PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS
COMMAND & CONTROL
IN VIETNAM

In late 1965, a small unit of the Okinawa-based 7th PSYOP Group arrived in Saigon. By early 1966, Army psychological operations were being carried out by the 6th PSYOP Battalion stationed in Saigon.

In July 1965, the 24th PSYOP Detachment was formed from personnel of the 1st and 13th PSYOP Battalion assigned to the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center, Fort Bragg, NC. The unit, consisting of six officers and 24 enlisted, was formed, trained and deployed to Vietnam in just two weeks. The detachment arrived in Vietnam in September 1965 and was assigned to support the 1st Cavalry Division G5 Section at Anh Khe.

24th PSYOP Detachment

COMMANDER	DATES OF COMMAND
Captain Blaine Revis	16 Jul 65 - 10 Feb 66

On 10 February 1966, three companies were formed within the 6th PSYOP Bn to provide tactical propaganda support.  

1. The 244th PSYOP Company served I Corps initially from Da Nang.  The unit was subsequently relocated to Nha Trang (in II Corps), with a detachment in Quang Ngai in I Corps.

2. The 245th PSYOP Company served II Corps initially from Nha Trang. The unit was subsequently relocated to Pleiku (in II Corps) when the 6th PSYOP Battalion became the 4th PSYOP Group and the radio station was built as 8th Battalion's "B" Company.

3. The 246th PSYOP Company served III Corps from Bien Hoa, about 20 miles northeast of Saigon in III Corps.

4. The 19th PSYOP Company was activated at Ft. Bragg as part of the 3rd Special Forces Group on 10 August 1962. It deployed to the Dominican Republic during Operation Power Pack in 1965. On 19 November 1966 it was deployed to Can Tho Vietnam as part of the 6th PSYOP Battalion to provide advice and support to military units and agencies in the Mekong Delta in IV Corps Tactical Zone.

In 1967, on their fifth anniversary, the 19th celebrated its 9-months accomplishments in Vietnam. The unit participated in 26 operations, produced 12 million leaflets, and distributed 450 million national leaflets. Personnel took part in 1,500 aerial missions and conducted over 400 hours of aerial loudspeaker broadcasts.

25th PSYOP Detachment (1965-1966)

COMMANDER	DATES OF COMMAND
Captain William R. Perry	Sep 65 - Jun 66
Captain Henry Dunn	Jul 66 -

The 25th PSYOP Detachment was Commanded by CPT William R. Perry and made up of seven officers and 15 enlisted men. In 1965 it was deployed to Southeast Asia from San Francisco on the USNS Hugh J. Gaffney along with elements of the United States Army 1st Cavalry Division. Anti-war protestors pelted the troop ship as it sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge. The Detachment ran the ship’s radio station on the 17-day voyage. The Gaffney docked at Qui Nhon in September of 1965. The unit was immediately trucked to an air strip where they were flown to Pleiku by C-123 and headquartered in an old French compound at the II Corps MACV headquarters north of Pleiku while a permanent barracks was built for them.

Detachment photographer SP4 Dave Miller adds:

During our tour we primarily supported the American and South Vietnamese troops in the II corps geographical area with our PSYOP capabilities to include leaflet production, Medical Civic Action Program (MEDCAP) field trips, movies and operations in friendly Montagnard villages. Our primary support was to the 1st Cavalry Division. Captain Perry and I were on hand and involved in the firefight at the Cataka (1st Cavalry, 3rd Brigade field headquarters in an old French tea plantation about 20-25 kilometers southwest of Pleiku) on 12 November where we suffered 7 killed in action and 23 wounded in a midnight attack by the Viet Cong. The V.C. lost six guerrillas in the fight. Rumor had it that the French plantation paid one million piasters to the Viet Cong for protection and three million piasters to the Government of South Vietnam for taxes. Allegedly the U.S. later paid the French $50 for every tea bush and $250 for every rubber tree that was damaged for the tea bushes destroyed during the firefight. This was 2 days before the 1st Cavalry became involved in the Ia Drang battle made famous by the book and movie “We Were Soldiers Once...and Young,” The Ia Drang fight was only 25-30 kilometers from the Cataka. I covered the battle from above in an Air Force spotter plane. Captain Perry always wanted to be close to the action to provide PSYOP support as well as having me along to gather photos to be used in leaflets.

