees they are being treated well, and he defects holding a
leaflet too. The four captions are:
Ah Ha, United Nations Army Surrender leaflets.
Many soldiers are glad to surrender. The United Nations armies must
surely treat them well.
Yes, the United Nations armies guarantee the lives of surrendering
soldiers.
Surrendering is a smart idea.
The back of the
leaflet depicts a message and photograph from Lieutenant General Chung Il
Kwon. The text is:
Officers and
soldiers of the North Korean Army:
In accordance
with the provisions of international law you are ordered to give humane
treatment to any enemy soldiers desiring to cease fighting and especially to
furnish them with food and medical care.
Chung Il Kwon
Lieutenant
General
Commander in
Chief
Republic of
Korea Army
Leaflet 8126
This rather crude leaflet seems to have been prepared by the South
Korean Army and given the code K4. The Americans printed it for them with
the added code 8126. The front depicts a Communist guerrilla from the
Southwest, surrendering with a leaflet in hand. He is welcomed by another
guerrilla, now a POW who surrendered earlier and has been treated well. A
smiling Korean soldier is in the background. The back of the leaflet is a
safe conduct pass:
In accordance with the provisions of international law you are
ordered to give humane treatment to any enemy soldier desiring to cease
resistance and to do your best in furnishing food and medical care.
CHUNG IL KWON
Lieutenant General
Commander in Chief, ROKA
[Note] The same image with added text to the right was printed with
the American code 8121 and the Korean code KA-K-4. The back has the same
text as above, but a picture of the general has been added. The new text to
the right of the image is:
This partisan was smart to surrender. He washed his hands of the
life of a hunted wild animal and chose freedom. Now he is cared for by the
United Nations and Republic of Korea armies along with many of his former
comrades. He is receiving square meals, clean clothing, and good medical
care. Turn your weapons in immediately to the Republic of Korea or National
Police. Show this certificate and start a new life.
Leaflet 8146
This EUSAK leaflet was printed after American Intelligence (G2)
discovered that North Korean troops were forbidden to read UN leaflets. The
image is a Communist Cadre covering the eyes of a soldier so he cannot see a
leaflet. The text is:
The evil hands that
keep you from safety.
The back is all text:
Why are you not allowed to see the contents of US leaflets which
were dropped on you?
Is it because the Communists fear that you learn the truth and will
learn that thousands and thousands of your comrades have died for the
Communists.
Is it because the Communists fear that you will learn the truth and
realize that thousands of your comrades have come to the UN lines and they
are all receiving good treatment.
The reason you are not allowed to discuss UN leaflets is that the
Communists fear that there unmistakable sign of guilt will be disclosed.
Do not be oppressed any longer. Leave your unit at the first
opportunity. Come over to the UN lines on open roads. Come over to UN lines
with hands over heads.
Leaflet 8153
This leaflet targeted the V Corps of the North Korean Army. Map leaflets showing the way to defect had been dropped earlier. In this leaflet, four North Korean soldiers read a leaflet telling them of those that had surrendered earlier. The text on the front is:
FOLLOW THESE WISE COMRADES.
The text on the back is:
Acting platoon leader Hyuh Yong-hi, squad leader Huh Min-kuik, Private first-class Lee Hui-bok and Ro Ki-sup, former North Korean soldiers who followed the map sketch on a recent leaflet to safety. They are now receiving good food and good treatment regardless of rank or ideological belief. Friends, you too can save your life. Take the first opportunity to come to the United Nations lines.
Leaflet 8163
The Koreans worked closed with the Americans and prepared many leaflets. Often
their leaflets were printed by the Americans and therefore had both a Korean
code and an American code. This leaflet depicts North Korean guerrillas, one
holding a safe conduct pass, surrendering to a smiling National Policeman while
thinking of their death had they stayed in the mountains. The leaflet was
designed and printed by the Eighth Army Psychological Warfare Division G3 and
sent to the Home Minister of the Republic of Korea, Lee Soon Yong, for his
personal chop (signature). This same image and signature were used again on
leaflet 8173, which is identified as a modification of leaflet 8163. Three
paragraphs were added to the back of the second leaflet with the headings:
Partisans; Comrades; and Friends. Some of the text on leaflet 8163 is:
Come over to our side without fear! We will give you good treatment!
