"Wandering Souls" - a mystical US weapon in Vietnam

During the Vietnam War, propaganda weapons were widely used, which, however, did not achieve much success. It was useless to explain to the fighters from Ho Chi Minh City that communism and socialism are bad. It was even more useless to tell this to simple Vietnamese peasants running with Kalashnikovs through the jungle.

The American command came up with the idea, along with the bombs, to drop leaflets from the planes, where the photo showed the killed comrades and relatives of the Vietnamese. But this also had the opposite effect. The Vietnamese only whirped even more. Then there was an operation called "Wandering Souls".


The essence of the operation was to bring fear to a higher level. To do this, I had to delve into the local Vietnamese beliefs and traditions. It turned out that the Vietnamese have a special attitude to funeral rites. And the relatives of the deceased always vigilantly monitor the thoroughness of their execution. It is believed that a properly conducted funeral helps even a sinful soul find paradise. There is a proverb among the Vietnamese: "Born on earth must return to it." The body must be necessarily buried in accordance with all the canons. Otherwise, the soul in suffering and torment will wander around the world of the living. On this it was decided to play.

In an atmosphere of strict secrecy, Operation Wandering Souls was developed. Various "otherworldly" sounds were recorded on a tape recorder: whispers, screams, groans, crying, individual phrases in Vietnamese. All this was handled accordingly, so that the "listeners" in the jungle had the illusion that the restless souls of their comrades in arms were talking to them.

The recording was broadcast through powerful loudspeakers installed on trucks, helicopters, and patrol boats. It is difficult to judge the reaction of the Viet Cong soldiers: communist sources are silent about this. But some units of the forces of South Vietnam, accidentally falling under the influence of the "mystical" weapons of the United States, scattered, abandoning everything. Given that the cultural and educational level in the south and north of Vietnam was about the same, it is very likely that the Viet Cong did the same.







If the effect of mysticism did exist, it was very short-lived. This did not affect the combat situation. But the sounds "from the other world" were already nervous about their own soldiers, who found themselves in the zone of destruction of the "mystical" weapon. It is not very comfortable to sneak through the jungle, expecting to run into an ambush, to the accompaniment of "otherworldly" music. Most likely for this reason, the Wandering Souls program was curtailed.

Thanks.

I think I saw an episode about this psyop on the Dark Docs podcast on YouTube

If I remember right, the choppers with the speakers started to take quite a bit of incoming fire, as (perhaps not foreseen by the operational planners?), even the North Vietnamese knew what a helicopter was. Once the realization was made that the spooky sounds emanated from loud speakers on hughies, it made the job of zeroing in on the craft's position that much easier.

EDIT:

removed the video clip, you already posted it in your thread OP.

a reply to: RussianTroll

Great thread

If the America. Public would understand these types of ops are ongoing... against them, we would win.

Yes we were told the speakers were to be used at night which was supposed to scare and keep the NVA and Viet Cong up with little or no sleep. I never saw the speakers used with our night hawk missions where we flew low and slow trying to draw fire and let our High bird snakes unleash hell upon anyone who fired at us. We were not defenseless as we carried a 50 Cal and the 7.62 mini gun which we used to get their heads down as we got out of the line of fire.

There were Chu Hoi missions where leaflets were dropped saying turn yourself in and you will be treated humanely or stay and fight and you will die. A little bit of everything propaganda wise was tried piecemeal to no avail, obviously. The NVA were tough good fighters as the Chinese also found out during their little border fight with the Vietnamese.

a reply to: RussianTroll

Its an old idea that has not gone away-but new technology has been used to make the idea more terrifying.

One ancient use of the idea may have been the Aztec death whistle-a small whistle device which when blown though emits the sound of a scream,which c
ould be interpreted as a ghost or demon by the enemy.
Although such items have been found,the actual use is debated-but if you listen to the sound it makes,it could well have been used to instil fear in the enemy-especially as the enemies of the Aztecs believed in the "lost souls" idea.

Fast forward to the US war in Afghanistan-the same idea is updated and called "the voice of God."
This was directional sound technology,which can target idividuals or crowds-possibly used in Afghanistan to demoralise and generate terror in the enemy.
csc.asu.edu...

