When one studies early American psychological operations (PSYOP) campaigns we
constantly find that one of the complaints is that the personnel was usually drafted or
assigned from another specialty such as infantry, armor or artillery. The problem has been
met head-on today with American PSYOP troops trained in specialty schools at Fort Bragg,
North Carolina, and having their own military occupational specialty (MOS) code. It was
much more haphazard in WWII and Korea.
In this article we will look back six decades and study the career of one
“Psywarrior” who started out as an U.S. Army infantry officer and later
requested and was assigned to a PSYOP unit during the Korean War. His son has been kind
enough to send me a collection of his wartime orders and documents and we have put this
story together from reading the orders and personal correspondence.
Lieutenant Murray Jack Litin
Murray Jack Litin was born in the Bronx, New York, on 21 March 1928. He
graduated from Freeport High School on Long Island and later earned a Bachelor of Science
degree from Syracuse University. He did two years in the U.S. Army as a medic from 1945 to
1947, achieved the rank of Private First Class, and then returned home to several civilian
jobs in various retail firms while he completed his schooling. During his university time
he spent two years in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and did six weeks
of field training during his summer vacation. On 28 January 1951 he was appointed an
infantry 2nd Lieutenant in the Officers’ Reserve Corps “by direction of the
President.”Murray had achieved the exalted rank of “Butter Bar.” In
February he was attached to the 305th Infantry Regiment of the 77th (Reserve) Infantry
Division. They met on 42nd Street in New York City, just a bit west of Times Square.
On 18 April 1951 he was recalled to active duty. He was to report to Fort Jay
on Governor’s Island for physical examination. I assume they were going to shoot him
up with a dozen vaccines for overseas duty because the orders say; “Officers will be
hospitalized if necessary from one to three days.” On 30 April Litin received an
extract explaining that he could be activated for twenty-one months. He was assigned to
the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Dix, New Jersey. This call-up in time of national
emergency was quite common at that time and I remember many old Reservists telling me
‘Never go into the Reserves kid…I did it after WWII and they called me back for
three miserable years during the Korean War.”
Artists at work Designing a Propaganda leaflet
On 5 June 1951, Litin requested an assignment in Psychological Warfare
(PSYWAR). The Department of the Army informed him that there was no need for additional
personnel at the moment but his request would be retained. They advised him to read
Training Circular 17, The Military Aspects of Psychological Warfare. They also
appear to have sent him the PSYWAR Officer Course curriculum, 317 hours that included:
Journalism, Radio, Advertising, Publishing, Public relations, International Relations,
Diplomatic Service, United States Army Staff and other subject allied to political or
psychological warfare. They state that WWII experience in PSYWAR, or service with the
Office of War Information or Office of Strategic Services is desirable, as is fluency in
one or more foreign languages.
In October 1951, Lt. Litin requested an assignment to the Counter Intelligence
Corps at Fort Holabird, Maryland. He points out that he has a clean record, has an
anticipated 18 months to serve, had served in the German prisoner of war camp at Fort
DuPont, Delaware, during his first tour, and had completed a voluntary extra-curricular
course in intelligence training for ROTC students sponsored by the G-2 (Intelligence),
First Army. His request was denied by First Army who pointed out that he just had a few
months in the infantry and should have at least one year’s experience before
requesting a transfer. At that time Litin was assigned to the 526th Replacement Company at
Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, as an assistant to the commander. “Repo Depots”
normally are holding companies where troops wait before being assigned a permanent
position. For instance, Litin was in charge of transferring a group of enlisted soldiers
to Fort Gordon, Georgia, on 6 November. I suspect that the young lieutenant hated the job.
On 13 November 1951 he was assigned to the 9th Infantry Division.
Adding the Text to a Propaganda Leaflet
In January 1952, Lt. Litin was recommended for promotion. At that time he was a
platoon leader and weapons instructor at Ft. Dix, New Jersey, assigned to Company K of the
47th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division. Since only six months had passed
since his recall to active duty, no action was taken on the request. In February Litin
passed a course in “Training in Military Justice Matters.”