First Lieutenant Bob Harvey of the 25th PSYOP Detachment (later Detachment B of the 245th PSYOP Company) reminisces about his Vietnam duty from September 1965 to September 1966:

Captain Perry was a good Commanding Officer of the Pleiku Detachment for the period he was with us, about September 1965 to June 1966. We all had a lot of respect and admiration for him.   He was part Apache Indian and part German. He was a real Regular Army trooper, an infantry officer with a Combat Infantry Badge. The PSYOP command was not for him. He petitioned to get out in the bush and engage the enemy. He finally got transferred down south to a combat unit and was replaced by Captain Henry (Lee) Dunn, a nice guy from Wyoming who was the Commander from about July 1966.

The introduction of the 25 PSYOP Detachment into the Central Highlands of Vietnam at Pleiku in September 1965 coincided with the buildup of 1st Cavalry (Airmobile) at An Khe just to the East.  The mission of the detachment was to collect intelligence regarding enemy weaknesses and vulnerabilities, develop themes and materials to exploit these vulnerabilities, and disseminate appeals and messages via leaflet, loudspeaker and other means.  The detachment had highly trained PSYOP officers and enlisted men who had specific expertise in psychological operations, counter insurgency, media development, graphic design, leaflet production, audio production, photography, and other selected skills.

The specific missions planned and executed by the unit included imbedded field teams to collect information relative to enemy vulnerabilities and develop and disseminate propaganda to their soldiers.  Aerial loudspeaker and leaflet missions flown in U-10, C-47 and UH-1 aircraft were conducted throughout the major campaigns, and leaflet missions over the tri-country border area (infiltration trails) were commonplace.

The first major ground operation was a field team comprised of one PSYOP Officer and two support  specialists from the 25th Detachment, and one Vietnamese interpreter.   This team was attached to the 1st Cavalry during the Ia Drang campaign (November 1965) and was able to ascertain NVA vulnerabilities as the basis for PSYOP efforts in the II Corps border area throughout the remainder of 1965.

With the introduction of elements of the 25th and 4th Infantry Divisions into the Central Highlands in 1966, the Detachment (now redesignated 245th PSYOP Company “Detachment B”) participated in numerous campaigns and sweeps of known enemy locations for the purpose of exploiting troop weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Many of these brigade size campaigns were staged out of the large open fields in and around Pleiku, with New Pleiku Airbase (USAF), Camp Hollaway (US ARMY AIR), and the MACV II Corps Headquarters providing support.  The Detachment’s production facility, located at the MACV compound, was able to react quickly to the latest intelligence, and develop/produce PSYOP media and material in support of field operations.

Generally, the detachment developed and produced much of its own material, however, major leaflet drops (most along the Cambodian border) of thousands of pounds of leaflets by C-47 required leaflets to be produced at Battalion in Saigon or in Manila.  These were shipped to New Pleiku Airbase by transport for loading into the C-47 following its arrival from its base in Nha Trang.

Staff Sergeant Ron Baker was a member of the 245th PSYOP Battalion located in Pleiku. He had an intelligence MOS and his job title in the 245th was Heliborne Loudspeaker Team Chief. He was attached to the 1st Cavalry and mostly worked as an advisor, usually with the 2nd Brigade.  He talks about some of his missions:

I departed Pleiku for 2d Brigade on 9 August 1966. On 10 August, I made a Chieu Hoi tape with a North Vietnamese Army prisoner of war.  On 12 August, I went on a loudspeaker mission telling NVA soldiers how and where to surrender and also made Chieu Hoi surrender appeals.  We used Beech Master loud speaker in a Bell “Huey” HU1D helicopter. We took the NVA rallier along to make appeals to NVA soldiers.