To the Republic of Korea National Police: The partisans with this leaflet desire
to cease resistance. Give them humane treatment in accordance with the
provisions of international law.
Lee Soon Yong
Home Minister
Republic of Korea
This same image and signature were used again on leaflet 8173,
which is identified as a modification of leaflet 8163. Three paragraphs were
added to the back of the second leaflet with the headings: Partisans;
Comrades; and Friends. Some of the text on leaflet 8173 is:
Partisans: We are working for a free, united, and peaceful Korea,
and welcome all who wish to join in this dedicated work.
Comrades: Sympathize with your dear parents who are suffering
because you are deceived by the empty promises and false propaganda of the
Communists. Think of how your family worries about the safety of your life,
and the hardships you endure in the hills.
Friends: When you decide to come to our side, we will not ask you
about your past. You will be treated as a friend who wishes to work for the
peace and rehabilitation of our fatherland.
The National Police are instructed to give you good treatment.
Leaflet 8193
This leaflet depicts a North Korean guerrilla reading a Propaganda leaflet. As
the American forces pushed the Communists back north, they left many guerrillas
behind to commit sabotage and assassinations. The Koreans constantly attacked
and fought these forces and produced propaganda to get them to surrender. One
such program was named “Rat Killer.” The leaflet was designed by the Korean Army
PSYWAR Section and printed by the Eighth Army Psychological Warfare Division G3
(Operations). The text on the front is:
The thought of dying senselessly as a traitor to our country and to our people
disturbs me. I must rejoin our people and do my best to help in the
rehabilitation of the Republic of Korea.
The text on the back is:
SAFE CONDUCT PASS
December 1951
The bearer of this certificate is determined to become a true
citizen of the Republic of Korea again. Therefore, I order the soldiers and
police of the Republic of Korea to guarantee his life and treat him well.
Lee Chong Chan
Major General ROKA
Chief of General Staff
I wish the local inhabitants to guide the bearer of this safe
conduct pass to the soldiers and police of the Republic of Korea or to the
prisoner of war camp.
Leaflet 8377
This leaflet was prepared by the 1st Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet Group as a
Surrender appeal aimed at “dissident elements in South Korea” on 13 December
1952 as part of “Plan Ratkiller.” The image depicts a ragged guerrilla,
certainly the worse for wear. His clothes are torn and patched. He holds this
leaflet over his head as a safe conduct pass and to his right is a large Red
Cross which obviously is a promise of good care, food, and medical treatment.
The short text on the front is:
When you come to police station to defect, carry the defection leaflet as shown.
Leave your weapon behind. Do not come in with your weapon in hand.
Leaflet 8561
A Chinese soldier has found a UN leaflet and has sat down to read it. A
political officer, knowing that the message might open the soldier’s eyes and
cause him to defect covers his eyes and grabs the leaflet. The text on the front
of the leaflet is:
The hands that keep you from safety
The text the back says in part:
Why are you not allowed to discuss the contents of UN leaflets?
Is it because the Communists fear that you will learn the truth and realize that
thousands and thousands of your comrades have died in a foreign land for the
Russian Communists?
Is it because the Communists fear that you will learn and realize that thousands
of your comrades have come to UN lines and that they ate all receiving good
treatment?
Suppression of leaflets is an unmistakable sign of guilt.
Do not be oppressed any longer. Come over to UN lines and safety
Major Albert C. Brauer mentioned this leaflet in an article titled Psychological
Warfare Korea 1951:
Intelligence reports indicated Communist officers and cadre were continuously
forbidding men to read UN leaflets. This leaflet was designed to counter this.
It was considered such a good leaflet by me and others that it was not tested on
POWs prior to dropping. Later a survey was conducted and to the question: What
does this leaflet mean to you, a large percentage of POWs answered, “If you read
leaflets your officers will punish you.” We stopped dropping it.
