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• Vu Lan Festival

Vu Lan Festival, or Wandering Souls Day, is an important spiritual holiday in Vietnam. Held in the middle of Ghost Month, it's said that the world of the spirits is open to that of humans during this magical time. Many Vietnamese will pay a visit to their local temple to honour their family and ancestors with votive offerings. Some perform a ritual of washing the feet of their parents and wearing a white or red rose in honour of their mother. In the UNESCO-listed town of Hoi An, Vietnamese light small lanterns for their loved ones and set them afloat on the Hoài River. 

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Vu Lan Festival

What Is Vu Lan Festival & Its Meaning To Vietnamese? 

Digging deep into festivals in Vietnam, you will easily realize that Vu Lan festival is one of the biggest and most important one in a year. The festival is the occasion for children to show their gratitude to their parents no matter whether they have died or are still alive.  

I - What is the Vu Lan festival? 

Ii - legend about vu lan festival .

• III - Top popular rituals

For Vietnamese people, July of the lunar calendar is a special month when they have to pay a lot of attention to every action so as not to violate taboos. However, it coincides with a very important event called the Vu Lan festival (wandering souls day or ghost festival) on which they do a lot of rites and rituals to show how much they love their parents. This every event is a prime manifestation of gratefulness, a good tradition of the nation.   

Taking place on the 15th of the lunar July, Vu Lan (also known with the name of Yulan Pen, Ullambana, Seventh Full Moon Ghost Day, and Mother’s day in Vietnam) is one of the most popular festivals of Asian culture such as China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Originating from Taoist & Buddhist, this festival is a way of honoring the dead, that is why it is called the festival of wandering souls. No matter what it is called in different cultures, the common spirits of the Vu Lan festival are related to compassion, kindness, gratitude, and filial piety. 

Burning fake paper money on festival  - Source: vietnamplus

For example, Koreans have Jungwon day when people think seriously about themselves to realize what they have done wrong, find ways to fix and forgive their soul; Japanese have Bon - Odori days when they make lotus shaped rice cakes to put on the family altar. The ceremony of Vu Lan festival is also the chance for people to visit the ancestor graves, ask about relatives’ life and most importantly to hold birthday parties for senior members. 

The full-moon day of the lunar July, according to Chinese’s perspectives, is the day the evil world opens the door, the miasmata dominate, therefore human beings must follow strict abstinences in order not to irritate spirits. To satisfy spirits so that they let Humans alone, Chinese people often burn fake money with a belief that this money will unburden their life in the other world. 

Vu Lan festival is one of the most important festivals in Vietnam . On this day, the children try to do everything to make their mothers and fathers happy, for example, students study hard to bring home their highest score, those working away from home try to come back and spend times with their parents, even those whose parents passed away can still demonstrate their love by putting bouquet of flowers or anything that the deads liked when they were still alive. 

According to the perspective of Vietnamese people , the month that Vu Lan festival falls is said to be filled with a miasma of ghosts and unrested souls because this is when the gate of hell is opened. Therefore, people are advised not to perform any important things, go out late at night, pick up money found on roads, swear or call the name of ghosts or evils,...

Venerable Muc Kien Lien - Source: songdep

According to the Yulan Pen Sutra, this  festival comes from the Buddha who taught the method of filial piety to parents. The first person to receive it was Venerable Muc Kien Lien - one of the 10 outstanding disciples of his.

It is recorded that in the past, when Venerable Muc Kien Lien was rewarded for a devout life, recalled his mother, he used his eye to search everywhere in heaven and earth, he immediately saw his mother in the hungry devils, being tortured by hunger and thirst. Loving his mother, he used his divine powers to offer his mother a full bowl of rice. Unfortunately, Mrs. Thanh De - his mother is still too greedy and delusional when she puts the rice in her mouth, the rice turns into fire. Venerable Muc Kien Lien had no way to save his mother, so he immediately returned to ask the Buddha.

The Buddha said: "No matter how powerful you are, you are not able to save your mother. The only one way is to ask for the cooperation of monks everywhere. After 3 months of settling down and focusing on casting spells could he transform his karma to help his mother get out of her misery". Venerable Muc Kien Lien followed the Buddha's words, invited monks, and prepared offerings on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month. Then his mother was liberated.

