THE DEATH CARD SGM Herb Friedman (Ret.) Note: Images from this article were used in Three Practical Lessons from the Science of Influence Operations Message Design by M. Afzal Upal, Canadian Military Journal, Volume 14, No 2, 2014. A band by the name of The Quakes produced an album in 2006 entitled PSYOPS. Inside, they depicted nine images of Death Cards which came from this article. In 2017, Pictorial Press International (Tokyo) requested use of items in this article for a Vietnam War book project. The Weekly Pegasus, The newsletter of professional readings of the U.S. Air Force Military Information Support Operations Working Group recommended this article in their 28 October 2017 issue. The Japanese Combat Magazine reprinted this article in their issue of April 2018 under the title The Paper War  DEATH CARD. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I warn readers of this article that a dealer in Portugal seems to be selling the images of just about every death card in this article on EBay. Caveat Emptor! We dont know where the idea of an ace of spades representing death first originated. We do know that during the reign of Murder Incorporated in the 1930s, at least two gangsters were assassinated and left with aces in their hands. One of the unidentified criminals with an ace of spades is depicted on the cover of the Burton B. Turkus book Murder Inc.: the Story of the Syndicate. Turkus also mentions Salvatore Marinzano, an early Cosa Nostra crime boss who was assassinated by a younger faction led by Lucky Luciano. When Marazano was killed, he had an Ace of Diamonds in his hand. In 2010 a self-proclaimed witch wrote to me from Britain with a historical explanation. I have shortened it considerably but perhaps it will shed some light on the mysterious history of the ace of spades: There are 52 cards. Each card stands for a week in the year. The thirteen cards in each suit also stand for the thirteen lunar months in the year. The suits stand for the seasons. The red suits are feminine, warm, positive, upward looking, etc. The black ones are masculine, cold, negative, regressive, etc. There are four main Sabbats - the Ace of Spades relates to the week of Yule. Yule, at the beginning of winter was a date dreaded by the old peasantry - the beginning of winter heralded a time of famine, or a Time of the Wolf. The Ace of Spades stands for the first week of winter, beginning 21 December. Supplies would be running low, and the last of the meat would be slaughtered and cured to eat in the months ahead. Offerings would be made to the dead, and the elderly would be sure that their last wishes were known, in case it was their turn. The Ace of Spades represents the Death of the Year and the start of a new one, when the wheel turns again. The reason why it is a trump card is that Death comes for all of us in the end, and there is no escape - even for kings. The spade is also known in the Tarot as the sword - a symbol of war. The symbol could represent a heart with a spike in it, a severed head on a spike, a cowled head, an evergreen yew, or a dead leaf - all emblems of Death. In 2012, a Canadian reader sent in a simpler and perhaps more accurate reason for the Ace of Spades as a death card. He said: A spade is also a shovel and shovels are used to dig graves. WORLD WAR I In World War I the British 12th Division used the Ace of Spades as a symbol on their tanks WORLD WAR II During World War II the German Jagdgeschwader 53, a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of Messerschmitts 109,

operated in Western Europe and in the Mediterranean, and were better known as "Pik As" (Ace of Spades) VIETNAM Ace of spades "death card" tucked into helmet The ace of spades, the so-called "death card" is featured in many movies about the Vietnam War. The symbol is also depicted on various unit crests, special operations privately-made patches, collar insignia, and on flags and painted vignettes on military aircraft and gun trucks. Ace of Spades Gun Truck An example of such a gun truck is "Ace of Spades" of the 523rd Transportation Company based in Phu Bai , Vietnam . Former crewmember Sergeant Sammy Seay bought this military vehicle in 2003 and rebuilt it into a replica of his units 1971 Vietnam-era truck at a cost of about $50,000. The above Gun truck was a 5-ton M54 cargo truck converted by soldiers. Double-walled steel plating surrounds the outside of the truck, which is equipped with four .50-caliber machine guns, two M-60 machine guns and an M-79 grenade launcher. Just one authentic gun truck survives from Vietnam . It is displayed at the U.S. Army Transportation Museum in Ft. Eustis , Virginia . Another interesting folktale about the ace of spades that is certainly a myth is found in an article entitled "Forked-Tongue Warriors," by Ian Urbina writing in New Yorks Village Voice: But there are also some PSYOP success stories. In Vietnam, US planes sprinkled enemy territory with playing cards, but prior to carpet bombing, they dropped only the ace of spades. Before long, the Pavlovian technique took hold, and just the dropping of aces was sufficient to clear an entire area. An interesting use of the Ace of Spades appears in the June 2008 issue of Vietnam magazine. It prints a letter from Jaxon Caren, a former member of the 6/31 Infantry in the 9th Infantry Division who worked aboard river boats in the Vietnam Delta in 1968. He said that every time they tied up at the shore, the local children would suddenly appear and had to be watched constantly or they would steal everything on the boat not bolted down. He had heard that the Vietnamese were superstitious about the ace of spades, so he had his mother sew some flags with the Ace of Spades on them. When they flew the flags, the kids would sit on shore and would not board the boat. There is a misunderstanding of the meaning of the ace of spades that exists in some areas to this day. For instance, the Discovery Channel features a program called "American Chopper." On this show, the Teutul family of Orange County Choppers builds a theme motorcycle each week. On a program first shown in January 2004 they built a bike in honor of the veterans of the Vietnam War bearing various POW/MIA symbols. Two aces of spades symbols were hand-fabricated from metal and placed on the motorcycle. Paul Teutul Sr. stated that the ace of spades was a symbol of good luck among American soldiers. He was wrong of course, but the bike was a fitting tribute to veterans and his heart was certainly in the right place. Notice that the reporter has bought into the whole false story surrounding the Ace of Spades. The Vietnamese did not fear the symbol and had no knowledge of it. Of course, as time went on and their comrades were found dead with the ace in their mouths, the symbol might have started to represent death in their mind. That would not be a superstition the Americans found; it would be a superstition they created. What do we know about the ace of spades in Vietnam? Did it truly terrify the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army regulars and leave them trembling in fear? Did American military units all throughout Vietnam use it? The answers would seem to be a resounding "no." In fact, some intelligence studies indicate that the Vietnamese had no concept that the ace of spades represented death. Many units never used the cards and the majority of troops I met never even saw one used in-country. I spoke to several combat veterans about the cards. One said: Sorry I can't help. I've heard of them but never saw one and never heard of them being used in my AO during my time. Another commented: The story we heard was that the Vietnamese were inveterate card players--and that was true; I saw mamasans playing cards many, many times in any shade that was available--and that some of the common superstitions about certain cards had penetrated Vietnamese culture, by way of the French. For instance, the Ace of Spades was a death card. The Queen of Hearts was a love card. The Jack of Spades represented an enemy. Two more combat veterans told me that they never heard of death cards and had no idea what I was talking about. One veteran who was knowledgeable in PSYOP did remember the cards, but in a very negative way. He said: I seem to recall that some Vietnamese professors were contacted at the University of Saigon and when they were asked about that card their answer was quick and simple. There is no black ace of spades in one of the main card games that Vietnamese play. Of course, the ace of spades became a legend in its own right after being used constantly, but certainly did not have the meaning to the VC or NVA troops that we seemed to think it had. Just another example of cultural ignorance on the part of brass that hardly ever got out of their air-conditioned headquarters and the Circle Sportif. The Death Card - La Carte de Revenge The death card concept was so interesting that in 1988 the Dart Flipcards Company of Canada actually prepared a trading card showing one being used. This card from a set on Vietnam is entitled "The Death Card - La Carte de Revenge." It depicts two soldiers on the front, one about to drop an ace of spades on a dead Viet Cong. Text on the back in English and French is: The Death Card In addition to the thousands of Americans dead and wounded, the Vietnam War also took a psychological toll. Soldiers lived in constant fear of an enemy they often couldn't see, and responded to this terror in different ways. The 1st Cavalry Division left the Ace of Spades -- the payback card -- on the enemy's body as its signature.

Specialist 4th Class Jim Brannen who served in Vietnam during 1969 and 1970 in the Military Assistant Command Vietnam (MACV) and later the 4th Infantry Division agrees:

Not a lot of people actually know that the whole decks were aces. I knew. I saw many of them in the Pleiku area since the 1st Air Cavalry was at An Khe. The 4th Infantry took over An Khe in March 1970. There were plenty of those ace of spades decks around. I wish I had kept some. I did see a few of the cards used. It is hard to talk about it now but during the war things were different. Some soldiers would place the cards on the eyes of a dead Viet Cong. It meant that the card was the last thing they saw. The Viet Cong really feared the Air Cavalry. Some of those with or without cards were along the Highway running from Pleiku to Qui Nhon. I think that the 82nd and 173 Airborne had death cards made up too.

The 1st Cavalry Division Death Card Death Card Scene from the movie Apocalypse Now A Genuine use of the Death Card