Leaflet 8600
This leaflet is designed for illiterates. The G3 called this a “Mute,” because
it bore images that could be read and understood without the use of a written
word. It depicts a Chinese soldier watching a UN plane fly overhead. The plane
drops a bomb which forces the soldier to flee. He finds himself in a snowstorm
with no way to get warm. Then a UN bomber flies overhead and drops thousands of
leaflets. The soldier looks at the pictures and immediately understands. He
defects to the UN and is last seen sitting in a warm room enjoying a cigarette
and a hot meal. There is a brief four stanza text on the back in the form of a
jingle. It says in part:
You suffer more when it snows,
You must hide yourself when you hear an airplane.
The strafing makes you shudder.
Friends, think it over!
You’ll find safety by coming over to the UN lines.
Decent food and good quarters are guaranteed.
Stoves are already installed here.
An Eighth United States Army Korea (EUSAK) officer said about these leaflets:
One problem we were confronted with was how to effectively reach the sometimes
large (80%) illiterate target audience. This so-called "Sad Sack" leaflet, named
after a popular G.I. comic character of WWII fame (Stars and Stripes) proved to
be the answer. Other leaflets in the same cartoon form were 8177, 8407, 8591,
8601, 8610, and 8907.
Leaflet 8177
Another nice
leaflet for Korean troops that cannot read, sometimes called by the U.S. a
"Mute" leaflet. Panel 1 shows a Communist hand pointing forward. Panel 2
shows a soldier running forward, and panel 3 shows his surprise when he runs
into a United Nations artillery barrage. In panels 4 and 5 a U.N. plane
flies overhead dropping surrender leaflets, and the soldier uses one to
cease resistance. In the final panel he sits and fills himself with rice
while an American sergeant shares smokes with him. This is an early leaflet
designed by the Eighth U.S. Army Korea G3 section (Operations). There is a
Chinese version coded 8591. There is a brief message on the back:
COME OVER
Stop fighting and come over to the United Nation’s forces
immediately! Don't die a foolish death!
If you just come over, you will be guaranteed life and treated
humanely.
COME OVER!
An Uncoded leaflet
This must have
been an early leaflet. In has no code and the back is blank. The UN leaflets
hardly ever sent a one-sided leaflet because that gave writing paper to the
enemy. The text depicts a Chinese solder given orders by the party, he is
sent into an artillery barrage, he breaks down and decides to commit
suicide, then the UN Air Force drops surrender leaflets on him, he makes the
decision to surrender, and he is taken to a warm place and fed. The text on each panel is:
Received party orders.
Heavy artillery fire.
Better to commit suicide.
Life-saving leaflets.
Surrendered to coalition forces.
Enjoy preferential treatment.
An Uncoded Korean War Test Leaflet
This leaflet was printed by the 1st Leaflet and Loudspeaker Company. I like it
because it shows psychological warfare in action. A family comes across aerial
leaflets dropped from United Nations aircraft. They read the text and are
reassured. This leaflet seems to have been part of an Operations Research Office
(ORO) John Hopkins University project. The Far East Command used these ORO
studies to evaluate how well they were doing in specific areas. In general, the
leaflets did not always hit the ground where they were aimed. In Vietnam the
entire subject was studied, new formulae were written and the leafleting became
much more accurate. Most of the Korean studies were done early in the war when
U.S. psychological warfare was in its infancy, so their conclusions are not
always accurate. 30,000 leaflets of the above leaflet were printed. The leaflet
bears no code number. The text on the front is:
You see the leaflet.
You pick up the leaflet.
You read the leaflet.
You keep the leaflet until someone comes to collect the leaflet.
Malaya
The Malayan
Emergency took place from 1948 to 1960 as the Malayan Communist Party
switched from an urban proletariat struggle to a rural armed revolution.