III - Top popular rituals celebrated in Vu Lan festival

Mother day in Vietnam - Source: meta

The Ghost festival in Vietnam coincides with the full moon day of the 7th month which is the day of Amnesty of Unquiet Spirits according to Asian customs. According to folk beliefs in Vietnamese culture , this is the day to worship the soul for the spirits who have no home, no refuge, no relatives on earth. This is also the day all prisoners in hell have the opportunity to be forgiven, break free. Therefore, in addition to the tray of offerings to grandparents and ancestors in the house, on Vu Lan festival in Vietnam, people also offer an outdoor tray for hungry ghosts and ghosts who have no place to rely on.

For Buddhism, on the occasion of the festival, Buddhists often pray for the deceased, do charity, release birds and fish to accumulate blessings and peace, and pray for their parents. In addition, during the wandering souls day Vietnam, when coming to the temple, Buddhists will pin a rose on their shirt: red rose for those whose mother is still alive and white rose for those whose mother is no longer alive. Those with a red rose are reminded to try their best to be obedient, filial, and polite to their parents. And those with white flowers will see it as a reminder to never forget their parents' gratitude, and at the same time maintain the family tradition, keeping a harmony between siblings.

Vu Lan festival in Hoi An - Source: hoadangducluong

Asides from these activities, when you visit Hoi An ancient town during the ghost festival in Vietnam, you will see people float flower lanterns on the Hoai river. Flower lantern is a light used to pray for good luck, peace and happiness. Floating flower lanterns on the Hoai river is the way Hoi An people send their wishes to those who have faded away. On the night of the Vietnamese mother’s festival, the whole space of Hoai river is lightened up by thousands of flower lanterns, creating a spectacular and divine scene. 

More about unique lantern festival in Hoi An

In this day and age, Vu Lan festival in Vietnam and filial piety need to be promoted and praised more strongly so that that tradition is always fostered, becoming the cultural strength of the nation today and forever.

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The Ultimate Guide to Vu Lan Festival in Vietnam

As the lunar July is coming, many Vietnamese families start to make preparations for the Vu Lan festival (Ullambana). It is also known as the Amnesty of Unquiet Spirits. After the lunar New Year (Tet) festival, this is the second largest annual traditional festival of Vietnam, and is celebrated by Vietnamese people participating in various religious rituals and humanitarian activities.

The Vu Lan Festival is a traditional celebration that occurs annually on the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar. This date typically corresponds to a full moon in the middle to late August or early September based on the solar calendar. In 2024, the Vu Lan Festival will be observed on Sunday, August 18th.

The event holds significant cultural and spiritual significance, particularly in Buddhist traditions. It is a time for honoring ancestors and expressing gratitude for their sacrifices and contributions. Families often visit ancestral graves, offer prayers, and make offerings as a way of paying respect to their departed loved ones.

The festival's name, "Vu Lan," is derived from the Sanskrit term "Ullambana," which means "deliverance from suffering." The celebration's origins can be traced back to a story in Buddhist scriptures about a disciple who sought to save his mother's soul from the realm of hungry ghosts through his compassionate actions and the teachings of the Buddha.

Throughout the festivities, various rituals and practices are observed, including the preparation of traditional dishes, the lighting of incense and candles, and the release of lanterns or lotus flowers into bodies of water. These symbolic gestures are meant to honor ancestors and guide their souls to a peaceful existence in the afterlife.

• The Vu Lan Festival is also known as the Ullambana Festival or the Obon Festival in Japan.
• It is one of the most important Buddhist festivals in many Asian countries, including Vietnam, China, Japan, and South Korea.
• During the festival, people visit pagodas, make offerings of food and flowers, and perform rituals to honor their ancestors' spirits.
• In some regions, people release lanterns or lotus flowers onto rivers or lakes to guide the spirits of their ancestors back to the afterlife.
• The festival's origins are rooted in a story about a Buddhist monk who used his spiritual powers to save his mother's soul from the realm of hungry ghosts.
• Families often prepare special vegan dishes during the festival, as it is believed that the spirits of ancestors cannot consume regular food.
• In Vietnam, the festival is closely associated with the legend of Maudgalyayana, one of the Buddha's closest disciples.

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Last updated on 2024-04-26 06:09:23.  