Official U.S. Army Film (untitled) A Second variety of 1st Cavalry Division Death Card The ace of spades was also featured in many movies about the Vietnam War. Who could forget the scene in Apocalypse Now where a young sailor sees soldiers throwing cards on the bodies of dead Viet Cong: Lance: "Hey Captain, whats that?" Willard: "Death card." Lance: "What?" Willard: "Death card. Letting Charlie know who did this." The fact is that this was a psychological warfare campaign that came from the troops, not headquarters, G-2 (Intelligence) or the Psychological Operations experts at Battalion and Group. Research assistant Sharon Frickey worked worked at the CRESS (Center for REsearch in Social Systems) field office at Ft. Bragg in 1967-1968. The CRESS field office, an extension of the think-tank research arm of American University , responded to requests from the John F. Kennedy Center for Special Warfare and the 4th PSYOP Group at Ft. Bragg . One of the research questions that CRESS received in 1967 was about the possible use of the Ace of spades for psychological operations and the strength of the superstition about it among the Vietnamese. There were seven PhD area specialists and dozens of researchers studying the problem and they came to the conclusion that the Vietnamese had no cultural basis to fear the Ace of Spades as a symbol of death, and any such propaganda utilizing the symbol would be useless. The PSYOP/POLWAR Newsletter of February 1971 adds in part: Recent reports indicate that some U.S. units have been using the Ace of Spades in an attempt to elicit fear in enemy units This notion, based on isolated incidents of behavior among Montagnard tribesmen familiar with the Western deck of cards introduced by the French is erroneous. A 1967 survey determined that the U.S produced Ace of Spades does not trigger substantial fear reactions among most Vietnamese. Activities of this nature may prove counterproductive, and often increase enemy vigilance countering other PSYOP programs. Edwin Roberts says in The Psychological War for Vietnam, 1960-1968: University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 2018: The 245th PSYOP Company requested an analysis of the usefulness of the Ace of Spades as a calling card. The study, conducted by the 6th PSYOP Battalion S2 (Intelligence), concluded, That it would not be an effective or meaningful symbol. Culturally, most Vietnamese had little or no experience with Western playing cards and attached no value to the ace. The cards were most often used by non-PSYOP soldiers that thought they were conducting psychological operations. Even the commander of the PSYOP Group in Vietnam was against the use of the card. Lieutenant Colonel William J. Beck commanded the 4th PSYOP Group from 15 October 1967 to 7 October 1968. He discusses some of his units problems and successes in the declassified Senior Officer Debriefing Report. He said the same thing in an earlier report in in Credibilis, dated 10 December 1967. He complains that there is some frustration at the lack of signs of tangible success, and this has led to gimmicks like the ace of spades calling card, sky-lighting effects, and ghostly loudspeakers: BEWARE OF GIMMICKRY Any survey of the PSYOP program in Vietnam reveals that many psy-operators are frustrated by the lack of signs of tangible success in the PSYOP effort...Perhaps in an attempt to overcome this deficit many appear to be impressed with the values of what can only be called propaganda gimmicks. This includes the use of the ace of spades, special lighting effects, and ghostly loudspeaker broadcasts. This aspect, unfortunately has often reduced idea formation on the part of these operators and staff to the level of gimmicky and more or less desperate attempts to find a quick solution and dramatic breakthrough. This is not good PSYOP. There is little evidence that positive, long-range mass persuasion can be achieved by the gimmick route. On the contrary it could probably be easily shown that gimmickry has a reverse effect of conditioning the audience against the emotional effects of well thought-out propaganda. In sum, there is a place for occasional gimmickry and dramatic effect in the PSYOP effort, but these are normally secondary aspects and should be reserved for those circumstances where the long-range program has created an acceptable situation.

Captain Blaine Revis was assigned to Military Assistance and Advisory Group Vietnam (MAAGV) from April 1963 to May 1964, and later commanded the 29th PSYOP Detachment attached to the 1st Air Cavalry Division at Anh Khe. At that time he was asked by the division commanding general about the use of the ace of spades for PSYOP. The 101st Airborne Division was already using the cards that had been sent to Vietnam in bulk by the Bicycle Playing Card Company. Revis told me:

I told him that it was a bad idea and a case of transposed symbolism. We Americans look at the ace of spades as the death card, but to the Vietnamese it is more like a phallic symbol and if anything might suggest that we were involved in necrophilia.

So why was the ace of spades so popular that some individuals or units actually ordered them from playing card manufacturers to place on the bodies of dead Viet Cong and NVA? The answer seems to be, because the American troops just loved them. Although the cards were allegedly anti-Communist PSYOP, in fact they were really pro-American PSYOP. U.S. troops got a kick out of them and loved the idea of leaving them on bodies. Like wolves, it was a way to mark their territory. It proclaimed them the biggest and "baddest" varmints in the valley of death. The cards motivated and encouraged American troops far more than they terrified the enemy.

Leaflet 246-302

This vignette of an ace of spades on a skull was a favorite of the 246th PSYOP Company. They prepared at least five leaflets using this image in 1966 and 1967. All of these skull leaflets from the 246th are 4 x 5-inches in size, non-rotators to be dropped from aircraft. The text on the front is:

Viet Cong! This is a symbol of death!

The back depicts a dead Viet Cong guerrilla and the text:

Continue your struggle against the National Cause and you will surely die a mournful death like this! Note: This same image and text appears on leaflet 246-362. Leaflet 246-362 was requested by the U.S. 1st Infantry Division. Specialist 4th Class Dave Kolchuk Specialist 4th Class Dave Kolchuk was an Army illustrator assigned to the 246th PSYOP Company in Vietnam from October 1965 to October 1966. He told me that he had designed many of these skull and ace of spades leaflets. I asked him what he remembered about his orders and he said: The skull was the most popular design I created. There are several different versions of it. The spade symbol was a very bad luck omen to the Viet Cong. It's like telling them they're going to go to hell and burn painfully without honor for all eternity. A real curse for the family of a Viet Cong too. Their loved one will die leaving a curse without honor on the whole family. Their ancestors will be ashamed of them. I told him that some Army documents seemed to indicate that the Viet Cong did not recognize the ace of spades as a symbol of death and he answered: That was what our operations people told us. They are the ones who came up with the ideas and did the research. Vietnamese were reputed to be a very superstitious people. They had the highest regard for their ancestors and didn't want to do anything that would dishonor them or the family. That's why we used the spade so much. It was supposed to instill fear in them. I don't have any info on how effective that was. I asked about the technique of drawing a leaflet: All art was done by hand. No computers back then. We did have a Photostat machine enabling us to copy stuff. Body text was often done letter by letter using the Leroy Lettering System with accent marks added later by hand. Those accent marks were critical. Vietnamese is a tonal language - no word is more than six characters long, and many were spelled the same except for the accent marks. They had a dozen or more combinations of accents that could completely change the meaning of the word. I had taken some Vietnam language lessons that helped. I was not fluent, but conversant after my year there. We also had a Varitype machine for body text and later on, a Photo Typositor machine for large text headings and poster work. I'm guessing it would take about two - four days to do a good leaflet, including rough pencil sketches, approvals, and final inking. The 1st Infantry Division might have used the actual death cards. Ben Van Etten is interviewed in the Vietnam Archive at Texas Tech University and says in part: The first big battle we had was the First Infantry Division up north by Phu Loi We supported them and we had a real good success in that battle We had about a two hundred body count from them our infantry troops were really excited about doing this The Ace Spades is a bad omen for them. Its a death card and they literally had Ace of Spade cards printed it was first infantry division and we dropped them airborne all along the jungle there so they would find them They took the bodies and they just stretched them out along this route, open area Route 13 for probably a mile along the road there and just left them there, put these cards all over them. So that, if and when the enemy came to recover them, they would see what they faced. Leaflet 19-20-67 Curiously, the 19th PSYOP Company used the same images as the 246th on the front and back except that they added a message coming from the skull. 100,000 copies of this black and white leaflet were produced by the 19th PSYOP Company at the request of the 3rd Brigade of the 9th Infantry Division. It targeted Viet Cong in their area of operation. The front uses a death card motif and depicts an ace of spades on a skull with the text: Viet Cong! This is a sign of death! The back depicts a dead Viet Cong fighter and the text: Continue your struggle against the National cause and YOU will surely die a mournful death like this!

246-91-67

Another leaflet from the United States Army 246 PSYOP Company used the identical image of a skull with an ace of spades, but with no text on the front. The back is all Vietnamese text.

Attention: Viet Cong Cadres of the 506 D2 Battalion. The 25th Infantry Division is advancing toward your area along the Vam Co Dong River. We will attack the 506th D2 Battalion and the 2nd Independent Brigade. We will stay in this area until all Viet Cong cadres are annihilated. The 25th Infantry Division offers you the chance to return to the government and live a happy life forever, or to stay and die for a senseless cause. Please surrender to any unit of the ARVN or the Allies at the first opportunity.

This leaflet might have been used during Operation Cedar Falls in early 1967, when the communist dominated village of Ben Suc in the iron triangle was encircled and captured by the 1st and 25th divisions. This battle has been publicized in the well-known report "The Village of Ben Suc." Leaflet 246-59-67 was addressed to the 313th Viet Cong Company. It is identical to #362 on the front with the same propaganda text. 100,000 copies were printed for the 25th Division of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam . Some of the text on the back is:

ATTENTION SOLDIERS OF THE 313TH VIET CONG COMPANY

On 18 August 1966 you were defeated in battle by soldiers of the Republic of Vietnam near Binh Phuoc. You left behind the bodies of 37 or your comrades, and you know many were wounded. You felt the power of our cannon and airplanes. Stay with the Viet Cong and your death is assured. Disgrace and sorrow await your families. Return now to the Government of Vietnam and help build a free nation and a better way of life for you and your families. Under the Chieu Hoi program both you and your family will be well cared for.

Leaflet 246-130-67 depicts the skull without text as in #91. It was targeted at the 165A Regiment. 60,000 copies were printed and dropped by aircraft. They were ordered by the U.S. 25th Infantry Division. Some of the text is:

ATTENTION  SURVIVORS OF THE 7TH BATTALION 105A REGIMENT.

The U.S. 25th Infantry Division admires your courage in fighting on in the face of the horrible losses we have inflicted on you. If your continue to resist, we will destroy you, as we have destroyed three-quarters of your comrades

The last skull leaflet we will mention is 246-151-67. It has the text message at the lower left and the back is all text. It is entitled simply Scare. 50,000 leaflets were printed at the request of the U.S. 11th Cavalry. The message says in part:

ATTENTION VIET CONG SOLDIERS

You have witnessed a small part of the death and destruction that awaits you soon. The mighty air power of the Republic of Vietnam and Allied powers will destroy you and all you represent. Your only hope for survival is to rally to the Republic of Vietnam at once... Leaflet 246-338 Leaflet 246-338 was addressed to the Q762 Regiment. It is identical to #362 on the front with the same propaganda text. 500,000 tactical leaflets were printed at the request of the Intelligence Section for distribution by air. Some of the text on the back is: Men of the 2nd Battalion, Q762 Regiment. Are you the victims of bad fortune? How do you explain being caught in three B-52 raids during a thirty day period? In the last month you have lost your commander, Executive Officer, and 300 of your comrades killed or wounded in the battles of Binh Long on 8 June 1966 and 9 July 1966. Does the Spectre of Death stalk your path? Leaflet 246-340 Leaflet 246-340 was addressed to the Viet Cong 9th Division. It is identical to #362 on the front with the same propaganda text. 100,000 copies of the 4 x 5-inch tactical leaflets were printed for distribution by air. Some of the text on the back is: Soldiers of the Viet Cong 9th Division and men formerly of the 10th Battalion of the North Vietnamese Army Regiment. The battles in the Binh Long Province cost you almost one thousand lives and you know how many were wounded for life. The bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong destroyed 65% of the Norths fuel. This means less supply convoys for you Leaflet 246-455-67 was aimed at the North Vietnamese Armys 7th Division. It has the same skull and ace of spades front as 246-340 and the back is all Vietnamese text in block letters. 200,000 copies were printed about 28 June 1967. Some of the text is: Soldiers of the 7th NVA Division You are sacrificing yourselves needlessly. Since infiltration in March 1966, the Q.12 Regiment has suffered a continuous loss of men due to malaria and beri beri. There is little medicine to help the sick men or food to feed the hungry. The entire division is only 70% strength with a shortage of supplies Continue to oppose the Government of Vietnam and your death is assured, disgrace and sorrow await your families. Your only hope of seeing your families again is to rally to the Government of Vietnam.