In March 1952, Lt. Litin received orders to attend the three-month officers
Infantry Course at Fort Benning, Georgia (often called the “Benning School for
Boys” by the old soldiers). The Infantry School would teach the young lieutenant the
finer points of his trade. Litin graduates and clears the base on 25 June. He then
receives orders for the Third Army 6th Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet Group at Fort Bragg,
North Carolina. He probably got his enthusiasm for propaganda there. While at Bragg he is
assigned to special duty with the 10th Special Forces Group. I notice that Colonel Aaron
Banks is on the same order, assigned as the Executive Officer of the PSYWAR Center. Aaron
Banks is considered by many to be the “father” of the United States Army Special
Forces.
Hot off the Presses – Inspecting the Day’s Work
In July 1952, Litin was assigned to the twelve-week PSYWAR Officer’s
Course. His orders state that he will report to the Commander of the PSYWAR Center after
graduation for assignment. He graduates and is promptly assigned to the 2nd Loudspeaker
and Leaflet Company of the 6th Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet Group at Fort Bragg.
On 22 November 1952, Litin is assigned to the 6217th Replacement Battalion at Fort
Lawton, Washington. He also accepts the appointment of a Reserve Army officer for an
indefinite term. Litin is then assigned to the 3rd Reproduction Company, APO 503, of the
1st Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet Group, 8239th Army Unit, APO 500. He has finally
reached the war. His assignment appears on Special Order 353, dated 18 December 1952. On
22 December 1952 his new unit reports that he has arrived.
The recruitment of staff for the first PSYOP Group to be deployed to Korea is
mentioned in a reunion book entitled Psychological Warfare in Korea - 1952 Life and
Times of the First Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet Group - 50 years Later, Klein,
Herguth and McConaughey, RHP Books, 2002:
The Army, to find enlisted men for jobs that required a university degree, set up
a special classification and assignment unit at Ft. Myer, in Arlington, Virginia. Towards
the end of 1950, orders went out to send all draftees with college degrees to Ft. Myer
after they finished basic training to be interviewed for possible special assignments. It
was through this process that draftees with experience in journalism, radio, advertising
and graphic arts found themselves in the 1st RB&L Group.
The unit was formed in Ft. Riley Kansas. It was created by Fifth Army General Order
#176, April 1951. The first commander was Lieutenant Colonel Homer E. Shields, former
Chief of Psywar section of the Sixth Army Group, and later Executive Officer to General
McClure, head of the Psychological Warfare Division, Supreme Headquarters, Allied
Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). General McClure personally selected Shields for this post.
The Group arrived in Tokyo, Japan, on 6 August 1951. They were headquartered on the
6th floor of Empire House. The enlisted personnel were quartered in the Japanese Government
Finance Building on B Avenue in the heart of Tokyo. The Officers were billeted in
Officer's Clubs around Tokyo.
The group consisted of three companies. Paul Linebarger discusses them in Psychological
Warfare, Combat Forces Press, Washington DC, 1954. He says:
The Headquarters and Headquarters Company contained the command,
administrative, supervisory and creative personnel necessary for propaganda operations.
The 3rd Reproduction Company contained intricate equipment and skilled personnel capable
of producing leaflets and newspapers of varying sizes and multiple color. The 4th Mobile
Radio Broadcasting Company was designed to replace or augment other means of broadcasting
radio propaganda.
Stephen E. Pease mentions the unit in his Psywar
– Psychological Warfare in Korea 1950-1953, Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, Pa,
1992:
Upon its arrival in the Far East, the 1st RB&L Group assumed operation of the
Voice of the UN Command (VUNC), a propaganda radio station in Japan that had begun
broadcasting to Korea on 29 June 1950…When the unit arrived in Japan in August 1951,
it was still inexperienced in the aspects of PSYWAR. The training they received in Korean
customs, language, and social details was also inadequate for the job. The early emphasis
was on quantity, not quality. Later, Korean nationals helped in the design and targeting
of the materials. By 1952, the 1st RB&L Group could produce leaflets in 16 languages
and dialects.