After WWII, the Communists sought to establish a Communist republic in
Malaya, drawing much of its support from the ethnic Chinese community. On 16
June 1948, after attacks on British plantation managers, the colonial
government declared a state of emergency, beginning the Malayan Emergency
(1948–1960). During the 12-year confrontation, the Malayan Communist Party
employed guerilla warfare tactics as part of its overall strategy to oust
the British from Malaya. There were no true battle lines so conventional
military tactics based on large-scale maneuver were not likely to succeed.
The British decided from the onset that the Emergency was essentially "a war
of political ideologies."
The British
countered with the Briggs Plan, relocating rural Chinese into "New Villages"
to cut off communist supply lines. High Commissioner Sir Gerald Templer
introduced a "hearts and minds" strategy, combining military action with
political reforms, such as granting citizenship to many Chinese and
expanding local elections. By the mid-1950s, the insurgents were
increasingly isolated. The Emergency was formally declared over on 31 July
1960, after Malaya had already achieved independence in 1957. It concluded
through military pressure, political reforms, and ultimately a peace
agreement signed in Hat Yai, Thailand, in 1989.
3716/HWPS/89
The 18 panels
of this British cartoon leaflet depict a guerrilla that wants to defect. It
shows his trials and tribulations as he seeks freedom from the Communists
and at the end, he is happy and among friends. In two panels, the fleeing
guerrilla holds a leaflet. The text is very busy and small, but my
translator was able to read it all. The text on the front is:
When is the best time to defect?
1) While using
the toilet or bathing
2) While on
guard duty or patrolling
3) While on
transport duty
4) While acting
as point man
5) While being
bombed or attacked
How should one
surrender?
1) First hide
your weapons
2) Seek help
from rubber tappers
3) Ask passing
vehicles for assistance
4) [Intercept?]
passing trains
5) Ask new
villagers for help
What to do if
one encounters security forces?
1) Stand and
wave your shirt
2) Wave your
shirt at military vehicles
3) You will
receive medical care
4) You will be
treated well
5) You will be
able to see your family and friends
Vietnam
1968 Military Assistance Command – Vietnam V PSYOP Guide
The cover depicts two Vietnamese in a restaurant reading Chieu Hoi Leaflets
There were thousands of different leaflets used during the decade
that the United States fought in Vietnam. They were produced first by
Special Forces, later by four PSYOP Companies. Then Four PSYOP Battalions
led by the 4th PSYOP Group, and by the Joint U.S. Public Affairs Office
(JUSPAO). There were numerous themes like Surrender passes, reward offers
for information and weapons, the Hoc Chi Minh Trail, North Vietnam, and even
the long peace talks. There were few leaflets that pictured other leaflets.
There is one exception, the Chieu Hoi (Open Arms) program wanted the
Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army troops to surrender and come to the
south in peace, and thus it was in their interest to depicts leaflet falling
from the sky or happy defectors (Hoi Chanhs) holding such leaflets as
they surrendered. There are about a dozen leaflets that fall into our field
of interest, I will depict just a few of them here.
A Nightmare Ended – Comic Book 2078 – Page 19
There were several small booklets published that mentioned Chieu
Hoi. A July 1967 20-page full-color comic book coded 2078 presents in
cartoon style the experiences and thoughts of a Hoi Chanh on the events
which led to his decision to rally. This Joint United States Public
Relations Office booklet is 5 x 7-inches in size and printed by the 7th
PSYOP Group. The comic book presents, in cartoon style, the experiences and
thoughts of a Hoi Chanh (defector or “rallier” from the Viet Cong) on the
events which led to his decision to Chieu Hoi (return to the National
Government). At the start of the book a happy young man is shown at school.
Later he decides to join the Viet Cong. He is attacked by Allied aircraft.
On page 19 we see leaflets being dropped. The text on page 19 is:
Ah! A Chieu Hoi leaflet...and a safe conduct pass at the same time
so we can return!
But Hien is not aware he was being watched day and night...
Huh! Hien, why do you keep this Chieu Hoi pass in your backpack?
Poor guy! Since then, nobody has seen or heard of Hien! Lucky for
me, I learned the lesson and was very cautious, otherwise I couldn't have
escaped!
The enlightened former Viet Cong guerrilla goes Chieu Hoi at the
end of the book and happily returned to his old school.