Alleged SOG Card

There is also a SOG death card that depicts the skull and ace of spades on the front with the same text, "Viet Cong! This is a symbol of death!" Notice that the back of the card has been striped so that the Viet Cong would find it difficult to place a pro-communist propaganda message there. Another Questionable Card I can’t say that any of these items is genuine or fake. I can only point out things that are questionable. For instance, this card looks very good and bears the usual death’s head and text. The problem is the code, “7507.” That is not a code used in Vietnam. It was a code used in Korea. Now of course, anyone can put any code on a card, but this one is very strange and does not seem to fit. Therefore, I find it questionable. I also should say this could be the same card as the one above with just the added number. Once again, the back is striped. It is hard to tell. The Skull Image without the Ace of Spades We should mention that there is another set of leaflets that uses the exact same skull with hatching in the background, or black background with red vignette inside the skull to emphasize blood, but instead of the ace of spades, the vignette inside the skull depicts a Douglas Skyraider strafing Viet Cong. Since there is no spade, the leaflets do not belong in this article but both sets were created by the same artist, SP4 Dave Kolchuk. The Skull Image without the Ace of Spades  246-272 Five leaflets from this set are: 246-103-67 Greetings, soldiers from North Vietnam , 246-113-67 To the Viet Cong soldiers of the TD 506 B2, 246-163-67 Soldiers, why must you and your comrades die needlessly, 246-272 Attention members of the 269th Battalion. and 246-356 Soldiers, why must you and your comrades die needlessly, Leaflet 246-356 was a tactical leaflet that targeted the soldiers of the C-56, Q-761 and 271 Regiments. 500,000 were printed on 22 July 1966 and dropped by aircraft. Some of the text is: Soldiers, why must you and your comrades die needlessly? Many more Americans and allies of the Government of South Vietnam are coming to Vietnam to destroy the Viet Cong and the soldiers from the North. Do you think the fighting is hard not? Wait! The future can only insure your death. We are determined to help the people of the South enjoy a better way of life. You are the only obstacle to peace. Recent bombings of Hanoi and Haiphong assure that you will have fewer supplies in coming days. Have you not heard of these bombings? The fuel supplies for North Vietnam have been cut by 65 percent... You cannot win. Return and build a future. Stay and be destroyed. Can we prove our statement that the cards were meaningless to the Vietnamese? Robert W. Chandler, War of Ideas: The U.S. Propaganda Campaign in Vietnam, Westview Press, Boulder, CO, 1981, says in a section entitled "Major Psychological Appeals and Themes," under "Fear":

But not all such approaches were effective. One major misassumption occurred about 1966 when U.S. soldiers scattered fear-appeal leaflets with the ace of spades as an omen of death. In some cases actual playing cards were left along trails in Communist-controlled territory (American troops wrote to playing card manufacturers requesting numerous aces of spades to supplement the campaign). A subsequent review and evaluation by the United States Information Agency revealed, however, that the ace of spades was not included in the Vietnamese deck of cards. Thus, except for a few Montagnard hill tribesmen, they were unfamiliar with its meaning as a death omen. Despite these finding and a JUSPAO policy directive prohibiting the aces of spades practice, American soldiers began using the technique again in 1971. This repeated error was probably symptomatic of trying to maintain continuity and high-quality psychological operations with military persons being shuffled into and out of the country on one-year tours of duty. U.S. Army Helicopters in Vietnam with Ace of Spades

Chandler makes two interesting points. The first is that the Vietnamese were not even familiar with the ace of spades. Curiously, the leaflet from the 246th PSYOP Company numbered 246-362 places the symbol of the ace of spades on a skull on one side, and the photograph of a dead Vietnamese body on the other. It is almost as if the Americans were trying to teach the Vietnamese. "See, there is an ace of spades, and here is a skull and there is a body. Therefore, when you see the black spade, think of death." The second point is one that has been argued for years. One of the great weaknesses of the American involvement in Vietnam was the one-year tour. Chandler implies that even if an officer in 1968 clearly knew that the death cards had no value, he would be gone by 1969 and his replacement might think that they were a wonderfully innovative idea. Having stated all these intellectual reasons why the death card was meaningless to the Vietnamese, I must now mention a personal experiment done by Captain Edward N. Voke, S2 (Intelligence) Staff Officer of the 6th PSYOP Battalion in 1966, whose unit was asked to print some of the cards for the Special Forces. I was curious about the reaction, if any, of the ace of spades to the Vietnamese. We made a quick check and did find a 1930s Vietnamese novel that used that card as a sign of impending death. I handed out some of the cards we printed to people in the S2 and asked them to carry them in their wallets, and when paying for something in a shop, bar, restaurant, etc., to fumble around and place the card on the table and see if there was any reaction from the locals. There was. People definitely noticed the card. They vacated the seat next to you; bar girls left you alone, etc. My thinking at the time was: the Special Forces like it it disturbs some Vietnamese for some reason and it does not appear to be harmful to any of our PSYOP plans or campaigns. Where did the concept that the ace of spades was a bad omen originate? Apparently in the distant past. The history of the ace of spades goes all the way back to the age of pirates. The single spot on the card could put you "on the spot" or in danger. The origin of this expression goes back to 18th-century pirates whose back-up symbol for intimidation (after the skull and crossbones) was the dreaded ace of spades with its single black spot. This card was intentionally shown to a traitor or informer as warning that his life was in danger. Anyone sent an ace of spades was "on the spot."

Returning to Vietnam, a 10 May 1967 PSYOP Policy Directive (Number 36) details official U.S. guidance on "The Use of Superstitions in Psychological Operations in Vietnam." The document was prepared by the Joint United States Public Affairs Office (JUSPAO), the military agency that directed U.S. propaganda efforts from Saigon. The policy states that "In accordance with U.S. mission directives, this is mission psychological policy and guidance and is to be implemented as pertinent by all U.S. elements in Vietnam." Some of the pertinent text in regard to the ace of spades is as follows:

A strong superstition or a deeply-held belief shared by a substantial number of the enemy target audience can be used as a psychological weapon because it permits with some degree of probability the prediction of individual or group behavior under a given set of conditions. To use an enemy superstition as a starting point for psychological operations, however, one must be sure of the conditions and control the stimuli that trigger the desired behavior. The first step in the manipulation of a superstition as an enemy vulnerability is its exact identification and detailed definition of its spread and intensity among the target audience. The second step is to insure friendly control of the stimuli and the capability to create a situation that will trigger the desired superstitious behavior. Both conditions must be met or the psyops effort will not yield the desired results; it might even backfire. As an illustration, one can cite the recent notion spread among combat troops in the First Corps area that VC and NVN troops were deathly afraid of the "Ace of Spades" as an omen of death. In consequence soldiers, turned psy-warriors with the assistance of playing card manufacturers, began leaving the ominous card in battle areas and on patrols into enemy-held territory. The notion was based on isolated instances of behavior among Montagnard tribesmen familiar from French days with the Western deck of cards. A subsequent survey determined that the ace of spades does not trigger substantial fear reactions among most Vietnamese because the various local playing cards have their own set of symbols, generally of Chinese derivation. Here then was an incorrect identification of a superstition coupled with a friendly capability to exploit the presumed condition. It did not work. In summary, the manipulation of superstitions is a delicate affair. Tampering with deeply-held beliefs, seeking to turn them to your advantage means in effect playing God and it should only be attempted if one can get away with it and the game is indeed worth the candle. Failure can lead to ridicule, charges of clumsiness and callousness that can blacken the reputation of psychological operations in general. It is a weapon to be employed selectively and with utmost skill and deftness. There can be no excuse for failure.

GUIDANCE:

To exploit enemy superstitions, psyops personnel must be certain that the superstition or belief is real and powerful. A psyops operator's desire to take advantage of manipulating enemy superstitions surreptitiously must be balanced against the counterproductive effects of possible failure and exposure of the attempt by the mass media. The U.S. image and the effectiveness of future psyops might lose more than the commander might hope to gain by successful execution of the plan. In summary, enemy superstition manipulation should not be lightly employed by field psyops personnel. Proposals to make appeals based on superstitions or otherwise manipulate target audience beliefs will be forwarded in each case to JUSPAO and/or MACPD through the respective channels of their originators. They will be carefully analyzed there in the light of the considerations spelled out in this guidance. No psyops campaign in the area of superstition manipulation will be undertaken without JUSPAO/MACPD approval. Army officer William Shelton mentions the continued use of the ace of spades in Vietnam : One of the things we also found out, the Vietnamese are very superstitious people like most of the Orientals that Ive known and worked with. The Ace of Spades trick was one that we used. In their society, much the same as in our own, an Ace of Spades in fortune telling and Tarot and all of that indicates death, so if you threw an Ace of Spades into one of their cache sites, somebody would see it and they would get very superstitious and it played a big role in how well they would fight or not fight. How did the various Ace of Spade cards get to Vietnam? As mentioned above, some individuals wrote to playing card manufacturers and asked for them. Those manufacturers, being patriotic, were more than happy to comply with the requests. Much of the story can be found on various web sites devoted to poker, or even the web site of the United States Playing Card Company. For instance, an early version of the story says: The Ace of Spades served a famous purpose in the war in Vietnam. In February1966, two lieutenants of Company "C," Second Battalion, 35th Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, wrote The United States Playing Card Company and requested decks containing nothing but the "Bicycle" Ace of Spades. The cards were useful in psychological warfare. Ace of Spades Deck