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TRUNG NGUYEN, WANDERING SOULS’ DAY

Trung Nguyen or Vu Lan or Wandering Souls’ Day is the second largest festival of the year (Tet is first). Though it falls on the 15th day of the seventh month, its celebration may be held at any convenient time during the latter half of the month. The festival is celebrated throughout the country, in Buddhist Pagodas, homes, businesses, factories, government offices, and Armed Forces units. It is not just a Buddhist holiday. In general, it’s celebrated by all Vietnamese who believed in the existence of God, good and also evil.

Belief Of Trung Nguyen, Wandering Souls’ Day

Many Vietnamese believe that every person has two souls; one is spiritual (Hon), and the other is material (Via). When a person dies, his soul is taken to a tribunal in hell and judged by ten justices. When the judgment is rendered, the soul is sent to heaven or hell, as a reward or punishment for the person’s conduct on earth.

They believe those sinful souls can be absolved of their punishment and delivered from hell through prayers said by the living on the first and 15 of every month. Wandering Souls’ Day, however, is believed to be the best time for priests and relatives to secure general amnesty for all the souls. On this day, the gates of hell are said to be opened at sunset and the souls there fly out, unclothed and hungry. Those who have relatives fly back to their homes and villages and find plenty of food on their family altars.

Those who have no relatives or have been forsaken by the living are doomed to wander helplessly through the air on black clouds, over the rivers, and from tree to tree. In reality, they are the sad “wandering souls” who are in need of food and prayer. This is why additional altars full of offerings are placed in pagodas and many public places.

This is a day that the oldsters have said, “the living and the dead meet in thought,” and traditional rites should be respected by all. Weather permitting, the services should be in the open air. Otherwise, the largest room in the house should be used so that there is room for many wandering souls.

During the ceremony, huge tables are covered with offerings which basically consist of three kinds of meat: boiled chicken, roast pork, and crabs; and five fruits. Other foods may be included such as sticky rice cakes, vermicelli soup, and meat rolls to satisfy the appetite of the wandering souls who are supposed to be hungry year-round.

Money and clothes made of votive papers are also burned at this time.

Butcher shops are especially careful to observe this holiday. Many people believe in reincarnation. Therefore, butchers are afraid that they might have killed some poor person.

Also, Vietnamese believe it is extremely bad luck to die away from home. Therefore, transportation carriers who have had fatalities among their passengers strictly observe the ceremonies.

Other Popular (Typical) Festivals, Holidays & Recreation In Vietnam

– Vietnamese Tet Nguyen Dan – Hai Ba Trung Day – Thanh Minh, Holiday Of The Dead – Doan Ngu (Opening Ceremony Of Summer) – The Whale Festival – Trung Thu, Mid-Autumn Festival – Recreation Activities

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Vietnam’s Wandering Souls Day

The Wandering Souls Day is one of the largest festivals in Vietnam, next to the Tet holiday. Also known as the Trung Nguyen, the holiday takes plays every 15th day of the 7th lunar month in the Buddhist calendar. The Wandering Soul’s Day is basically the Buddhist version of the All Soul’s Day of the Christian religion.

The Trung Nguyen festival is being celebrated all over the country, from temples, pagodas, local homes, and even government buildings and offices. This festival is not merely a Buddhist holiday, but a significant national holiday celebrated by almost all Vietnamese locals.

Local Belief

According to Vietnamese belief, each person has two souls, the material soul, and spiritual soul. The material soul is known as Via while the spiritual soul is Hon. Once a person dies, his soul will be taken into a tribunal in hell to be judged. After the judgment is rendered, the soul will either go to heaven or hell, depending on how the person behaved while still on Earth.

Locals believe those sinful souls can still be saved from hell by the prayers of the living relatives, which is done during the 1st and 15th of every month. During the Wandering Souls, locals believe that this is the best time for the relatives of the deceased to pray and ask forgiveness on behalf of these sinful souls. It is their belief that the gates of hell will be opened during the sunset and the souls would fly towards it hungrily and unclothed. Some souls would head home to their homes and villages, which is why relatives would cook plenty of food and place on their altars.

Those whose souls don’t have any home to go to or the ones that have been forsaken by the living would be wandering helplessly into the air of black clouds and over rivers, from one tree to another. Basically, these “wandering souls” are the ones who are in need of prayer the most. This is why locals would place additional altars filled with offerings in some public places.

