A collection of photo illustrated war and post war vignettes, short stories, war nightmares, war poetry and travel writing by a Vietnam combat medic. Site includes war related videos and documents. There is some harsh language.
Teachers Take Heed! Anatomy of a Chieu Hoi Leaflet
In May 2024, after hearing from international educator and former FAC team ’68 Sergeant Ted Engelmann, Medic updated his article on the diary of North Vietnamese physician Dang Thuy Tram. The following month Ted provided the item below.
Examining the Seven-Flag Chieu Hoi Pass: A Primary Document from the American War in Viet Nam
Between March 1968 and March 1969 I served as an Air Force sergeant in Viet Nam. During that time, U.S. military aircraft dropped Chieu Hoi (safe conduct) passes over suspected enemy locations to encourage enemy soldiers to surrender. Great quantities of leaflets were scattered (more than 6 million in one month in 1969), for example. Often there was a recorded voice message in Vietnamese, broadcast through loudspeakers from the aircraft, encouraging enemy personnel to pick up a pass and turn themselves in. I mailed a Chieu Hoi pass to my father in te States, who returned it to me when I got back home. This classroom activity encourages students to examine a Chieu Hoi pass as a primary historical document, identify its various elements, and begin discussing a few of the larger questions about the American War in Viet Nam that are symbolized by this document.
Examining the Pass In the classroom activity below, students (individually or in small groups) receive a handout–an exact reproduction of the author’s Chieu Hoi pass with a set of eight questions. (The answers or suggested responses are provided below for the teacher’s use). The first five questions have factual answers, and they are linked to specific parts of the pass (labeled A through N.) The last three questions are meant to provoke discussion and further research. While these latter questions are important, they may be controversial even today, and their answers are less clear.
1. What nations are represented by the seven flags (A through G) shown on the front of this pass? A. Republic of (South) Viet Nam (RVN) [center flag] B. United States C. Australia D. Thailand E. Republic of Korea (South Korea / ROK) F. New Zealand G. Philippines
2. Why are six non-Vietnamese nations represented on the front of the pass? These were allies of the Republic of South Viet Nam when the 1968 version of the Chieu Hoi pass was printed. Among foreign troops, South Korean troop strength was second only to that of the United States. After 1972, there wee more troops from the Republic of Korea in Viet. Nam than American as the United States was pulling out of Viet Nam.
3. What four languages are used on the front of this pass, and what do they say? All of the languages convey the same message on the pass: “Safe conduct for all who surrender will be honored.” The languages are: H. Korean (Hangul) I. Thai J. English K. Vietnamese
4. Whose signature is on the back of the pass? Nguyen Van Thieu, who was president of South Viet Nam from 1967 until the fall of Saigon in 1975.
5. Who do the two men shown on the back of the pass represent? M. At left, a Southern soldier of the Army of Viet Nam (ARVN). N. At right, a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) soldier from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DVR).
6. How would you summarize the emotional message of this pass? The pass is meant to convey messages of strength (seven flags), authority (with the South Vietnamese presidents signature), and trust (with the photo of the ARVN soldier guiding the smiling NVA soldier). The fat that it is the same shape and size as paper money also conveys authority and trust.
7. Is this document an example of propaganda? Propaganda is information spread to further one’s cause. In the United States, the term “propaganda” carries a negative connotation–that the information conveyed is probably false. This Chieu Hoi pass was part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “many flags” program. The concept of “many flags” was intended to counter the perception that the American superpower was “picking on” the little country of North Viet Nam. Johnson wanted to show the world (and Americans) that a coalition of countries (many flags) sided with the United States. The Chieu Hoi pass was an attempt to “win the hearts and minds” of the enemy. The truthfulness of the message on the pass is a point of debate.
8. Was the Chieu Hoi pass an effective tool for the U.S. military effort? The U.S. program to encourage surrender was widely considered to be a failure. Historians of the American-Viet Nam War mention numerous factors that weighed against the success of the safe conduct pass in convincing North Vietnamese soldiers to give up. These factors include: Spying. Peasant and Viet Cong (local sympathizers/guerillas who fought on the side of North Viet Nam) from the countryside who surrendered and were given liberty could ast as spies, strolling about making observations of U.S. troop presence, weaponry, and equipment, then disappear after dark—to report back to North Vietnamese contacts. Suspecting sabotage by their former enemy made it hard to fulfill the promise of “safe conduct” to any Vietnamese man or woman who surrendered to allied troops.