United States Army Captain Jeremy S. Mushtare mentions the 1st RB&L Group in his
2005 Naval Post Graduate school thesis PSYOP in Stabilization and Reconstruction
Operations: Preparing for Korean Reunification:
The Group was tasked with three primary U.S. psychological warfare objectives to
fulfill during the war. The first was to weaken the enemy’s will to fight. The second
PSYWAR objective was to ideologically defuse communism by undermining the enemy’s
propaganda with the introduction of truth into all of its messages. The final objective
was to reinforce Republic of Korea morale…In its disseminated messages to the
communist target audiences, whether through loudspeaker, leaflet, or radio broadcast,
themes that were stressed included: surrender to receive better treatment; surrender and
live to see the end of the war; the superiority of UN firepower; and inevitability of
defeat of the communist forces.
The 3rd Reproduction Company at work in Japan
National Archives
The Printing of leaflets was the responsibility of the 3rd Reproduction Company
of the 1st RB&L Group. Leaflets were prepared at the Far East Command Printing and Publication
Center outside Yokohama near a railroad station called Motosumiyoshi. About 250
Americans and 900 Japanese civilian employees worked in the Center. After the leaflets
were printed and cut they were rolled and placed inside leaflet bombs by the 3rd
Reproduction Company troops. They were then delivered to Tachikawa Air Base to the
planes that dropped them on the Chinese or North Korean troops. From August to September
1951 the Group produced about 13 million leaflets a week. By December 1951 the
50-millionth leaflet was produced. Meanwhile, in Korea, the leaflet missions were planned
and organized by the Operations Officer, Kimpo Air Base, Seoul.
Leaflet 1285
In February 1953, 2nd Lieutenant Litin, now Commander of the 3rd Reproduction
Company, received a letter of commendation from his commander:
It is a distinct pleasure for me to commend you for the fine work done in
connection with the printing and processing of leaflet 1285.
Despite obstacles of a very trying nature and disruption of normal plant
operations you successfully completed a high priority job exhibiting imitative, tenacity,
resourcefulness and a high degree of professional capability and pride in the job to be
done…
This leaflet is interesting because apparently it was a high-priority rush job.
Telling Koreans to stay off the roads and flee to the hills does not seem to be a
priority. Asking them to help pilots is noble, but not a priority. So, we can assume that
it was the partisan message that was important. What do we know about Allied partisans
operating behind the lines in North Korea?
The U.S. Army and the CIA bitterly fought for control of clandestine action in North
Korea, and eventually agreed to form Combined Command Reconnaissance Activities, Korea
(CCRAK). This was a cover name for a classified designation, Covert, Clandestine, and
Related Activities – Korea, which was intended to be a joint army and CIA
operation with the CIA in overall charge, and with the Air Force and Navy supporting the
execution of missions. By January 1952, when CCRAK was activated, actual control ended up
with the Army’s Far Eastern Command Intelligence Section. The CIA promptly formed a
new unit, Joint Advisory Commission - Korea (JACK), nominally under CCRAK but in
reality operating independently from Yong Do Island, connected by a rugged isthmus
to Pusan. This smoldering distrust continued throughout the Korean War.
Leaflet 1249
This leaflet also uses the theme of partisans. Leaflets 1249 and 1250 are almost
identical with just a change in color and a minor change in the wording. This leaflet
depicts farmers aiding the partisans fight the Communists. The leaflet was printed on 1
December 1952 as part of Plan 52/19 designed to induce the farmers to assist the
partisans. The leaflet depicts a South Korean patriot aiming a rifle at a terrified
Communist. The back depicts farmers telling the guerrillas of Communist movement and
partisans attacking a Communist supply train. Text on the front is:
Farmers of Hwang Hao-Do
The partisan is fighting for your liberation from Communist
aggression.