On another date we made a broadcast to the NVA 32nd Regiment. The broadcast was as follows: 

“Attention troops of the 32d Regiment.  Your regiment has been badly mauled. Your only hope is to surrender as a Chieu Hoi.  You will receive fair treatment, food, clothing and medical attention.  Put your weapon over your left shoulder with the muzzle down, in your right hand, wave a Safe Conduct Pass.  If you do not have a pass, use a piece of cloth or anything the allied troops can see.  Walk slowly toward the American positions.  You have a choice.   Either you can die unknown or you can start a new life in South Vietnam.”  

On another mission, we dropped tear gas on the NVA 66th Regiment.  We told them if they feel sick, we will help them.  We told them to come out in the open and wave at the helicopter and we would send someone to help them. 

A lot of my time was spent on ground missions.  I and my two interpreters would go with various units on their missions.  Sometimes we would be called up to fly loudspeaker missions while a battle was going on.    Other times, we would visit the Montagnard villages in the area.  We would bring rice, pots and pans and other items the villagers could use.  My Montagnard interpreter was named Ksor Bai and he was with the French when they were in Vietnam.   He had no respect whatsoever for the South Vietnamese because of the way they treated the Montagnards.  The South Vietnamese called the Montagnards “Moi” which means savage.  The Montagnards were treated in the same fashion as our American Indians were. A few of the Montagnard villages were under NVA control and one of the things we tried to do was win them over to the South Vietnamese government.  Most of the time, it was hard to do because of the way the Montagnards were treated. 

We flew a lot of leaflet missions out of Pleiku Air Base.  We usually used C47's.  I also dropped a lot of leaflets out of helicopters, for instance, 25,000 Safe Conduct Passes at map coordinates YV865957. 

I believe the only reason that I as an enlisted man had his own team was because I had an intelligence MOS.  Most of the other teams were led by Lieutenants and Captains.  

Detachment B (Pleiku) of the 245th PSYOP Company in spring 1967 
The Detachment poses in front of the Propaganda Support Center in the ARVN Compound

Front row - left to right: SGT. Mattingly (Supply), PFC Karas (Analyst), SP4 Nickerson (Photo Van/Pressman), SP4 Luke (Field Operations), SP4 Niver (Offset Pressman), SP4 Jones (Field Operations), SGT Fowler (Supply).
Back row- left to right: SFC Davis (First Sergeant), SP4 Boothby (Press operator), CPT Dunn (Commander), SP4 Wands (Artist), CPT Brereton (Executive Officer), SP4 Kean (Artist), SP4 Johnson (Motor pool), SP5 Tiffany (Company clerk), SP4 Plemmons (Field Operations), SP4 Bell (Overnight offset press operator)

The PSYOP Support Center housed Captain Dunn's office, a portable photo shop, an artist's studio, leaflets and printing equipment. From this small building they could produce leaflets, make recordings and prepare other PSYOP material. The building was located on the South Vietnamese Army's side of the compound, while the living quarters were on the U.S. Army's side. Unit members went through a check point every day going to and returning from work.

Private Leighton M. "Nick" Nickerson arrived in Vietnam assigned to the 245th PSYOP Company on 22 July 1966. He left a year later as a Specialist 5th Class. He was first sent to Nha Trang then detached to Pleiku. He had been trained as a 71R20 Broadcast Specialist, but Pleiku had no need for that MOS and after discovering that his hobby was photography he was assigned to the photo lab. He was also trained as a printing press operator during his tour and awarded a second military occupational specialty of 71W40. He described his activities in Vietnam:

We supported the 1st Cavalry and the 4th Infantry Division with our leaflets. I never kept track of where we went and what we did but I know we did a lot of missions that had us flying over Laos and Cambodia. I know we went as far south Ban Me Thout, North to Kontum, even once to Dalat to support III Corp, and once north to Da Nang. We didn't do many loudspeaker missions from the air while I was there, and most of those were done with just Air Force personnel. We went up if there were leaflets to drop. I remember unloading an entire deuce-and-a-half of leaflets into C47's.