Bonus points and extra terror if this technology is used in conjunction with ULF sounds-you cannot hear such sounds,but they are known to induce feelings of terror,depression and fear in those exposed-while at the same time can make people feel as thoug there is a presence in the vicinity-even when there is not.
Its possible,in theory,that such frequencies may be naturally occuring in locations which people say are "haunted."
Such sounds were claimed to be used in the film called "the excorsist,"although I am not sure if that is true as I suspect special sound generators would be needed rather than standard movie loudspeakers.
www.meta-religion.com...

I sometimes wonder if certain people emit ULF sounds when they speak-you may have noticed when certain people speak,you get a repulsed/uneasy feeling.ULF may be reponsible.(only a theory of mine,not proved)
I would bet prince Salman emits ULF-or maybe its something else about him that generates repulsion?

thanks OP
very interesting stuff
the gummint in Hanoi was hardcore fanatic and I don't think anything could have defeated them short of full invasion and occupation as in Germany and the USA wasn't willing to pay that price.

interesting how much superstition continued in places like that. the communists could outwardly outlaw all religion / spirituality but very hard to completely remove generations-old heritage. I remember reading about Italy in WWII and how many little pagan practices the housewives still followed.

IIRC the Hanoi government would take families hostage to force troops and support staff. they would chain men to steering wheels and force them to drive trucks. nasty bunch.

ironically they're starting to become more free and capitalist now. the hardcore have died off and I think more reasonable (or maybe just more material) people are in charge.

a reply to: RussianTroll

My father in law told me about this a little. There was quite a bit about the Korean and Viet Nam wars that bothered him, but this seemed significant to him. He was a medic, so rather than taking lives, he was supposed to be saving them. He said, seeing the bodies left to rot was horrific and by design. His other story he told a few times was in Korea where a solder was shot in the trench next to him, and as he tried to move to the other location, the idiot lieutenant who was in charge thought he was trying to retreat, and he ordered him back to his spot in the trench. No discussion could be had about it, and he was forced to watch this man die feet away, knowing he could have tried to save him.

My FIL passed away about 4 years ago. I always wished we would have talked more about all that, but it wasn't something he really wanted to share. He just seemed to dwell on the really sh!tty parts. (as if the rest was a picnic)

a reply to: 727Sky

So there was a lot of Phycological Warfare happening in Vietnam, do you think that there was an attempt to make Super Soldiers, or is this just a "Hollywood" Storyline.

a reply to: network dude

I think that the war is a tragedy for all its participants. There is everything in war - heroism, cowardice, war crimes, acts of mercy. The main thing in a war is to remain human, on either side.

originally posted by: RussianTroll
a reply to: network dude

I think that the war is a tragedy for all its participants. There is everything in war - heroism, cowardice, war crimes, acts of mercy. The main thing in a war is to remain human, on either side.

I've come to realize, nobody wins a war, somebody finally gets tired of burying friends and gives up.
Remaining human while killing others because you are told to seems a bit oxymoronic. But I do appreciate your thoughts.

a reply to: Jamie2018

that movie still has my head a bit fuzzy. At the end, you are left wondering if any of it really happened.
it was an amazing movie in that respect.

a reply to: RussianTroll

Dark 5 is my favorite channel. It doesn't get the traffic, but it's a great little channel.

Go to about the 1:30 minute mark on the video. They talk about this and have audio recordings of the haunts.

originally posted by: network dude

originally posted by: RussianTroll
a reply to: network dude

I think that the war is a tragedy for all its participants. There is everything in war - heroism, cowardice, war crimes, acts of mercy. The main thing in a war is to remain human, on either side.

I've come to realize, nobody wins a war, somebody finally gets tired of burying friends and gives up.
Remaining human while killing others because you are told to seems a bit oxymoronic. But I do appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks. But to kill the one who came to your house and wants to kill you, your children and your wife is not an oxymoron. This is the duty of a real man. Moreover, if at the same time a person himself dies in an unequal struggle, and does this deliberately, then this is a sacrifice. There are many similar saints in the Russian Orthodox Church.
In general, this issue has been discussed throughout the entire existence of mankind. Opinions are antagonistic - from "non-resistance to evil by violence" to "tit for tat". The topic is interesting and still relevant. But in any case, this is a tragedy.