Courtesy of CW2 John D Sarviss In a later comment the manufacturer tells the story in more depth: The Death Card or Ace of Spades was considered bad luck by the Viet Cong. This is the story that I got first-hand from one of the lieutenants who originated the idea. He had read an article in the Stars & Stripes indicating that the Vietnamese were a very superstitious people and that the men were afraid of the Ace of Spades. The French previously had occupied Indo-China, and in French fortune telling cards, the Spades predicted death and suffering. It also seems that a statue of a woman foretold a "bad day" and there was some belief that the Viet Cong even regarded lady liberty as a goddess of death. Anyways, this guy, along with three of his fellow-lieutenants were playing cards with one of our Bicycle decks, which fortunately they liked to use, and they noticed that the Bicycle Ace of Spades had a statue of a woman in the middle of it, so they figured that this was a potentially good psychological operations weapon. So they contacted the United States Playing Card Company and we sent them thousands of the requested decks gratis to our troops in Vietnam. These decks were housed in plain white tuck cases, inscribed "Bicycle Secret Weapon: Ace of Spades." The troops started using them, basically as calling cards. And then all their friends wanted some. And eventually, the military asked us to produce a deck that had fifty-two Bicycle Aces of Spades. The cards were deliberately scattered in the jungle and in hostile villages during raids. The very sight the "Bicycle" Ace was said to cause many Viet Cong to flee. Members of the 3rd Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division place death cards in the mouths of dead Viet Cong during Operation Baker near Duc Pho and Mo Duc in 1967. A Poster used as a Death Card The United States has implied many times that it is against the concept of the death card and takes no part in marking of a body. And yet, in the official U.S. Army short movie entitled PSYOPS Vietnam 1967 Phan Thiet, a member of the 245th PSYOP Company is clearly shown placing a propaganda poster on a dead VC as the narrator says: When Viet Cong are killed, soldiers place leaflets on their body as a grim reminder for others. The picture-grab is blurry but the text on the top of the poster is: Believe in Certain Victory in the Year of the Goat The Year of the Goat was 1967 and the text is actually a Viet Cong propaganda slogan used to motivate their troops for battle. The poster uses it in ironic way, ridiculing the VC claims and showing what happens to Communist troops when they believe in that slogan. Leaflet 245N-49-67 Although they call it a leaflet in the movie it seems to be a poster with text at the top and bottom. However, the image is the same as this leaflet produced by the 245th, an ARVN riding a white horse and holding a Government of South Vietnam Flag. The text on the back of this leaflet is: Citizens Living in this Area Please Take Notice. Don't Run, Don't Hide Don't run and don't hide from the Allied military forces patrolling on the ground or above you in helicopters. Stay where you are until you receive further instructions. You will be told what to do. If you follow instructions you will not be harmed. This image of the soldier on a white horse was apparently so popular that it was also used by the 10th PSYOP Battalion in May, 1968 coded 10-272-68. 50,000 copies of the leaflet were printed targeting youths eligible for military service. The text is: The appeal of our Fatherland is calling. You should rapidly prepare to join the army. If you want the country to be peaceful, join the army and defend the free regions. As a boy you should do something worth of a boy. Use your body to help the country; use your talent to calm the population. YOUTHS  Be eager to enter the army to destroy the Communists and protect the nation. We have heard the story of the ace of spades from the President of the United States Playing Card Company. Here is the same story from the point of view of the military unit that originated the letter requesting the cards. It was written by Charles W. Brown (C/2/35) in 1966, published in The Cacti Times Magazine, entitled "ACE HIGH - This card was no Joker." The Ace of Spades, "a symbol of death to the Vietcong", was reported in the New York Sunday News, July 10, 1966. In 1966 and 1967 that headline, and many like it, was published in newspapers and magazines all across the country. Over the years many organizations and individuals in the military have taken credit for initiating the use of the Ace of Spades as a psychological warfare weapon. Many did use it, but only one unit started it. Let me take you back to early 1966 to the beginning of the Ace of Spades story. In Jan. 1966 the "Tropic Lightnings" 3rd Brigade had established a base camp on a hill just outside the town of Pleiku, South Vietnam. The story begins there in the rear of Co. C, 2/35ths orderly room that served as a BOQ for four lieutenants (Davis, Zais, Brown, and Wissinger). Thinking back to that time, I remember that tent looking very much like the "swamp" from the TV show M*A*S*H. Naturally a card table had its place in the center of the room. While sitting around that table one of the platoon leaders called our attention to an article in the Stars and Stripes about remarks made by Congressman Craig Hosmer of California to the House of Representatives in Washington D. C. Those remarks, made on Feb.7th, pertained to the superstitions of the Vietcong. The article stated that two of their bad luck symbols were pictures of women and the ace of spades. Later that evening, someone in the group noticed that the ace of spades from a deck of "Bicycle" playing cards contained a picture of a woman that just happened to be a representation of the Goddess of Freedom or Liberty on the dome of our nations capital building. In her right hand she held a sheathed sword; in her left hand an olive branch. Before long the groundwork was laid for a plan to use the ace of spades as a calling card when Charlie Company went into the field by leaving them at the entrances and exits to villages we cleared of VC, posting them along trails, and leaving them on VC bodies. As the plan began to take shape, the discussion turned to a way of obtaining large quantities of cards since each deck we had contained only the one special ace. It was quickly pointed out that we needed to keep our "decks" intact and couldnt afford to part with that "ace" from every deck we owned. We had to have some complete decks for poker, Tonk, or Hearts, which helped to pass the time. However, in the months that followed, it was discovered that many decks contained only 51cards because someone had lifted the ace and used it in the field. Almost jokingly I volunteered to write a letter to the "The U.S. Playing Card Co." in Cincinnati, Ohio to request the aces we wanted. My theory was . whats the harm in asking? The worst that they could say would be "NO"! In the initial letter I asked for approximately 1,000 cards, not really expecting a reply, and certainly not expecting to create the commotion that it did. Little did we know the letter would find its way to the desk of the president of the company, Mr. Allison F. Stanley. We had no way of knowing that Mr. Stanley had lost a son in WWII and that he would be eager to supply as many aces as were needed. The same day that Mr. Stanley read our letter 1,000 cards were pulled from the production line, packed, and shipped to us at no cost. Soon after our first shipment of cards arrived, we received a letter from John B. Powers with J. Walter Thompson, Co., an advertising agency in New York City, asking for permission to use the story stateside. Mr. Powers handled the public relations account for the playing card company. So with our permission in hand, Mr. Powers relayed the story to Bob Considine for his nationally syndicated newspaper column and he also made a press release to United Press International. The playing card company then received so many requests for cards (even from mothers who wanted to send them to their sons) they started packaging them in special marked boxes containing 52 aces. They were always shipped "postage paid". By this time, Lts. Zais and Wissinger had been reassigned to other units within country and Lt. Davis and I were frequently sent on operations in different directions. Since days or even weeks would go by without me seeing Lt. Davis, I continued to correspond with Mr. Stanley, Mr. Powers, and the Congressman. Soon the story would be carried in newspapers across the states. Reporters started dropping in for interviews. Some just stopped by to take photos. A few even went to the field with us hoping for "live" action shots. One reporter stayed in the field with my 3rd platoon for six days. During that time, the reporter got everything he needed but the action shots. It was not uncommon to have free-lance photographers and writers hanging around the forward base camps looking for additional material. In the months that followed, I received several letters from Congressman Hosmer, the U.S. Playing Card Company, and J. Walter Thompson Co. I always tried to reply as soon as possible and give them an update on our psychological warfare campaign. Congressman Hosmer, who in Feb. 1966 had been criticized for suggesting that psychological warfare be used in Vietnam, spoke to Congress again on June 14, and read the correspondence he and Mr. Stanley had received from the Lieutenants of Company C. This information can be found on pages 12497-12499 of that days Congressional Record - House (Vol. 112, No. 97). In a letter I received from Mr. Powers dated May 24, 1966, he stated that he was "presently trying to work out story ideas on your ace of spades use with Life, Look, True, Newsweek, NBC-TV News (Huntley-Brinkley Report), This Week, Argosy, True, Sunday Group Editorial Service (photo stories to 18 major metropolitan newspapers, including NY News, Chicago Tribune, St. Louis Post-Dispatch)." Once the story of the "Ace" was reported and spread across America, I received many personal letters from people I had never met who saw pictures or read stories about the ACE OF SPADES in their local newspaper. All that most of these people knew was my name and our units designation (C/2/35, 25th Division) and they just wanted us to know they believed in and supported what we were doing. I have read those letters from time to time and still have a good feeling about what we were trying to do. One of my letters to Representative Hosmer was published in a book entitled Letters From Vietnam. In that letter I wrote, "I cannot give an account of the effectiveness of our campaign. I will say that once we sweep through an area, leave our cards, and then return some weeks later, there has been little or no V.C. activity there. You can arrive at your own conclusions." Did it work? Im not sure. Did it help our morale? I definitely think so! In our company and others throughout Vietnam, I think the cards did something to encourage the men that were just trying to survive during a difficult time. I am writing this account some thirty-five years after the fact so I may have left out parts here and there. For some reason I kept most of the letters and mailed them home with the newspaper articles, clippings, and other material people sent to me concerning our psychological warfare action. I really dont know why I kept them and sent them home. More than likely it was just my way of sharing with my wife what was going on in that crazy mixed-up part of the world. She kept everything I sent and put it all together in a scrapbook. Its from that scrapbook I was able to pull together the information for this article. I hope you enjoyed my account of how using the Ace of Spades began. Note: Recently I had the opportunity to donate several items from Vietnam to the 2/35th museum at Schofield Barracks. Among those items was one of the original decks of 52 aces I received from Mr. Stanley in 1966. The CO of the Battalion sent me a deck of 52 aces, also produced by the U.S. Playing Card Company, for the gulf war. I dont know if the "jinx" worked in the Middle East, but it is nice to know that the tradition lives on! CACTI FOREVER Two marines in Vietnam examine a deck of Ace of Spade cards, 16 January 1967 There was apparently more than one letter written to the president of the playing card company. Staff Sergeant Rick Hofmann, a former member of the 6th Psyop Battalion., HQ, Saigon, told me: I wrote to the Bicycle Company in 1967 asking about the cards. They said they were donating the Aces of Spades to the military on a no-questions asked basis. The cards that were sent were said to be slightly flawed misprints, which couldn't be put into circulation. There was also some mention of a relative of one of the Bicycle Company executives being a killed in action, hence the company's support of the troops and Death Card operations. We understood the card to be a double whammy - the Ace of Spaces itself was bad luck, reinforced by the standing goddess in the center of it. An American who served in Vietnam in 1967-1968 tells what he thinks the ace of spades represents: The ace of spades is called the death card or the death-dealers card. It's use in Vietnam meant approximately 'I understand that my job means killing the enemy. I am ready to do so.' Think of it as the opposite of the peace sign. Another Vietnam vet said The first one of these I ever saw was on the road from near the demilitarized zone (Dong Ha) and Camp Eagle at Phu Bai in 1971. It was nailed to the forehead of a Viet Cong tax collector. Ken Smith says in a short story entitled "Happy Birthday Grunt": The quotation in the 2/35 Infantry was "Got to get Dem Dinks", and "Don't Mean Nothin". Our Crest was Cacti Blue and our calling card was the Ace of Spades. That was supposed to bring fear in them. I believe that I was more scared of them though. I mean what tough guy wouldn't be scared when exchanging rounds that close. If you weren't afraid of getting killed, you must have been on something. One former member of A Company, 1/52, 198th Light Infantry Brigade told me: I saw the death cards used once during my 1969-1970 tour of duty. We were patrolling through an area that another sister company had worked. We found a few of the death cards strategically placed on the bodies of some dead North Vietnamese Army troops. I don't think it scared them at all. In fact, I believe their buddies thought we did it and for about two weeks we had a running gun battle with the sons of bitches! I didn't mind fighting them, but I just couldn't see any sense in stirring them up! Katherine Keane was a Red Cross Donut Dolly in Viet Nam from 1967 to 1968. She was assigned to the Red Cross Recreation Center in Nha Trang. She told me that many of the soldiers coming into the center appeared to have some form of PTSD. She believed they were being treated locally in an Army medical center. One sat down next to her and she expected a pleasant talk about home and what it was like to be in Vietnam. Instead, he pulled out a handful of photographs to show her. She said: Here he said. Look here. He pulled a stack of Polaroid pictures out of his cargo pocket. He laid the pictures down in front of me one by one. The first showed a dead Vietnamese with an Ace of Spades stuck in his mouth. I was completely unprepared to see this. He continued laying them down, one next to another. The next showed a group of dead Vietnamese with the Ace of Spades stuck in their mouths. The next showed the Ace of Spades apparently stuck into the mans chest with some kind of stick. The last showed the Ace of Spades nailed into a mans forehead. He seemed to have the pictures in some sort of order of brutality. I couldnt believe what I was seeing. He offered to let me pick and keep one picture but I declined. He seemed relieved. I would have broken up his collection. Then he handed me a sewn patch depicting an Ace of Spades that I did accept. It was not even noon yet and I was a complete wreck. I went into the office and found my partner Mary going through some donated books, and asked her if she had heard that there were special psychologists in Nha Trang that worked with guys who were disturbed. She said she knew there was a hospital, but didnt know anything about special shrinks. See that guy out there? I pointed to the young man, who was still sitting slumped at the table, looking at his pictures.He showed me pictures of dead Vietnamese with the Ace of spades in them. Really? she said, quite undisturbed. Ive heard all that Ace of Spades stuff before  I suspect that Katherine Keane was just dealing with regular soldiers back from the field suffering from some degree of PTSD. However, she might have been correct in thinking there was a psychiatric center nearby. A subordinate unit within the 8th Field Hospital at Nha Trang was the 98th Medical Detachment. They operated the only inpatient psychiatric facility in I and II Corps (the two most northern tactical zones in Vietnam). Besides dealing with mental health issues on an outpatient basis, they had a 12 bed in-patient facility staffed by a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and five social work specialists. They could keep an in-patient for 30 days; at the end of that time they had to return the patient to duty, reassign him in-country, or medically evacuate him back to the United States for further treatment. There are many types of the ace of spades death cards. It is important to note that very few of those you see offered for sale are genuine. In fact, no death card should be considered genuine unless the source is impeccable and there is an unimpeachable history of it being personally brought back from Vietnam. Fakes and forgeries abound. I would guess that 95% of those offered at auction are bogus. 7th PSYOP Battalion Death Card This card coded 7-1040-69 was printed by the U.S. Army 7th PSYOP Battalion in 1969. The skull on the front is a bit odd and perhaps more Asian than American. The back is all text with a green Chieu Hoi symbol in the background. What I find most strange about this item was that the official U.S. line on death cards was that they were useless and there were even some attempts to ban the troops from using them. Yet, here an American PSYOP unit actually produced one. I suspect an informal off-the-cuff request from some supported combat unit that wanted them and the PSYOP Battalion prepared them just as a courtesy. The text on the back is: No place is safe for you. You have no place to hide. Your only option is to return to the just nationalist cause by rallying in order to stay alive. I had hoped to find out a little more about this card since I have the 7th PSYOP Battalion Leaflet Catalog (Da Nang) for 1969. Unfortunately it is dated 1 July 1969 and the highest leaflet it mentions is 750. Assuming that about 125 leaflets were prepared each month, the Death Card should have been printed about September of 1969. Death Awaits One soldier said in regard to the above card: These were put on every dead Viet Cong to send Charlie a message that US soldiers had been there. The top line reads: "Death awaits Viet Cong cadres." The second line reads: "Return [to the south Vietnamese side] rather than being killed. These seem to be the most prevalent type of death cards, one might almost say "the standard" death card. I have seen about three variations with slightly different fronts but always the same message on the back. In addition, the same skull inside the spade is depicted on a commemorative death card distributed by Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry, 11th Light Infantry Brigade, at the Americal Division Reunion in Reno Nevada, June 2004. On one side is the Americal unit insignia, the other side is the ace of spades with skull and crossbones in the center spade. I would have assumed that this card was privately made; perhaps ordered from an American printer. Instead, it turns out that the card was produced by the United States Army 6th PSYOP Battalion on the request of Special Forces. Captain Edward N. Voke, S2 (Intelligence) officer from 1966-1967 told me: The only type of death card I saw was the one with the skull and crossbones inside the spade on one side, and the crosshatched design and message on the other. The first time was in 1966 when some Special Forces officers from IV Corps, working around Father Hoas area, came up to Saigon with a shopping list. They wanted a small run of these leaflets; explained that the ace of spades meant death to the Vietnamese; that the cards were to be pinned to the clothing of dead Viet Cong, but, in actual practice, were often left in the mouth. I only recall us printing them for Special Forces, usually in the IV Corps area, but I did not usually get involved in what our printing plant did for our companies or other units and agencies. Warning: In December 2010, these cards were being reproduced and sold by a Florida dealer in sets of 50. The dealer had sold 25 sets at the time I saw his offer so there are already a minimum of 1250 fake death cards circulating. Do not buy a death card unless it comes with a pedigree from a bona-fide veteran who personally brought it back. The dealer comments: This is an exact reproduction of the famous Ace of Spades "Death Card" used during the Vietnam War by the United States Military Armed Forces. My reproductions are as close to the originals as possible and by far surpasses any others offered. Printed on Card Stock. In 2016, the dealer I mention above wrote to me. I was very impressed by his letter. He said: I CLEARLY state that my cards are NOT originals and are reproductions. In no way shape or form am I trying to mislead anyone. My cards are bought primarily by other Vietnam vets and they are thrilled that I offer them. I would like to tell you one story from a customer who wanted 200 cards as she and her husband wanted to give them to all Vietnam Veterans at the Vietnam Wall in D.C. on Veterans Day back in 2011. Well because of her cause I basically donated the cards to them. I wish you could read the appreciation letter they sent to me after they went to DC telling me the thanks the veterans gave to them with tears. I have also had many army organizations acquire my cards to give out at their reunions. I truly feel that you should warn your people about dealers who are claiming they are selling originals rather than myself who is being completely honest. Contrary to your statement I feel I am offering something that people want. Sincerely: Sgt. B. Altman