Text on the back is:
Farmers of Hwang Hao-Do
Protect the partisan and he will protect you.
Litin seems to have fitted in well with his new unit and was assigned a number
of additional duties, what we used to call “onion skins” because they were
usually the seventh or eighth carbon copy of an order typed on very thin paper and almost
unreadable. Some of his additional duties were; Unit Fund Custodian, Unit Fund Council,
Printing Officer, and Reproduction Officer.
The Unit’s Harris Printing Press
In February 1953, Litin was awarded the MOS of PSYWAR Officer (9305) and
promoted to 1st Lieutenant. Two months later his primary MOS was changed to Printing
Officer (4360). He requested that his tour in Korea by extended. He said:
I am particularly anxious to continue in my present assignment as Company
Commander and as a reproduction officer as the undersigned is convinced that he is
now gaining a unique knowledgeand experience of great value personally to my use in the
service. My present assignment not only includes the responsibility of Company Commander
but also military printing plant duties, and is providing me with a wealth of knowledge in
the field of personnel management, production control, scheduling, and printing plant
operation.
It is my earnest desire to remain in my present assignment in order to carry
on through the period in which the parts played by psychological warfare and the 3rd
Reproduction Company are increasing. I feel that my technical knowledge can best be
utilized in my current assignment and will be more benefit to the service under the
present conditions existing in this theater.
LEAFLETS FROM THE 1ST RB&L GROUP
Although I have several articles on the Korean War on this website, I will show
a few items here that Murray Litin brought home. It would be nice to think that he helped
in the design, printing or production of these leaflets. I have selected one or two of the
more colorful leaflets from different psychological warfare campaigns.
Leaflet 1171-A
The first leaflet we depict from the Group was printed 28 April 1952 as part of Plan
Hold-Up to show the people that the Communist promise of the good life was false. I chose
this one because of the image, North Korean soldiers marching into the mouth of a
poisonous snake whose body trails back to the Kremlin in Moscow. The text on the banner
and snake’s body is:
North Korean People’s Government
Communism
Some of the text on the back is:
Korean soldiers:
To the Korean people and to the Free World the Communists constantly shout:
“We are helping the Korean people and we are raising their standard of living!”
The Communists have refused to allow the International Red Cross to bring
desperately needed aid to your suffering families.
The Communists have ruined your families and sold your country to
Soviet Russia!
The Communists are masters of deception!
Leaflet 1172
This leaflet was printed on 5 May 1952 as part of Plan Hold-Up to show Korean
civilians that the UN wants peace, unification and reconciliation in Korea. The front
depicts UN clothes for the needy, health and recreation for youth, uniting broken families
and building homes for the homeless. Some of the text is:
Life is Best under the U.N. Flag
While the UN Builds – the Communists Destroy.
The UN – Champions of Peace! Defenders of Freedom!
The main purpose of the United Nations is to maintain peace throughout the
world. The UN has achieved peaceful settlement of differences in Kashmir, Palestine and Indonesia.
Look around – your sons lost to the ruthless Communist army, your crops
and individual freedom lost forever. This is only the beginning of your suffering under
Communist dictatorship. Join the people of the free world along with your friends. Resist
the Communists and build a free and independent Korea.
Leaflet 7149
This leaflet was printed on 28 April 1952 for as part of Plan Hold-Up for Chinese
troops in Korea and that is why it is in the 7000 series instead of the 1000 series. I
chose it because of the image which depicts a monster with fangs who wears the mask of a
friendly Josef Stalin. The title is:
Communists – Masters of Deceit
Text on the back says in part:
Chinese Communist leaders constantly shout their slogan: “Protect families
and defend the nation!”
But quietly the Chinese Communists have let in Soviet Russians to enslave China.