Diary of a Returnee – code 2169 – Page 5
This October 1967 JUSPAO booklet is coded 2169 It is a 20-page
booklet with 12 photographs describing the experiences of a Viet Cong
soldier from the time of his disillusionment to his return. On page 5 the
Guerrilla find an Allied propaganda leaflet and begins to believe that he
has made a mistake. The text is:
In a deserted jungle, my eyes lit up once I read this passage on a
leaflet: “The government
commits to forgive, to reward and to employ Viet Cong cadres and
soldiers who sincerely return to the Just Cause,” and the final passage,
“Soldiers, civilians and administrators at all levels are asked to
effectively help the bearer of this document to report."
This safe conduct leaflet has become a precious item which helped
me strengthen my belief on my path back to the Just Cause.
Leaflet 246-030-68
There were many native tribes like the Montagnards living in Vietnam. They
were persecuted and cared little for either the Vietnamese government or the
Viet Cong. They wanted to be left alone. The Americans saw them as an
opportunity. They could be helped with food, medicine, clothes, and weapons
and with Special Forces training would make a loyal ally in the fight
against Communism. But most could not read. How do you tempt them to join
your forces? This is a leaflet for the native tribes that says it all with
pictures. On both sides we see the native who has been drafted and forced
into service by the Viet Cong in a fire fight. On one side the wounded
native crawls back to the Viet Cong camp to be treated. He finds that the
communists have abandoned him, and he is left to die alone. On the other
side, he surrenders to the government or American forces holding a leaflet.
He is taken to a hospital where a doctor treats his wounds. Many of the
native tribes of Vietnam did become loyal allies of the American forces.
Leaflet CC-822D-70
We don’t know a whole lot about the CC leaflets. I have noticed that
most of them are on the theme of Chieu Hoi, so perhaps the leaflets were
produced by some part of that organization. This leaflet depicts a Viet Cong
fighter finding an Allied leaflet in the bush. The text on the front is:
The Government
of Vietnam always keeps the pledges it makes.
Since 1969,
68,500 communist cadre have rallied and enjoyed all the benefits promised on
the back side of this leaflet.
The back of the leaflet says:
1. The Hoi Chanh will be warmly received.
2. A subsistence allowance of $50 a day for each family member including
his wife and children.
3. Clothing valued at $1,000.
4. Pocket money of $300 a month.
5. Free medical care for him and his family.
6. Vocational training at the Chieu Hoi Center.
7. Resettlement allowance of $1,200.
8. A reward for weapons.
Australia in Vietnam
When Australian troops first got to Vietnam they had
no PSYOP equipment and used American PSYOP units to print their leaflets and
posters. Later, as their equipment arrived and they became more expert they
began printing their own leaflets. The next two items were printed by the
Australian 1st PSYOP Unit.
Australian Leaflet ATF–112–71
An unknown number of leaflet 112 were produced in
June 1971 and dropped on the enemy by aircraft. The front depicts some
former Viet Cong who have returned home and seem very happy. The text is:
Return to your home. Return to the Republic of Vietnam.
Rejoin your family and live a peaceful life.
The back of the leaflet depicts several Viet Cong
fighters finding Chieu Hoi leaflets in the bush. They read the message, and
rally to the Government of Vietnam immediately going Hoi Chanh.
The text on the leaflet held by the Viet Cong
fighter is:
Come back to your family!
Australian Leaflet ATF–113–71
Leaflet 113 is like 112. The front depicts a
Vietnamese family happily working their farm. The text on the front is:
RETURN TO THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM.
Return to your loved ones and live a meaningful life.
The back of the leaflet depicts four panels showing
a VC trying to grow some food in the bush, he finds a Chieu Hoi leaflet, he
immediately surrenders to an Army of Vietnam soldier, and in the last
picture he has returned home to his family. There is no text and the leaflet
can be understood even by those Viet Cong who can not read.