3rd Combat Support Group Bien Hoa AB RVN 69-70 I agree that the cards he is selling are being properly advertised. I answered: I have over 140 articles on the Internet and I check eBay every day. Whenever I see a reproduction offered, whether it is stamps, banknotes, leaflets or whatever, I always print a warning. You tell your buyer that an item is not genuine, but there is no guarantee that he will tell the next buyer. As a result, I think it is responsible to warn buyers to know what they are buying. A Questionable Ace of Spades In general this card looks pretty good from the front and passes the “How does it look” test. The problem is the back. We know that almost all of these items were cross hatched on the back so that the enemy could not place messages on them and use them for propaganda. This card has a blank back. Worse, we can see the crosshatching on the front where it must have bled through on a card that was photographed. So, we have a faint image on the front from a back that does not exist. Now, it could have simply been pulled from the printing press early with only the front finished, but there is no way to tell. It is simply “questionable.” A Variant of the Standard "Death Awaits" Card An Air Force veteran who served in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968 found this variant of the standard Death Awaits card. Note that although it seems identical at first glance, the spades at the corner are boxed, and the text at the back is shorter in length than in the more common versions. We have mentioned earlier that there was a debate about the Ace of Spades and if it instilled fear. The same argument apparently took place over the skull and crossed bones. The 4th PSYOP Group Monthly Operation Report for December 1969 says: Revision of B-52 leaflets was initiated in the past on the basis of reinforcing fear with the use of death symbols such as a cloaked skeleton or skull and crossed bones. An initial discussion by several panels indicate that the skull and crossed bones as a recognizable symbol of death as presently used was partially confirmed by Hoi Chanhs. However, further interviews with prisoner of war personnel tended to nullify the initial assumption, and on the contrary the aircraft itself appeared to stand as somewhat of a death symbol. In addition, there appeared to be a division of response between people from the North and the South, and the North Vietnamese Army men exhibited no special association at all with the skull and crossed bones Death Card Poster I also have a large death card variant in my possession: 16 x 10.25-inches and printed on one side only; black print on white background; probably designed to be posted on buildings and trees. It has the same ace of spades card with skull and crossbones and below it are 4 lines of shaded verse. It is coded 244-298-67, so it was printed by our 244th PSYOP Company in I Corps in 1967. The poster message is: The owls are calling for the souls of the Viet Cong