Spying. Peasant and Viet Cong (local sympathizers/guerillas who fought on the side of North Viet Nam) from the countryside who surrendered and were given liberty could act as spies, strolling about making observations of U.S. troop presence, weaponry, and equipment, then disappear after dark–to report back to North Vietnamese contacts. Suspecting sabotage by their former enemy made it hard to fulfill the promise of “safe conduct” to any Vietnamese man or woman who surrendered to allied troops.
Prisoner Abuse. U.S. soldiers turned their prisoners of war over to the South Vietnamese Army, under which they were often mistreated and tortured. The infamous “tiger cages,” which confined prisoners to cramped spaces for months at a time, were one example of mistreatment. Such treatment often strengthened the resistance of prisoners.
Body Counts. Any Vietnamese man, woman, or child who approached U.S. troops in a military zone was at some risk of being killed, especially after the Pentagon began measuring success in the war with numbers of dead “enemy.” In fact, there was often no way to determine whether a dead body was an enemy combatant or a civilian. In order to please ranking officers, body counts were inflated.
A Tradition of Resistance. In 1802, the king arranged to change his nation’s name to Viet Nam, which means “people” (Viet) “of the south” (Nam), to distinguish the Viets as independent and different from the Chinese. The Vietnamese fought against Chinese domination for centuries and against French colonial rule for nearly 100 years (from the mid-1800s until 1954). For many Vietnamese, political and military intervention by the United States seemed to fit all too easily into the historical legacy of oppressive occupation by foreigners.
A Failed Weapon The Chieu Hoi pass is an interesting example of a weapon of psychological warfare that was not very effective. Teachers can use it to help students review a historical unit of study, get ideas for further independent research, or discuss aspects of a costly conflict in which the United States failed to “win the hearts and minds” of the people they were purportedly trying to liberate. ____________________
Ted Engelmannis a freelance photographer and writer. He gives workshops for educators on the legacy of the American War in Viet Nam and on Asian societies today. Visit Ted’s website.
Teachers Take Heed! Anatomy of a Chieu Hoi Leaflet
In May 2024, after hearing from international educator and former FAC team ’68 Sergeant Ted Engelmann, Medic updated his article on the diary of North Vietnamese physician Dang Thuy Tram. The following month Ted provided the item below.
Examining the Seven-Flag Chieu Hoi Pass:
A Primary Document from the American War in Viet Nam
Between March 1968 and March 1969 I served as an Air Force sergeant in Viet Nam. During that time, U.S. military aircraft dropped Chieu Hoi (safe conduct) passes over suspected enemy locations to encourage enemy soldiers to surrender. Great quantities of leaflets were scattered (more than 6 million in one month in 1969), for example. Often there was a recorded voice message in Vietnamese, broadcast through loudspeakers from the aircraft, encouraging enemy personnel to pick up a pass and turn themselves in. I mailed a Chieu Hoi pass to my father in te States, who returned it to me when I got back home. This classroom activity encourages students to examine a Chieu Hoi pass as a primary historical document, identify its various elements, and begin discussing a few of the larger questions about the American War in Viet Nam that are symbolized by this document.
Examining the Pass
In the classroom activity below, students (individually or in small groups) receive a handout–an exact reproduction of the author’s Chieu Hoi pass with a set of eight questions. (The answers or suggested responses are provided below for the teacher’s use). The first five questions have factual answers, and they are linked to specific parts of the pass (labeled A through N.) The last three questions are meant to provoke discussion and further research. While these latter questions are important, they may be controversial even today, and their answers are less clear.
1. What nations are represented by the seven flags (A through G) shown on the front of this pass?
A. Republic of (South) Viet Nam (RVN) [center flag]
B. United States
C. Australia
D. Thailand
E. Republic of Korea (South Korea / ROK)
F. New Zealand
G. Philippines
2. Why are six non-Vietnamese nations represented on the front of the pass?
These were allies of the Republic of South Viet Nam when the 1968 version of the Chieu Hoi pass was printed. Among foreign troops, South Korean troop strength was second only to that of the United States. After 1972, there wee more troops from the Republic of Korea in Viet. Nam than American as the United States was pulling out of Viet Nam.