The heavy industry of Northeast China and the food of China have been moved out by the
“big noses.” The Soviet Russians have dispatched “advisors” to occupy
all the key cities of China and have sent secret agents to control both central and local
governments.
The Communists have ruined your families and sold your country!
The Communists are masters of deception!
Leaflet 1175
This leaflet was prepared as part of Plan Invader on 9 June 1952. to convince
the target audience that the war could have been over long ago except for the
Communists’ long range plan for world conquest. The leaflet depicts Communist leaders
gleefully applying the torch of aggression to Korea and its people. Some of the text on
the back is:
Examine these facts that Tell the Truth About the Korean War
You know for a fact that two years ago on 25 June 1950 the North Korean
Communists ruthlessly attacked the peaceful republic of Korea.
You know for a fact that the war was nearly over in mid-November 1950 when
Communist China invaded Korea.
You know for a fact that the Communists have consistently blocked efforts to
conclude an armistice…
This leaflet also exists with Chinese text coded 7152.
Leaflet 1191
This leaflet was printed on 25 June 1952 as part of Plan Fraud, to show that
the North Korean Communist regime is corrupt and incompetent. The front depicts Russian
and Chinese officials toasting each other while a North Korean woman and her children go
hungry. Some of the text on the front and back is:
COMMUNISM MEANS CORRUPTION
Communism breeds corruption, inefficient and incompetent leaders. The facts
show this is true.
North Korean Communist officials stuff their purses through bribery and
theft of public funds. The exorbitant taxes and forced contributions extracted from the
people never become guns, food and medical supplies for North Korean soldiers. Money goes
instead into bulging pockets of the Communists…
Leaflet 1195
This leaflet was printed on 8 July 1952 as part of Plan Fraud to show that Communism
has deprived everyone of their individual freedoms. The image depicts a Korean elder being
muffled by a green monstrous object with a hammer and sickle where the face should be. The
title is:
Communist hands take your freedom.
The back is all text and says in part:
Communist hands clamp your mouth shut. You cannot speak out against your
Communist bosses.
Communist hands chain you to your jobs. You cannot choose where or how long you
must work.
Escape the hands that kill freedom!
Oppose Communism: Resist Russia
Birth of leaflet 1195 on the Printing Press
The Leaflets are cut to size for Air-Dropping
The Leaflets are loaded into Propaganda Bombs
British researcher Lee Richards found a number of official U.S. Army photographs
showing the development of this leaflet. It is rare to find a sequence like this.
Leaflet 1226
This leaflet was printed on 3 October 1952 as part of Plan Fraud. I chose it because
of the image, which shows Josef Stalin replacing Buddha in a temple. A hammer and sickle
is on his chest and he holds a knife and a fork. One wonders if our propagandists forgot
that they Koreans eat with chop sticks. A figure labeled “Kim il Sung”
sacrifices “North Korea” and “the People” to the alter while behind
Stalin’s head the word “Communism” is carved. Text down the left side is:
You are being Deceived
The back is all text and says in part:
Why must your leaders bow to Russian masters?
Because in their own greed they have sold themselves to a foreign power.
Because they have sold your soldiers to the Communists as cannon fodder to be
wasted for Communist gain...
North Koreans – You are being deceived – Be alert –
Resist Communist slavery
Leaflet 1215
This leaflet was prepared on 20 September 1952 as part of Plan Good Fellow,
depicting the good treatment that prisoners of War received from the United Nations. There
are three photographs on both the front and back showing North Korean POWs taking part in
sporting or entertainment activities. Some of the text is:
Dear People of North Korea,
I am sending this message to my family, friends and countrymen so you will
know about my life in a UN POW camp in the Republic of Korea. My comrades and I are safe,
well cared for and happy. We enjoy ourselves in many ways.
We spend much time in sports.
We often get together and sing.
Sometimes we play chess.