I flew with one Air Force Major and logged more flight time than anyone else in the unit. One day I asked why I was the only one getting requested to crew the U10's and later O2B's. He said it was because I could carry on an intelligent conversation and didn't throw up, and that second one was the most important attribute a PSYOP soldier could have.

We had a great outfit. During my tour I never heard a shot fired in anger. Of course, Charlie mortared our perimeter twice, but it was good duty until about mid-1967 when things got more "stract" and we were no longer allowed to be a bunch of "misfits" that did things our own way most of the time. I think we missed that freedom. It seems we never had the same morale or espirit de Corps after we got "militarized".

Private Leighton M. "Nick" Nickerson  in the 245th PSYOP Company Photo Lab

Charles Kean Jr.

Specialist Fourth Class Charles Kean Jr. Was a member of the 245th PSYOP Company in Vietnam during the years 1966-1967. He was trained as a U.S. Army Illustrator (Military Occupational Specialty 81E2W). During his tour he supported the 1st Cavalry and the 4th Infantry Division. He flew many C47 leaflet missions and received an Air Crew badge for the time he spent aloft. In this photo he stands next to a 1st Cavalry “Huey” helicopter set up with a loudspeaker array. He told me:

The unit was charged with the task of producing materials that encouraged the enemy to lessen their resistance or surrender. In addition to doing our assigned work, we frequently flew on missions where we dropped the leaflets that we printed and broadcast taped audio messages from trucks and both fixed winged aircraft and helicopters. All of the personnel also did the other things that soldiers did such as pulling guard duty and assuming assigned posts when an attack occurred.

I both dropped leaflets and broadcast messages from the copter. The messages were prerecorded in whatever dialect the people of the area we were covering understood and I took a small reel to reel tape recorder which plugged into the loudspeaker system. Once over the target, I would turn on the speakers. Once the recorder was in operation, I would lie on the floor of the chopper and start to throw out leaflets. We distributed several different types of leaflets. Some came from as far away as the US, while others were done in Japan or Korea.

Loudspeaker Team Leader Mario Villamarzo

Specialist Fifth Class Mario Villamarzo was assigned to Detachment B, 245th PSYOP Company, Pleiku, from 1966 to 1967 as an Intelligence Analyst (Military Occupational Specialty 96B20). The above photograph of Mario with his loudspeaker team of Montagards and Vietnamese troops was taken in Plei Jerang, west of Pleiku in October 1966 when he was supporting the 1st Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division. He was the loudspeaker team leader. He told me:

When I was with the Pleiku Detachment I would assist in cutting the leaflets which the detachment printed and then assisted packing them in boxes. We had to cut the leaflets to a certain size and use the correct paper weight in order for the leaflets to float to the target. We had two blades in the detachment for our paper cutter and I remember going to Saigon 2 or 3 times with the blades to have them sharpened. I would take the milk run (C-130) from Pleiku to Ton Son Nhut AFB in Saigon. I would take the blades to the offices of a Saigon newspaper that would be paid to sharpen our blades.

I did it all, loaded leaflets on C-47 of the 5th Air Commando Squadron and flew as a non-crew member dropping the leaflets from the aircraft.

I also flew in U-10s on loudspeaker and leaflet missions. The aircraft would come from Nha Trang where the 5th Air commando Squadron was stationed and I would wait for it the airfield in Pleiku. I would load the U-10 with my leaflets and put my recorded tape in my cassette player and hook it up to the speaker on the aircraft. Once I got us to the target area we would fly in a circle around the target dropping leaflets and playing the loudspeakers. I would select the target beforehand and instruct our guys what I wanted to say on the leaflets. Selecting targets and specifying the type of leaflet was where our training as Intelligence Analyst 96B20 came in to play. Before the U-10 missions I would meet with the intelligence folks of the division and read through their Intelligence Summaries (INTSUMs) and Periodic Intelligence Reports (PERINTREPs) plus I would meet with the G-5 and S-5.