MACV Chieu Hoi 1969 Information Pamphlet Back
The 1969 pamphlet gives a count of the enemy that has come over to
the Republic of Vietnam side:
45,259 rallied to the government in 1967 and 1968. Of these, 29,276
were armed military Viet Cong/NVA. That is the same as 95 enemy infantry
battalions. If we had been forced to eliminate those 29,276 on the
battlefield, it would have cost us and our allies about 6000 dead. Under
Chieu Hoi we got those 29,276 over to our side without taking casualties.
Chieu Hoi Cartoon - 6th PSYOP Battalion Psy Observer - 10 January
1968
Chieu Hoi or Die
Michael R. Crook - 1967
Vietnam Combat Artist Program
U.S. Army Center for Military History
A Viet Cong Leaflet
Surprise leaflet
0521
An American mother by the coffin of her dead son is a common sight
on Korean War Communist leaflets. I was looking through my folder of Vietnam
War leaflets and I see this one and immediately thought, "how did this end
up in the wrong folder? That is obviously a Korean War leaflet." Then I
turned it over and find a message from the South Vietnam National Liberation
front. Son of a gun. The Viet Cong copied a Korean War Communist leaflet on
one side and then put their own message on the back. That is a first for me.
This leaflet was captured early in the war in 1964 and filed as VC.73.
PSYOP Plays the Jodie Card
The above Phil Fehrenbacher cartoon depicts a lonely Viet Cong
reading an American propaganda leaflet telling him that his neighbor Nguyen
is in the sack with his girlfriend. This is a great parody of a standard
Chieu Hoi leaflet. Phil was assigned as an 81E Illustrator assigned to 6th
PSYOP Battalion at Bien Hoa but landed in Vietnam during Tet 1968. He ended
up for 14 months in the 519th military Information Operations/Intelligence
section where he was awarded a 96B MOS and promoted to staff sergeant, and
the last 8 months was with the Combined Document Exploitation Center,
Saigon. He told me:
My cartoons about a tour of duty in Vietnam has been something I’ve
wanted to do for many years, but only realized the opportunity two years
ago. I self-published my book "In-Country" in early 2017.
[Note] Among American soldiers, “Jody” appears in many marching
cadences and songs. He is the one who stayed home and is having fun with
your girlfriend:
Ain’t no use in calling home
Jody’s got your girl and gone
Ain’t no use in feeling blue
Jody’s got your sister to
7th PSYOP Group
Exhibition Leaflets
I found these two leaflets in one old 7th Group file from their HQ
on Okinawa. They come in two colors, on white or green paper, and in two
sizes, 8.5 x 3, and the more standard 6 x 3-inches. One depicts a standard
U.S. Army 0-1 Bird Dog aircraft dropping leaflets. There is no text on the
front. The text on the back of the top leaflet is in Japanese, so could have
been used by the Japanese section in Japan or by the Group in Okinawa. Both
leaflets have the same general text with only a slight difference in the
opening. There was apparently a military exhibition, and these leaflets were
meant to show the people the products PSYOP can produce. The text is:
Welcome everyone to the Harding training area. This same type of
leaflet is being used all over the world. We can choose the size and
dimensions, and weight as fits the situation and area being targeted. This
leaflet shows how far “Leaflet operations” have progressed. Currently the
airdropping of leaflets has become a science. The members of the
“Psychological Warfare Unit” are miles away but can deliver this leaflet
with ease.
The second is more of a cartoon style aircraft with a smile, eyes,
and dropping leaflets from the hands at the end of its wing. It seems aimed
at children. The bottom leaflet text is Chinese. The 7th PSYOP Group had a
section in Taiwan and trained selected Chinese PSYOP troops there, so we it
might have been used there, or perhaps there were Chinese speakers at an
exhibition on Okinawa. The text is:
To our honored visitors,
Welcome everyone to the Harding training area. This same type of
leaflet is being used all over the world. We can choose the size,
dimensions, and weight as fits the situation and area being targeted. This
leaflet shows how far “Leaflet operations” have progressed. Currently the
airdropping of leaflets has become a science. The members of the
“Psychological Warfare Unit” are miles away but can deliver this leaflet
with ease.