Wandering Souls Celebration

Locals believe that the dead and the living will meet in thought during the Wandering Souls Celebration. Everyone is expected to abide by the tradition. If the weather permits, religious services, and ceremonies will be held in the open air. In some cases, the largest area of the house is often used allowing more space for the souls to wander around.

During the Wandering Souls Ceremony, huge tables will be filled with offerings that often consist of boiled meat, pork, chicken, and crabs, along with fruits. Some other foods that will be included are vermicelli soup, rice cakes, as well as meat rolls in order to feed the souls who are wandering around and are believed to be hungry.

During the celebration, money and clothes made from papers are being burned. Those who are in the business of butchering meat are said to exercise utmost caution during this holiday celebration. It’s because locals believe that this is a time for reincarnation. Thus, butchers have to be careful or they could end up killing some poor person’s soul.

Furthermore, the Vietnamese also believe that it’s bad luck for someone to die far away from home. This is why transport carriers that have encountered fatalities among its passengers would strictly observe the ceremony.

Vu Lan Day in Hoi An

All regions in Vietnam celebrate the Wandering Souls, but some places have their own different version. In Hoi An, the Wandering Souls is known as Vu Lan Day and is based on a legend. The legend was about a young boy named Muc Kien Lien who was among the ten principle disciples of Buddha who attained enlightenment at a very early age.

Her mother is said to have lived a wicked life and when she died, she was asked to pass into the 18 gates of hell as her punishment. Each door gets tougher and tougher and more terrifying for his mom to get through. Eventually, was overwhelmed by extreme hunger and when Muc Kien Lien found out about this, he decided to smuggle some food for her through a magic spell. He was able to successfully do that, however the tormentors of hell turned these foods into flame as soon as his mom eats them.

When Muc Kien Lien went back to the physical world, he asked guidance from Buddha to save his mother. The Buddha asked him to gather monks and devotees and have them pray every 15th day of the 7th lunar month. And this is how the Wandering Soul’s Day in Hoi An started.

Just like with the rest of the locals in the country, people in Hoi An believe that the gates of hell are opened during the Wandering Soul’s Day in order to give those sinful souls a chance to wander around and redeem themselves.

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Specialty tours & events, wandering souls’ day in hoi an, vietnam.

by Angelique Platas

Known by many names, including Vu Lan Day, Ghost Festival and Wandering Souls’ Day, this is a spiritual celebration in Hoi An, Vietnam. Travel to the ancient city Aug. 25 and observe as locals offer flowers, fresh fruit, sweet potatoes, rice cakes and sugarcane for the wandering souls of their ancestors. Festivalgoers celebrate deceased family and friends whose souls are able to roam for one day each year. The beautiful sight of candles and lanterns floating on the river are meant to guide the wandering souls to nirvana.

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Vu Lan Festival of Vietnamese people - 7th Lunar Month

What is vu lan festival.

Ram (full-moon day) Thang Bay in Vietnamese, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival or Ullambana Festival (Vu Lan), is a traditional Buddhist festival taking place on the 14th to 15th of the seventh month in lunar calendar.

It is considered the second most significant event of the year in Vietnam, after Tet holiday, and is an occasion to give thanks and praise to parents and ancestors as well as to embrace the “wandering souls”, in other words, the “forsaken spirits”.

Regarding the occasion in Buddhism, many followers in southern Vietnam took the practice of pinning red or white rose onto their shirts some 40 years ago to express their sincerity and respect to their parents. So far, it has become a customary practice in Ullambana Festival, reported VNN.

Accordingly, those whose parents passed away wear a white rose to show their grief and nostalgia to the deceased persons while those whose parents are alive to wear red rose to remind themselves of offspring’s responsibilities of respecting and making their parents happy.

Besides, the Full Moon Day of the Lunar Seventh Month, which takes place on 15th August this year, is considered a taboo time according to the long-lasting traditional belief of the Vietnamese people that the gates of hell open from the 1st to 14th so that hungry spirits are free for a short time before returning to the fiery depths on the 15th.

Therefore, Buddhist followers and Vietnamese families often offer vegetarian meal including congee, salt, rice, among others and burn votive personal belongings and money to feed the destitute spirits or to help wandering souls find their way back home.

This kind of worship aims to avoid bad luck and bring peace to all family members.

How Vu Lan Festival is celebrated in Vietnam and things to do?