Leaflet 1279*
This leaflet simply offers the North Korean soldier survival. Once again, the
asterisk after the number means the leaflet was requested by EUSAK. In this black and
white production a blanketed Korean soldier sits alone in icy wind and snow. The title of
the leaflet is “Cold?” The leaflet was printed on 4 February 1953. The text on
the front is:
Do you want to perish?
The back is all text, white characters on a black background:
To save your life, escape to the United Nations or to the rear
NOW!
TOMORROW MAY BE TOO LATE!
Leaflet 7007
Because this leaflet has no vignette, I would usually not depict it. However, it is
interesting because it comes directly from Far East Command and it is a call by General
MacArthur for the Communists to surrender. The leaflet is in the form of a
standard letter with heading, body, and signature block. The text is in Korean on one side and
English on the other. It is undated. The old MacArthur arrogance shows through in the
demand for surrender. Some of the text is:
GENERAL HEADQUARTERS
UNITED NATIONS COMMAND
OFFICE OF THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF
To: The Commander-in-Chief of the North Korean Forces,
The early and total defeat and complete destruction of your armed forces and war
making potential is now inevitable...I, as the United Nations Commander-in-Chief, call
upon you and the forces under your command, in whatever part of Korea situated, forthwith
to lay down your arms and cease hostilities under such military supervision as I may
direct -
and I call upon you at once to liberate all United Nations prisoners-of-war
and civilian internees under your control and to make adequate provision for
their protection, care, and maintenance and immediate transportation to such
places as I might indicate…
I shall anticipate your early decision upon this opportunity to avoid the further
useless shedding of blood and destruction of property.
DOUGLAS MacARTHUR
General of the Army,
United Nations Forces
Leaflet 7200*
This leaflet was requested by the Eighth U.S. Army Korea in October 1952. The
front of the leaflet has six panels that show a successful escape from the Communist
forces. The back tells of an escape at night. Some of the text is:
WE ESCAPED DEATH
Read this actual account of a Communist Chinese Forces squad leader who not
only saved his own life but the lives of his men as well. This account will show you how
you too can escape death.
Most of my men were slaughtered. The rest were very tired. Why must my
comrades die? For what?
Then came the order for my tired squad to return to the battle. I protested
and was threatened with punishment.
My men fight? They have had enough of this hopeless futile war.
I realized how wrong I was to have joined the Communists. How wrong I was to
have led these men into battle. I called them together. “Where are we going?”
they asked.” To Safety,” I replied.
We managed to move near the UN lines and waited until dawn. Two of us had
saved UN “Safe Conduct” leaflets.
Displaying our leaflets, my men and I approached a UN soldier. Why
couldn’t we have done this sooner?
Leaflet 8421
The U.S. Eighth Army Korea (EUSAK) printed this leaflet on 9 April 1953. I added it
because I thought the deep blue color was impressive. It shows a North Korean soldier
standing to accept criticism from his Communist leader. The text is:
Criticism and Self-Criticism is mental Torture!
You Suffer from Unbearable Loss of Face!
Blame the Communists!
Self-criticism is one of the key tenets of the Communist guerrilla philosophy. An
example came to light a decade later during the Viet Nam War when the Viet Cong Oath of
Honor stated:
I swear to indulge in self-criticism…
Self-criticism was a way for the Communist cadre to mold and lead the soldiers using
peer pressure to make them conform. However, it is clear that soldiers taking part in
self-criticism were not happy. It was said that they would rather be beaten then suffer
the loss of face of being berated before their comrades.
Leaflet 8716
I added this leaflet, printed on 16 January 1953 by the U.S. Eighth Army, because it
is part of Plan Divide, designed to foster dissention between the Chinese and the
Russians. It depicts Russian Premier Josef Stalin on the front and the text:
WARRIORS OF THE CHINESE COMMUNIST FORCES
BEHOLD THE MURDEROUS SYMBOL AND CRAFTY FACE OF YOUR BETRAYER!
The back depicts dead Chinese in the snow and some of the following text:
Warriors of the Chinese Communist Forces!