Why not drop poisoned rice balls? Get the Herpes infested trannies you slept with to drop a deuce in their village river's upstream?

No need for wasting ammo... they looked like they'd resort to cannibalism if they'd do some push-ups every now and then...

Maybe that's why the soviets/russians end up being one of the toughest s.o.b.'s yet some of the most famished. They learned cannibalism the right way. Do push-ups... your comrades will need the protein.

originally posted by: 727Sky
Yes we were told the speakers were to be used at night which was supposed to scare and keep the NVA and Viet Cong up with little or no sleep. I never saw the speakers used with our night hawk missions where we flew low and slow trying to draw fire and let our High bird snakes unleash hell upon anyone who fired at us. We were not defenseless as we carried a 50 Cal and the 7.62 mini gun which we used to get their heads down as we got out of the line of fire.

There were Chu Hoi missions where leaflets were dropped saying turn yourself in and you will be treated humanely or stay and fight and you will die. A little bit of everything propaganda wise was tried piecemeal to no avail, obviously. The NVA were tough good fighters as the Chinese also found out during their little border fight with the Vietnamese.

a reply to: network dude
Decided to add a little to my answer to you.
In my opinion, the whole tragedy of the Vietnam War was shown by Francis Ford Coppola in the film "Apocalypse Now". The Doors' music is enchanting!

Also enchanting... white feather's shots ringing out through the jungle.

Just hanging out... talking about Bruce Lee you know and how he really gave it to the white dude in Enter the Dragon and then you hear something sounded like soup being thrown at you... look to your left and... oh dang, that movie must've really blown your buddy Hong Do-Yung Yung Foo's mind... O_O

originally posted by: RussianTroll
a reply to: network dude
Decided to add a little to my answer to you.
In my opinion, the whole tragedy of the Vietnam War was shown by Francis Ford Coppola in the film "Apocalypse Now". The Doors' music is enchanting!

I will not get into too much, but I know a vet who told me about this years ago.

Interrogation would include a helicopter and a knife. If a prisoner did not talk...well use your imagination. It is hard for your body to be buried whole if you are missing a finger. And tripped and fell 500 feet. But your friends would not shut up after seeing that.

It is creepy listening to him talk about what happened in the dark over there.

a reply to: theatreboy

"It is hard for your body to be buried whole if you are missing a finger"

This fits well with the Christian concept of the Resurrection. And it is a vivid example that some Christian countries have switched to the cremation of bodies, while non-Christian countries still believe in the resurrection with full bodies.

originally posted by: MikhailBakunin

Also enchanting... white feather's shots ringing out through the jungle.

Just hanging out... talking about Bruce Lee you know and how he really gave it to the white dude in Enter the Dragon and then you hear something sounded like soup being thrown at you... look to your left and... oh dang, that movie must've really blown your buddy Hong Do-Yung Yung Foo's mind... O_O

originally posted by: RussianTroll
a reply to: network dude
Decided to add a little to my answer to you.
In my opinion, the whole tragedy of the Vietnam War was shown by Francis Ford Coppola in the film "Apocalypse Now". The Doors' music is enchanting!

As Jim Morrison sang, "This is the end." And for everyone.

Yeah... I always wondered why Jackie Chan did his own stunts... turns out, he wasn't the only one and apparently a cultural thing. Old pastime of there's? Now they're doing the same with the world's economy.

A bunch of adrenaline junkies, huh?

Once the world finds out egg foo Yung is actually just a deep fried omelette ... we'll start assimilating more peacefully. I think. ❤

originally posted by: theatreboy
I will not get into too much, but I know a vet who told me about this years ago.

Interrogation would include a helicopter and a knife. If a prisoner did not talk...well use your imagination. It is hard for your body to be buried whole if you are missing a finger. And tripped and fell 500 feet. But your friends would not shut up after seeing that.

It is creepy listening to him talk about what happened in the dark over there.