We have already seen samples of the US/South Vietnamese propaganda campaigns.  The North Vietnamese had their own propaganda program.  The pictures below are scans of leaflets I found while out 'in the boonies'.  Let's take a look at these...  and then I'll give you my views.


These leaflets were obviously intended for US soldiers.  The leaflet poses some of the same questions that we asked ourselves.   Even today -- thirty years later -- many of us are still searching for answers to these questions.

sfpropb1.jpg (29206 bytes) sfpropb2.jpg (32500 bytes)

As you can see, the leaflet advises the US soldiers to "Refuse to fight!".   It warns the GI's to get out of Viet Nam before it is too late. 


"Our resounding victories!"

The leaflet below was large.  Its eight pages were folded 'accordian-style'.   The actual dimensions of the folded leaflet are about 5 1/2 inches high by 3 1/2 inches wide.  The scans vary in size due to differences in my processing of the pictures.  The format for displaying the pages is

Page 1 Page 2
Page 3 Page 4
Page 5 Page 6
Page 7 Page 8

 

sfpropapg1.jpg (48025 bytes) sfpropapg2.jpg (69720 bytes)

 

sfpropapg3.jpg (75385 bytes) sfpropapg4.jpg (73548 bytes)

 

sfpropapg5.jpg (61771 bytes) sfpropapg6.jpg (77108 bytes)

 

sfpropapg7.jpg (58221 bytes) Webmaster's note:  This is a scan of the last page of the propaganda leaflet.  This scan has been rotated 90 degrees to facilitate viewing.

sfpropApglast.JPG (42054 bytes)


So what do I think?

I think that the VC and NVA soldiers were a lot like us.  No... we did not like the war either.  We knew that when you die, you are dead for a very long time.  Even if the claims in the VC leaflet above were true, would that have changed my mind?  Would I come up to the Captain one morning and said: "Okay, I'm done.  I refuse to fight.  I demand to go home."   Good soldiers are 'married' to the military.  'For better or for worse...'   'In sickness and in health...'  Walk away?  Nah...  wouldn't think of it.  There is no honor in that course of action.  Perhaps that is why we had only marginal success with our propaganda programs.  Perhaps the other soldiers were, in many ways, just like us.