Whether you are Buddhist or not, Vu Lan Festival in modern Vietnam has become a day to celebrate your parents and ancestors, and a reason to gather as a family and enjoy time together.

For the Vietnamese people who practice more traditional forms of celebration, there are different rituals to be done at home, at the pagodas, at the cemeteries of their forebears, cited vietnamisawesome.

On the morning of the seventh lunar month festival, a tray filled lavishly with fruits, snacks and dishes is placed on the family’s ancestral alter at home. Incense is burned to welcome ancestors back home to celebrate the festival with family. The living family will gather to pray and have lunch together, often vegetarian food.

At the pagodas

On Vu Lan Festival, pagodas all over the country are filled with activity as Buddhist monks, nuns and devotees gather to pray. Popular places of worship to visit in Ho Chi Minh City include Dieu Phap, Hoang Phap, and Vinh Nghiem.

The temples often have a ‘rose on the shirt’ ceremony for visitors. A red rose is worn if their mother is alive, whereas a white rose is worn for deceased mothers. The rose flower has become a symbol of love and connection among the community.

Apart from prayers, the Vietnamese people also express gratitude by offering flowers, fruits, joss paper, sticky rice cakes, snacks, to their ancestors. Many also offer fake banknotes and paper models of luxury items, including clothing, bags, air conditioners, and even villas and cars, in the hope that their relatives will be able to enjoy these items in the afterlife.

The monks also often offer a lecture to visitors, advising attendees on the responsibilities as children to their parents, and how to respect them whether they are living or have passed away.

Visiting cemeteries

Some people will also take the time during Vu Lan Festival to visit the graves of their ancestors. As part of the ceremony, the graves will be cleaned and maintained, people will pray and give gifts to the departed.

What are Vietnamese beliefs on 7th full-moon day?

According to Vietnamese belief, there are do’s and don’ts that people should notice when it comes to the 7th full-moon day of the year to avoid bad luck, reported Hanoitimes.

Vu Lan Festival amid Covid-19

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has requested that provincial Buddhist Sanghas, Buddhist dignitaries, followers, and pagodas nationwide celebrate the Vu Lan Festival and hold requiems for the deceased virtually via online apps.

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Wandering Souls Day (Vu Lan) – Vietnam

Wandering Souls Day is celebrated during the 15th day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar. Equivalent to the All Souls’ Day celebrated in Christian cultures, this festival, however, is observed by both Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.

Hon and Via

According to the country’s traditionally held belief, a human being possesses two souls: a spiritual soul called Hon and a material soul referred to as Via. The Vietnamese believe that during death, the soul is lead to hell and so must face a ten-judge tribunal.

A judgment is then rendered based on how a person lived on earth and the soul could either be punished by being sent to hell or rewarded by being sent to heaven. Souls who are heavy in sin have the opportunity to be absolved of their transgressions via prayers uttered by the living during the first and fifteenth of each month.

On Wandering Souls’ Day, also called Trang Nguyen or Vu Lan , priests and family members of those who died can request for the sins of their loved ones to be forgiven. On the day of the festival, hell’s gates are said to be open, allowing imprisoned souls freedom to wander.

There hungry souls go back to their villages and homes to feed on a slew of food prepared by their families placed on altars.

Souls who no longer have families or any loved ones are perennially doomed to wander over rivers, trees, and on black clouds. These souls need earnest prayers and food which is the reason why numerous offerings can be found in public places and pagodas.

Festival Traditions

Locals believe the festival is where the living and the dead meet in thought. Those who have lost their parents often ask for forgiveness for their sins as well as show their parents some gratitude. Locals send lights afloat on the river with the intent that these will help guide souls to heaven.

Events held on this day are usually in the open air, if weather permits, or large rooms inside houses where there is space for wandering souls to rest.

Tables covered with a slew of offerings can be seen on festival day, which include boiled chicken, crabs, roast pork, and five different kinds of fruits. Sticky rice cakes, meat rolls, vermicelli soup, boiled cassava, sugarcane, and sweet potatoes are similarly served. Meanwhile, paper-made clothes, money, and votive papers are burned due to the belief that these can be used by the dead in the spirit world.

Interestingly enough, butcher shops also observe this festival cautiously as the locals’ belief in reincarnation compels butchers to halt their operation due to the fear of killing a soul who reincarnated in the body of an animal.