3. What four languages are used on the front of this pass, and what do they say?
All of the languages convey the same message on the pass: “Safe conduct for all who surrender will be honored.” The languages are:
H. Korean (Hangul)
I. Thai
J. English
K. Vietnamese
4. Whose signature is on the back of the pass?
Nguyen Van Thieu, who was president of South Viet Nam from 1967 until the fall of Saigon in 1975.
5. Who do the two men shown on the back of the pass represent?
M. At left, a Southern soldier of the Army of Viet Nam (ARVN).
N. At right, a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) soldier from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DVR).
6. How would you summarize the emotional message of this pass?
The pass is meant to convey messages of strength (seven flags), authority (with the South Vietnamese presidents signature), and trust (with the photo of the ARVN soldier guiding the smiling NVA soldier). The fat that it is the same shape and size as paper money also conveys authority and trust.
7. Is this document an example of propaganda?
Propaganda is information spread to further one’s cause. In the United States, the term “propaganda” carries a negative connotation–that the information conveyed is probably false. This Chieu Hoi pass was part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “many flags” program. The concept of “many flags” was intended to counter the perception that the American superpower was “picking on” the little country of North Viet Nam. Johnson wanted to show the world (and Americans) that a coalition of countries (many flags) sided with the United States. The Chieu Hoi pass was an attempt to “win the hearts and minds” of the enemy. The truthfulness of the message on the pass is a point of debate.
8. Was the Chieu Hoi pass an effective tool for the U.S. military effort?
The U.S. program to encourage surrender was widely considered to be a failure. Historians of the American-Viet Nam War mention numerous factors that weighed against the success of the safe conduct pass in convincing North Vietnamese soldiers to give up. These factors include:
Spying. Peasant and Viet Cong (local sympathizers/guerillas who fought on the side of North Viet Nam) from the countryside who surrendered and were given liberty could ast as spies, strolling about making observations of U.S. troop presence, weaponry, and equipment, then disappear after dark—to report back to North Vietnamese contacts. Suspecting sabotage by their former enemy made it hard to fulfill the promise of “safe conduct” to any Vietnamese man or woman who surrendered to allied troops.
Spying. Peasant and Viet Cong (local sympathizers/guerillas who fought on the side of North Viet Nam) from the countryside who surrendered and were given liberty could act as spies, strolling about making observations of U.S. troop presence, weaponry, and equipment, then disappear after dark–to report back to North Vietnamese contacts. Suspecting sabotage by their former enemy made it hard to fulfill the promise of “safe conduct” to any Vietnamese man or woman who surrendered to allied troops.
Prisoner Abuse. U.S. soldiers turned their prisoners of war over to the South Vietnamese Army, under which they were often mistreated and tortured. The infamous “tiger cages,” which confined prisoners to cramped spaces for months at a time, were one example of mistreatment. Such treatment often strengthened the resistance of prisoners.
Body Counts. Any Vietnamese man, woman, or child who approached U.S. troops in a military zone was at some risk of being killed, especially after the Pentagon began measuring success in the war with numbers of dead “enemy.” In fact, there was often no way to determine whether a dead body was an enemy combatant or a civilian. In order to please ranking officers, body counts were inflated.
A Tradition of Resistance. In 1802, the king arranged to change his nation’s name to Viet Nam, which means “people” (Viet) “of the south” (Nam), to distinguish the Viets as independent and different from the Chinese. The Vietnamese fought against Chinese domination for centuries and against French colonial rule for nearly 100 years (from the mid-1800s until 1954). For many Vietnamese, political and military intervention by the United States seemed to fit all too easily into the historical legacy of oppressive occupation by foreigners.
A Failed Weapon
The Chieu Hoi pass is an interesting example of a weapon of psychological warfare that was not very effective. Teachers can use it to help students review a historical unit of study, get ideas for further independent research, or discuss aspects of a costly conflict in which the United States failed to “win the hearts and minds” of the people they were purportedly trying to liberate.
____________________
Note
1. The Chieu Hoi program of Viet Nam
Further Reading for Teachers
Sam Keen, Faces of the Enemy, Reflections of the Hostile Imagination (New York: Harper Collins, 1991) (study guide)
Ted Engelmann is a freelance photographer and writer. He gives workshops for educators on the legacy of the American War in Viet Nam and on Asian societies today. Visit Ted’s website.