Those wandering souls without destination

Spreading countless horrors to the people

Those wandering souls died in nameless graves RETURN [to the National Government] OR DIE These posters are very rare. I did see one in 2019 that was from the personal papers of a former Marine who had been a member of the 1st Recon. It was neatly folded into 16 squares so that might be the way they were issued. 244-297-67 We mention the 244th PSYOP Company above and here is a death card that they produced. It has no text on the front and the standard cross-hatching on back with the regular propaganda statement. Death Awaits with scythe This card is similar except that there is no central large ace of spades and the skull is accompanied by a scythe. Death Awaits with scythe (variation) In this variation Death is now inside a large black spade and the Letter "A" is now made up of bones. The message on the back is identical on all three cards. CAP 1-3-9 Ace of Spade In spring of 1970 the United States Marine Combined Action Platoon (CAP) 1-3-9 stationed in Binh Song about 14 kilometers east of Tra Bong received intelligence indicating that they were about to be attacked by a large force of regular North Vietnamese Army troops. PSYOP was called in to help with the defense of the unit and they dropped a leaflet depicting an ace of spades on the front with the text: DIE! The same thing will happen again The back of the leaflet is all text: NVA from Hanoi, 116 died on September 12, 1969 in Ah Phong. NVA should never come back here again because they will die. The leaflet is coded 7-301-70. The leaflet may have worked because there was no immediate attack. However, the 6th Battalion of the 21st NVA Regiment did attack two CAP units to the east of 1-3-9 in April and May, so there was definitely strong activity in the sector. Compliments of 2nd Platoon Marine Lance-Corporal Jerry Sitek was given this card as a member of Delta 1-7 when he was on hill 41 about October 1968. Notice that this card actually has USMC all around the border. It was not given as a death card to be placed on bodies, more of a souvenir and a symbol of his membership in the unit. He sent it home at the first opportunity because he did not want to lose it or have it destroyed. We love you but Another Marine card was a personalized type purchased at the Freedom Hill Military Exchange (PX) near Da Nang Air Base by a former Marine Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol member of the 1st Marine Reconnaissance Battalion. If its tough I have seen about four different items from the 1st Marine Reconnaissance Battalion. Here is a calling card from the collection of Eric Doc Schwartz. Doc Schwartz at lower center

Recon Forever! Semper Fi! A second version of the 1st Recon Card This card was sent home by First Lieutenant Charles W. Sharman III of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, in May 1969. A Third Version, this one from the 3rd Platoon In 2019 three more Recon cards were found in the papers of a retired Recon Marine: The Professionals The first does not mention the specific unit but the image shows it is definitely for recon. They men must have made up the card and forgot to tell the printer to add deadly below the skull because you can see that they wrote it in by hand. For a Job Well Done

This seems to be a personal card from a Marine nicknamed Squeaky. He identifies his unit as 3rd Herd so I assume he was in the 3rd Platoon.

3rd Platoon in Force Recon This card mentions Association Ltd. so it might be a group formed by the Recon Marines during or after the war. This would seem to be the personal card of Sergeant Orlando, AKA Suicide Three. Another 3rd Platoon Death Card without the Suicide 3 at the bottom Fighting Aces This death card is from the 2nd Battalion of the 34th Armor Regiment (the Dreadnaughts), one of the two armor units in the 25th Infantry Division. The Division arrived in Vietnam from Hawaii on 28 March 1966 and departed 8 December 1970. The Battalion fought with the 25th from 1 August 1967 until reassigned to the 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Carson on 15 December 1970. One soldier remarked that he was issued a deck of cards upon entering the company. A printed page described the origin of this card in some depth. It said in part: On 1 March 1967, Charlie Company, 2/34 Armor was attacked by a North Vietnamese Army unit estimated to be of Battalion size Pulling the dead NVA onto the road to get an accurate body count, Captain Kimmerling told one of the men to throw an Ace of Spades on one of the dead enemy. Captain Kimmerling explained that the Vietnamese were a superstitious people, and to them the Ace of Spades was a symbol of death. From that point on Charlie Company was known as the Fighting Aces because of their stubborn defense against a determined enemy. Iraqi Special Forces Card In August 2017, veteran Loren Schofield, wrote to say that he had designed a death card to be used by the Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF). The front shows a skull over the British Fairbairn- Sykes Commando knife and the crossed arrows of Special Forces. The back of the card depicts an Iraqi eagle and sword over a parachute indicating Airborne. Schofield sells the cards online and says that he send cards and a portion of the proceeds to the Iraqi Special Forces. Scythe with blood Another variation depicts the scythe with blood dripping from it. I have mostly seen these as sewn patches, so it is possible that they were not prepared in the form of death cards. 2nd Squadron of the 11th Armored Cavalry Although more a calling card than a death card; this card was used by a Sheridan tank crew in the 2nd Squadron of the 11th Armored Cavalry in Vietnam. Chieu Hoi One card does not threaten death as much as it offers life. This card depicts the symbol of the Chieu Hoi (Open Arms) organization and is a reminder to the Viet Cong that they can live by simply rallying to the Government of South Vietnam. Many other death cards exist. Whether they are genuine or not is anyone's guess. For instance, one depicts a skull and bone fingers holding scythe with the text, "101 ABN pathfinders" and "Hue Phu Bai." The back has text that says, "we are searching for viet cong, give up or die." Death from Above

Courtesy of CW2 John D Sarviss There seems a lot of confusion about this card. Several members of the 101st Airborne Division wrote in and gave their Captain Mozey credit for designing it. In 2019, retired Lieutenant Colonel Moseys son wrote to tell me the true story. I will tell his story first, and then leave some of the other tales about the card below them. To quote David Mozey: In early 1966, with the rank of Captain, William B. Mozey took over as Company Commander of Charlie Company, a Combat Infantry Rifle Company, of the 1st Battalion (Airmobile) 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. Prior to taking over as company commander, he came up with the now well-known card and its design, (drawing it out by hand, then and adding the words "Death From Above"). He contacted the Brown & Bigelow company (from his hometown), sending them the design. He asked if they could send him decks of playing cards" with the logo, and the words "Death From Above" underneath the wings & skull design. Captain William B. Mozey (Center) Holding Rifle Upright This picture was taken at the 1st Cavalry Division base (Camp Radcliff) at An Khe, Binh Dinh Province, Republic of Vietnam, in 1966. The men display the original flag that Captain Mozey designed. As stated, Only Charlie Company, 1/8th Cavalry Airmobile, was known as the Death From Above company in 1966. According to my Father, the other companies in the battalion, and even other airborne units started asking if they could obtain some of the cards. To which my father replied the only way you will get one is, if you become a traitor, and fight for the other side. After my Father's 1st tour (1965-1966), other units started to utilize the slogan, and even came up with many different variations in the design of the original card. This has become one of the most recognized symbols to have come out of the Vietnam war, as there seems to be endless amounts of "take off designs" that range from cards to t-shirts available to purchase on the internet, and other venues. Vietnam Death from Above Poster "Death From Above" Beer from New Zealand There was even a Beer named Death From Above from New Zealand. I would like to add, approximately 30 years ago, my father gave permission to a fellow combat veteran he met on his 2nd tour in Vietnam 1968-1969, (who coincidentally also lives in Minnesota), that he could manufacture new Death From Above cards with the stipulation, that they have an 3/16" white border encompassing the entire outside edge, of the otherwise black colored background of the card. The original decks were a standard deck of playing cards, not just decks of aces of spades. Also my Father has stated that during his time as Charlie Company's Commander in 1966, the Phrase Death From Above was never banned, nor was it an Article 15 offense: and the Company was never broken up, and Charlie Company 1/8th, never committed any atrocities, while he was in command. Medically retired due to his battle wounds, Captain Jon H. Williams was a platoon leader under Captain Mozey in the highlands in 1966. He adds: We never committed any atrocities but left a Death from Above card on each enemy we killed. Charley Company won all its battles with brilliant tactics and suffered a minimum of friendly casualties. My second tour in Vietnam was as Company Commander of Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 187th Airborne Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, from December 1967 through June 1968. I copied Captain Mozeys idea and wrote Brown and Bigelow requesting 500 decks of the Death from Above cards. They generously airmailed them to me and as in 1966 they were great for troop morale. Now that we have the story from the man that designed the cards, here are a number of the stories told by men who used them.