Look about you! Many of your comrades are gone, killed in useless attacks.
Why?
Because Stalin and the Russian Communists have forced you into this war. Because
they care nothing for dead Chinese soldiers…
Leaflet Newspaper 2129
There was one leaflet newspaper in the material that Litin brought back. It is a
copy of the weekly Free World Weekly Digest for 8 April 1953. This paper was
dropped regularly on North Korean civilians and the North Korean Army and contained
photographs, cartoons and various news stories. The above newspaper is issue number 108.
On 29 April 1953, Lieutenant Litin received orders to return home. The Army was
ready to send him back to civilian life. The North Korean Communists had returned to the Panmunjom
peace talks three days earlier and it looked like the war might be over. In fact, fighting
flared up again and it was July before the war was actually over. I should point out that
no peace treaty has ever been signed so technically theUnited States is still at war with North
Korea. At the same time, Congress never officially declared war so the whole flare up was
usually called a “Police Action” doing the shooting phase of what I personally
believe meets all the qualification for a “war.” The bottom line is, Murray was
coming home. He cleared his base on 1 May 1953 and was sent to the Camp Drake Replacement
Depot to await his paperwork.
He was to return to the continental United States and report to Camp Stoneman, California.
Orders dated 2 June 1953 send Litin back to Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, for release from
active duty. His orders show that he sailed on the USNS General Randall from Yokohama, Japan
with the destination of San Francisco, California. His orders show that he was leaving the
3rd Reproduction Company (8239 Army Unit).
1st Lieutenant Murray Litin kept involved in the Army after his second tour. He
was called up for annual active duty training (ADT) in August 1957. At that time he was
assigned to the 354th Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet Battalion in the Bronx, New York with
Headquarters at 529 West 42nd Street, New York City. Other orders show during the time he
was with the 354th he acted as Propaganda Platoon Leader, Chief of the Printed media
Section, and Battalion S4 (Supply).
Murray Litin was promoted to the rank of Captain while a member of the United States
Army Reserves. His awards and decorations include the World War Two Victory Medal, the
National Defense Service Medal, The Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal
(Korea), the Korean War Service Medal and a Korean Presidential Unit Citation.
I have a series of lesson plans that he prepared in 1956 to teach his men the finer
points of PSYOP. One class on his old Reproduction Company goes into great depth but I
will just quote a few lines:
The Reproduction Company of the Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet group is
responsible for the reproduction of leaflets and other printed material in support of
Group operations. It supports not only strategic but tactical propaganda operations. It
prints both strategic leaflets and air-drop newspapers for air delivery and tactical
leaflets which are sent to the front lines for artillery delivery.
The Reproduction Company consists of three officers and fifty-four enlisted men.
The Company has two components. Company Headquarters, which consists of two officers and
five enlisted men. Reproduction Platoon, which consists of one officer and forty nine
enlisted men and is broken down into four sections; Platoon Headquarters, Camera and Plate
Section, Press Section and Processing Section.
The Reproduction Company is stationary and only moves when Headquarters moves.
The Reproduction Platoon operates in the field, setting up and operating its presses and
other equipment in vehicles.
Murray Litin passed away in July, 2003. He was survived by his wife, Estelle Litin;
a son, Dr. Russell Litin; a daughter, Lisa Litin Kruger; and four grandchildren.
This is just a short article I wrote to honor Lieutenant Murray Litin whose son
had his papers but wondered what they all meant. Russ Litin said to me, “Looking at
this stuff makes me wish I had asked my father about his service while he was alive.”
To Russ the pile of flaking orders and documents in military terminology were
incomprehensible. I looked at them and saw clear as a bell the entire military history of
a man. It was like looking at a soldier’s chest full of badges and ribbons
immediately knowing where he had been and what he had done. It is a “soldier”
thing. It was a great pleasure to put it together and write this story.
Comments are encouraged. Please contact the author
at Sgmbert@hotmail.com..
End 23 May 2009