Another card depicts a winged skull and the words "Death From Above." This card was printed by the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. There is a confirmed report that this card was designed by Captain Mozey of C Company, 1st Battalion of the 8th Cavalry Regiment "The Jumping Mustangs" during his Vietnam tour of 1965-1966. A member of the unit told me that: The calling card was placed on the chest or tucked, slightly, in the shirt pocket. But as I said before we did not use it except to say "We were here." The actual Death From Above saying was a WWII phrase. As of August 1966, the 1st & 2nd of the 8th Jumping Mustangs were all carrying a deck of "Death From Above" cards. Specialist 4 Kevan Mynderup, a former member of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1968 adds his memories of the cards which are somewhat different from the Company Commanders: I can confirm that the Death From Above card was designed by Captain William B. Mozey in either late 1965 or early 1966. When Bill took over the company the nickname was changed to Death From Above and the unit members got a full deck of the playing cards along with a Black Silk scarf with the Death From Above and airborne Skull on it. The phrase was banned in the Battalion Area, so the guys said DFA until the brass figured that out. It was an Article 15 offense to say either. The company was broken up at least 2 times because of DFA and the cards and scarves disappeared, but returned in 1968 when I was with the company. Only Charlie 1/8th Cavalry was known as Death From Above at this time. The other companies had their own nicknames as did all the companies in the 1st Air Cavalry Division. Brown and Bigelow Printers Although Mozey has been credited with designing the cards, it appears that he had them printed in the United States. One complete deck was found in an old foot locker and the cards turn out to have been printed by: Brown & Bigelow, St. Paul, Minn., U.S.A. Text on the actual deck adds the following information: The Business builders, 55164, A Saxon Industrial Company. Brown & Bigelow of St Paul, Minnesota, was a leading producer of playing cards in the U.S. from the late 1920s to the 1980s. Brown & Bigelow manufactured playing cards under several brand names, as well as novelty and advertising decks. There seems to be no record of them producing Death Cards, so perhaps because of the political situation in the United States the company chose to keep their participation in the production of these cards quiet. Former Specialist Fourth Class Vic Castle told me that when he arrived in Vietnam as a member of the 1/8th Cavalry on 1 May 1967 they showed him the death cards and black silk scarf and told him their use was prohibited. Once again, this is different than what the Company Commander has stated: The clerk calls out my name. I get in Jeep for short ride to 1/8th Cavalry. There is a large sign that says, 1/8th Cavalry: Airborne, Air Assault, Air Mobile. Out walks this Sergeant who greets us. I tell him I think there has been a mistake. I havent had Jump training. He says, Don't worry about it; we don't give you a damn parachute anyway. He assigns me to A Company. He shows me the Death card and the Death From Above black scarf and tells me if I get caught with either it is an Article 15. He remembers that some unit members were court-martialed while using the cards. He said: I was told that the men were carving a Cavalry patch on a dead Viet Cong's chest and stuck the playing card in his mouth. There was a soldier from an engineer outfit there and he took some pictures. He sent them back to his father who apparently was not amused. An investigation followed and then a trial of a First Lieutenant and a buck Sergeant. I think the trial was held in St. Louis and both men were sent to Ft. Leavenworth. It seems to me that the two men were tried for abusing the body of the dead Viet Cong rather than the use of the death cards. Such charges have occurred in Iraq and Afghanistan. It seems perfectly acceptable to shoot a terrorist a dozen times or hack him to death with a bayonet, but abuse the body in any way afterwards and it is a criminal act. How strange. Curiously, the Death from Above death cards reappeared again 30+ years later when American troops were sent to the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm. Strike Recon After years of looking at death cards I suspect that nobody ever made as many as the 101st Airborne. Here we show another, used by Strike Recon, First Battalion of the 502nd Airborne Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. One side depicts the screaming eagle, a combat infantry badge and airborne wings. The other side depicts a bright red heart and the text: Compliments of Strike Recon 1/502 We have a HOME  where is your home? There are skulls and crossed bones at the four sides, and the second message is in both English and Vietnamese and probably is in regard to the North Vietnamese Army having a home hundreds of miles north. Have Gun will travel It seems a lot of units liked the old slogan from the television show Paladin. This card is again from the 101st Division, in this case, A Troop of the 2nd Squadron of the 17th Cavalry. The front has the Screaming Eagle and the ace of spades. The back depicts a parachute and a badge not too dissimilar from a Combat Infantry Badge. The owner was told that these cards were ordered in blocks of 10,000. B Troop B Troop also had a Death card. The image on their website is rather small but we want to show as many different cards as we can find so I have added it. B Troop of the 2nd Squadron of the 17th Cavalry of the 101st Airborne Division has a card with a B, cavalry sabers, the Combat Infantry Badge and Parachute wings with the words: Bush Gangsters, You Call, We Kill Rick Bear Sugamele

Rick Bear Sugamele of Company D, 1/502, 101st Airborne Division.

Courtesy of the the William Murray photo collection Chinese Bandits Ranger Sergeant Jerry Conners sent the above card that was prepared for the Chinese Bandits Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) Team of the 1st Battalion (Airborne) 8th Cavalry. The card depicts a coiled cobra about to strike and the words, Chinese Bandits  Sudden Death. The card was initially designed by PFC Raymond Carley (Killed in action), SP4 Carlos Hatcher (Killed in action) and SP4 John Spickler in the late spring of 1966. The design was used as a pocket patch on uniforms and as a death card on the battlefield. Conners adds: I did not hear the term "death card" until many years later. We used the term kill card at the time. I have read and spoke to others that state they used the term death card as early as 1965. I won't argue with them. Many recon NCOs were levied from the 101st and I was in contact with those friends that went to the 173rd and 101st (in country) and I recall them saying kill card. This was an era of wearing Mohawk haircuts, scalp locks, distinctive Boy Scout type scarves, etc. Sat Cong There were other types of death cards that did not bear the ace of spades. For instance, one card depicts a skull wearing a Vietnamese farmer's hat with cross-hairs over the face and the words Sat Cong ("Kill Communists"). I have seen this same saying tattooed on the body of South Vietnamese commandos. I saw you Another card appears to be a SOG product. It depicts a rifleman taking aim at a Viet Cong Guerrilla. The text in Vietnamese is "I saw you but let you live next time you die." The back of the card depicts a crude skull and crossed bones. There are numerous such fake cards sold on the Internet but this one would seem to be genuine. It is depicted in John L. Plasters SOG  a Photo History of the Secret War, Paladin Press, Boulder, CO, 2000. The author says about this particular image: SOG calling card designed to be left by recon teams behind enemy lines. Recon Team Death Card The author also depicts a card with a skull and crossed bones and says: Some recon teams inserted their own psychological warfare items  such as this card that was published untraceably in Thailand and left them on NVA bodies. 101st An even cruder card depicts a winged skull with an open parachute behind. Text is all Vietnamese, and at the bottom left is the crest of the 506th Infantry (Airmobile) and at the lower right the crest of the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles Division. The text on the card is not actually a sentence, but rather a group of Vietnamese words. Some of the words are Quan Sat (Observed), Viet Cong (Communists), Ban Chet (Shoot to Kill), and Dau Hang (Surrender). The word shoot is misspelled. A language expert looked the card over and said the meaning is probably closest to: If we see you, we will kill you, though a literal translation is More like: Observe , shoot you dead. The final words at the right can be translated as Viet Cong Surrender. We can partially date this card because some of the three battalions of the 506th Infantry were in Vietnam from October 1967 to December 1971. There is a patch known that is nearly identical but it adds: LR 101st RP, at the bottom which might imply that the image was for the 101st Airborne Division Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol. Danger This poster has a skull very similar to the card above. A Vietnam War veteran said that he was given one of the above posters from a River Division 543 member. The division, along with the other river divisions in Vietnam, patrolled the rivers to interdict any enemy movement of weapons and supplies to the south. They patrolled in PBRs (Patrol Boat River), in what became known as the Brownwater Navy. The poster bears the code P7-1838-69, which indicates a poster prepared by the 7th PSYOP Battalion in 1969. The text is: Danger Viet Cong cadres and soldiers in this area will die!! An Australian Death Leaflet This is really not a death card in the true sense of the term, but it is very close. The Australians fought in Vietnam alongside the South Vietnamese and the Americans. Among their better known troops was the Special Air Service (SAS). These were very well trained soldiers, not unlike American Special Forces. They had the Australian 1st Psychological Operations Unit print this leaflet coded ATF-091-71 and entitled Death Notice on 26 February 1971. The leaflet depicts two skulls on the front and a vulture over a skeleton on the back. The text on the front is: Your camp has been discovered: You are no longer safe. Fill out the spaces on the back of this notice and keep it with you. When we find your body we will use it to give you a proper burial. The Australians know that the Vietnamese believe that if they die and are buried in an unmarked grave away from their home village their restless ghost will walk the Earth forever. They are offering to return the body to give the ghost everlasting peace. The back of the leaflet asks for the following information. Full Name; Rank; Religion; Next of Kin; Date of Birth; Unit. Notice that if the enemy soldier was captured and refused to talk, this leaflet when filled out would give all the pertinent information any Intelligence S2 Section could want. It serves three purposes. It demoralizes the soldier telling him that he is about to die, it reminds him of eternal damnation if not given a proper burial, and it could be an intelligence goldmine. The Hustlers Strike Back Because the idea of a death card is so popular and collectable, many hustlers have produced their own fakes cards and leaflets and sell them regularly on various auction sites. The above fake pretends to be a Viet Cong leaflet that depicts an ace of spade death card and offers a reward for American soldiers. Of course, it never was within 10,000 miles of Vietnam and is a complete fabrication. Five of the above leaflets are offered at auction for $7.99. If they were genuine Viet Cong products they would easily be worth about $20 each. I normally give the text here but this leaflet is so bad that many parts of it are almost impossible to translate. The leaflet does not have correct Vietnamese tone marks. It is clearly written by someone who does not know Vietnamese. I think that the author simply took some Vietnamese phrases, some of which he knew, or guessed, the meaning of and some of which he had no idea what they meant, and threw them together helter-skelter Reward Guerrilla Militia Forces (Misspelled one word)

No idea what the author means by his next line

Determined to Win

100,000 piasters

Reward for Accomplishment

Not (unknown word) American Imperialists

American Imperialist Pirates!

They are an Enemy with whom we cannot live under the same sky

Live under the same sky Unit patches as Death Cards The Black Lions Some units that did not design death cards apparently used unit patches to mark the Viet Cong they killed. Since the cards were probably $20 for a thousand and the patches probably cost about a dollar each at the PX, this was an expensive way to mark the dead. One member of the 2/28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, sends a copy of his unit patch. The patches were left on members of the 272nd and 273th North Vietnamese Army Regiments. He pointed out that the subdued patches were free in the supply room and his platoon sergeant liked to advertise. Another soldier said that his unit did not use death cards but some misguided individuals left unit patches sometimes on the dead. On one occasion he was ordered to retrieve one because it was considered an embarrassment to his unit. Genuine Fake Death Card Patch? This strange pocket patch depicting a death's head inside the letter "D" can be bought in Ho Chi Minh City today. It is similar to some official military pocket patches and it has been offered as a Project Delta patch. It has also been offered as a death card patch. I suspect it is a fantasy produced by current Vietnamese entrepreneurs, but I could be wrong. I add it simply to show the reader's the kind of items can be found on the market today. In August 2017, a patch specialist wrote and told me: That is actually a WWII British insignia for D Troop No. 3 Commando. By the way, that is a reproduction of the patch and not genuine. Only the Vietnamese would reproduce a 1940s WWII British Commando patch and sell it to unsuspecting Americans in the 2000s as a Vietnam War Project Delta patch. God bless those Vietnamese; they are creative. Death Cards vs. Calling Cards We should take a moment to differentiate between death cards and calling cards. The death card is easy to identify. It usually is black or features black vignettes, shows an ace of spades, or makes some threat of death to the Viet Cong. In the words of one ex-Cavalryman: It was the Best of the Best that used the cards. The guys that wanted Charlie to be really sure who it was that killed him. The whole idea was to scare the crap out of Charlie. Calling cards are quite different. The military has a long tradition of using calling cards for social introductions. As a sergeant major assigned to a new unit one of my first tasks was to visit the home of the commanding officer and leave a calling card in a silver tray. It was understood that was the way one properly introduced himself. A reader recently asked the difference between death cards and calling cards. They both often feature skulls and often mention death. I do not know if there is an official description, but it seems to me there is on major difference. The death card is not personal. It does not mention names. It mentions the unit and attempts to frighten the enemy by threatening them with all kinds of horrible death and destruction should they dare to challenge the unit. The calling card is personal, and usually mentions the name and rank of an individual and sometimes a crew. It is more like a business card, mentioning the skills and talents of a person rather than that of a unit. Like all military traditions, there is even a prescribed military way in which the card is used: Calling cards are a courtesy you extend to your hosts. They are desired by most military hosts and hostesses for a reference file of past friends and acquaintances in the service. Proper custom dictates that you leave one card for each adult member of the household, including guests, but never leave more than three of any one card. Cards should be left in a tray near the door either upon arrival or departure. When making a call and the person on whom you are calling is not home, leave the card with someone who is present or slip it under the door. Calling cards were not used for a time, but the tradition of using them is returning and they are being used more and more today. Republic of Vietnam Supporter Membership Card This card probably does not belong here but it is too interesting not to show and I could not think of another place to show it. I have my own translation but some Vietnamese translated it with a few different words (although the meaning was the same) so I have decided to use the best words from each transaction. It would appear that the cards were made by the 244th PSYOP Company in Corps Zone I in 1966 and handed out in some sort of ceremony to South Vietnamese citizens that supported their government. The back of the card depicts a tiger. The text is: [Blank space for name of recipient] Is recognized as an honorary member who supports the Republic of Vietnam in its fight against the Communists to provide security in the home front. Calling cards were also popular among warriors and combat units. They tended to be long on exaggeration and braggadocio. It was the old Davy Crockett "Killed him a bar when he was only three" syndrome. Tough guys talk tough. Many of the cards we will show during the rest of this article are really calling cards. They mention death and destruction, but in general they were not meant to be left on a body. However, if the body count was high and you just happened to be standing there...well, a calling card might become a death card. So, enjoy the rest of the cards. They were produced by men and units who were proud of their fighting ability and willing to tell the world about it. Let's just say that these cards were multi-purpose. Viet Cong Banknote Overprinted by "Robin Hoods" Although ARVN forces made up the majority of troops involved in the Cambodian incursion. American helicopters provided air transportation, liaison, medical evacuation, and close fire support. One of the aviation units was the 173rd Assault Helicopter Company (AHC). The 173rd AHC was attached to the 11th Aviation Battalion (Combat) for the Cambodian raid. The 173rd took part in 14 campaigns. It received 8 battle decorations including the Valorous Unit Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with palm, and the Republic of Vietnam Civil Action Honor Medal. The radio call sign of the 173rd AHC was "Robin Hood." Members of the helicopter company "liberated" some of the banknotes confiscated during the raid and overprinted them as souvenirs with the text " Compliments of / 173rd AHC / The Robin Hoods." They might have been simply souvenirs of the raid, or they might have been used in some cases as "calling cards" to be placed on the bodies of dead Viet Cong. Whatever their use, they are the only known type of calling card prepared on an enemy banknote during the Vietnam War. Four more death cards are depicted in The Vietnam Photo Book, Mark Jury, Vintage Books, NY, 1986. Jury was a specialist 5 (SP5) sent to Vietnam in July 1969. As an army photographer he was able to document much of the war. He illustrates a photograph of two army medics carrying a Viet Cong guerrilla on a stretcher. The caption is: Two orderlies carried the wounded VC off the medevac [Medical evacuation helicopter] and disappeared inside the hospital. A few minutes later one of the orderlies came out and handed me a calling card. "You want a souvenir?" he said. "This was stuck in the bandages. We get them all the time." He looked at the "dealers of death" card and mused, "Ummm, First of the Sixth. They've been kicking some ass." Gunfighters Death Card The card is depicted below the photograph. It depicts a skull and crossed bones within an ace of spades. The text is: A CO 1. 6th 198th L.I.B. - GUNFIGHTERS 1969-1970 - DEALERS OF DEATH. ["LIB" is a "Light Infantry Brigade.] A Second Variation of the Gunfighters Death card The text on this card is: A CO 1. 6th 198th L.I.B. - GUNFIGHTERS - Swift Silent - 1969-1970 - DEALERS OF DEATH.

WE SPECIALIZE IN VC EXTERMINATION, 24 HOUR SERVICE, SPECIAL MERCENARY RATES The second card is all text: Gunslingers Those who kill for pleasure are sadists. Those who kill for money are professionals. Those who kill for both are Gunslingers. [Although the nickname Gunslingers was fairly common, this card may have been used by the 1st Battalion, 377th Field Artillery Regiment, activated in 1968 and assigned to the 101st Airborne Division]. Death On Call The third card depicts a winged griffon holding the insignia of the 101st Airborne Division in one hand and a lightning bolt in the other. The text is: Love by nature - Live by luck - kill by profession - DEATH ON CALL - wire Griffin, San Francisco, 96383 - C Btry, 4th Bn (ARA), 77th Arty. [Once again we have a unit attached to the 101st Airborne Division. One battlefield report states, Death on call Cobras from C Btry, 4th Bn (ARA), 77th Arty in one of the largest battlefield actions in recent months killed 60 North Vietnamese Army soldiers and destroyed one mortar position, resulting in six secondary explosions, 20 miles west of Quang Tri.] Front and back of Kingsmen Calling Card The above card depicts an inverted ace of spades on the front with the word "Kingsmen" in gold. The back is all text: INTRODUCING THE "KINGSMEN" U.S. ARMY. Assault Helicopter Company. SPECIALTIES: Combat assaults (Day and Night), LRRP Ins. & EXTR, Emergency Ammo Resupply, Flairship & Phyops (sic), Emergency Medivacs, VC Extermination, People Sniffer & Defoliation. SIDE LINES: Worlds Greatest Pilot, International Playboy, War Monger, Renowned Booze Hound, Social Lion, Ladies Man. PROVIDING: Death and Destruction 24-Hrs. a day. If you care enough to send the very best, send KINGSMEN. A Variation of the Kingsmen Card Opera non Verba  Deeds not Words A second variation of this card is more specific with the unit being identified as B Company 101st AHB, and the additional specialties: F.O.B. (we do the old Quang-Tri-trick), Flare ship, NOD, and Insecticide, 71st Assault Helicopter Company Calling Card 71st Assault Helicopter Company Patch The Rattler/Firebird History page says: The 71st Assault Helicopter Company served in Vietnam from 1964 until 1971, moving from its original base at Bien Hoa to Chu Lai in 1967. The radio call signs Rattler and Firebird were used by its aircraft during its service in Vietnam. Rattler was used by our UH-1D & H helicopters (known as "slicks") that carried troops, supplies, ammunition, performed command and control, combat assault, medical evacuation and insertion - extraction missions, as well as many others. The call sign Firebird was used by our UH-1B, C & M gunships, some of the most feared gunships in all of Vietnam.

Kingsmen Unit Crest

The Kingsmen were originally the 17th Assault Helicopter Company from Ft. Riley Kansas and part of the First Aviation Brigade. They were attached to the 101st Airborne after the Tet uprising in 1968. When the 101st became an Airmobile Division the company was infused into the Division and redesignated B Company, 101st Aviation Brigade. The unit insignia on the tail boom was a white diamond, this diamond was the border of their uniform patch with a black spade centered in the diamond. During the Vietnam War they performed numerous missions; some of their helicopters equipped with loudspeakers for propaganda messages, the delivery of thousands of aerial leaflets, special operations missions into Laos as well as Lam Son 719 and Nighhawk missions (deny the enemy freedom of movement at night by the use of starlite scopes and automatic weapons) in their operational area.

Calling Card of the 10th Combat Aviation Battalion. The Battalion was stationed in Dong Ba Thin. It had three assault companies that were regularly relieved. The basic companies during the year 1970 were the 48th, 92nd, and 155th Assault Helicopter Companies. Other units that were part of the Battalion in 1970 were the 192nd 243rd and 281st Assault Helicopter Companies. This card was owned by a member of the 48th Assault Helicopter Company in Ninh Hoa that supported the 9th (White Horse) Republic of Korea Division from 1968 to 1969. The 92nd AHC supported the 23rd Vietnamese Army Division among others. The 155nd AHC supported the U.S. 4th Army Division.

Mustang

Other calling cards abound. It seems that they fascinated fixed-wing and helicopter pilots. One such card depicts a black chess knight and the text: Have Gun Will Travel  Mustang 22  Wire Mustang A. P. O. 96227. This card is reminiscent of the one carried by the western television hero Paladin, whose card depicted a white chess knight and the words, "Have Gun - Will travel -Wire Paladin  San Francisco." Spooky Spooky was the call sign of the AC-47 gunship. In modern warfare the gunship would be a C-130 with the call sign Spectre. During the Vietnam War the 4th Special Operations Squadron used the above calling card, offering in part: Spooky  AC-47 Dragonship RVNs # 1 Fly By Night Outfit We Defend: Outposts  Hamlets  Special Forces Camps  Ambush Patrols and any other TIC Our 7.62 Devastates: Monkeys, Sampans, Ground markers, Campfires, Water Buffalo 'Call "A" Flight, Da Nang 2425, 3005 Daily 1800-0600 When you hurt enough to want the very best This card was used by A Flight in Da Nang. B Flight in Pleiku, C Flight in Nha Trang, D Flight in Bien Hoa, and E Flight in Binh Thuy had their own calling cards. 18th Special Operations Squadron Here is another gunship calling card. This one was sent by Terry Sarul who flew missions from 1971-72, and was a Staff Sergeant when he was discharged in 1974. Terry was a Gunner, (officially: Airborne Weapons Mechanic) credited with 120 missions. The 18th flew out of Vietnam and Thailand and offers to attack and suppress mortars, trucks, and sampans and protect Allied bases, outposts and troops in trouble. The 18th Flew the AC-119K call-sign Stinger (We called all the 119s Flying Boxcars or Flying Coffins). The 119K replaced the earlier 119G, call-sign Shadow. The Air Force added two 20 mm Vulcan ca