Where to Celebrate

The festival is observed in any and every place in Vietnam be it businesses, homes, government offices, factories, or Armed Forces units. According to locals, the best place to celebrate Wandering Souls Day is in Hue due to the many Buddhist shrines and pagodas in the area. Monks, who are more than ready to perform ceremonies and offer prayers, are also present in Hue.

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Vu Lan & Ghost Festivals Posted by Kandle Dart on Aug 23, 2021 in Culture , Events

Photo by Sarah Coates on Unsplash

Originating from China , the Lễ Vu lan and Cô hồn (Vulan and Ghost festivals) are always on the full moon of the seventh lunar month (July 15) of the year. This year, it falls on Sunday August 22 in the Gregorian calendar. Lễ Vu lan is one of the major Buddhist holidays. Lễ cúng cô hồn , believed to stem from Đạo giáo (Daoism/Taoism), happens to be celebrated on the same day as Lễ Vu lan. Phật giáo (Buddhism) and Đạo giáo have long been intertwined and practiced by the majority of the Vietnamese for a very long time. Therefore, l ễ Vu lan and lễ cúng cô hồn have long become major festivals in the Vietnamese custom and tradition.

Vu Lan festival, or lễ Vu lan , also known as lễ Báo hiếu (Filial ceremony) is the day for the children to show their filial piety to their parents and ancestors. People burn incense in the temples and/or at home praying for the living parents to have good health and good life, or for the late parents to be free from hell and to soon go to heaven. The Vietnamese don’t have a “Mother’s Day” like in the United States. Lễ Vu lan is considered an equivalent “Mother’s Day” for most Vietnamese.

On this special occasion, a ceremony often performed in the temples includes the “ bông hồng cài áo ” (rose pinned on the shirt) ceremony. A red rose is pinned on those with living parents while a white rose is pinned on those who’ve lost their parents. In 1962, Thiền sư (Buddhist zen master) Thích Nhất Hạnh, wrote a short essay in Vietnamese with the title “ B ông H ồng C ài Á o ” to appreciate the mothers’ existence and their love. To end the essay, he wrote “ That’s the chorus I want to sing to you today. Let’s sing to remind us not to forget the life we were given. As I pin this red rose on your shirt, be happy.” Inspired by the essay, Phạm Thế Mỹ wrote a song with the same title “ B ông H ồng C ài Á o ” in 1967. Since then, this song has been widely sung on each lễ Vu lan and the “ bông hồng cài áo ” also became a tradition in temples on that day. It’s a beautiful ceremony to remind us of the duty and responsibility to show filial piety to our parents, especially to our mother.

Posted below is the interview of Thích Nhất Hạnh about “ B ông H ồng C ài Á o ” and the song that has been sung by various singers (9:00; 14:13).

LỄ CÚNG CÔ HỒN

Lễ Cúng cô hồn or ngày cô hồn các đảng (Ghost Festival) or Ngày xóa tội vong nhân (sin forgiven soul’s day) or Tết Trung Nguyên ( Trung Nguyên festival ) . Lễ c úng cô hồn on ngày rằm tháng bảy (July 15 in lunar calendar) is an important day of the tháng cô hồn (the Soul’s month). According to this belief, the king of the underworld opens the hell gate on the second of July (lunar month) to let all souls to come to the living world and return to the underworld by the midnight of ngày rằm tháng bảy .

During this month, especially on rằm tháng bảy, people will have an offering table with rice, salt, water, yellow paper money, etc. to offer to the hungry, wandering souls.

CUSTOMARY PRACTICES

It’s customary for people who celebrate these festivals to be at least a vegetarian on ngày rằm tháng bảy . Some may commit to be a vegetarian for a whole month. They also try to do some volunteer work, donate money or goods to charity, perform as many good deeds as they can, and avoid doing bad things during this month.

The prayers and offerings are for deceased parents, ancestors, and all lost souls to be free from hell, to be able to reincarnate, or to attain nirvana. The offering tables for ancestors and wandering souls are all separate. The offering table for the ancestors can be inside and/or outside the house. The offering table for wandering souls is always outside in open space.

Photo by Dương Nhân from Pexels

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Wandering Souls Day

The 15th day of the seventh lunar month is the Buddhist version of the Christian All Soul’s Day, when the souls of those condemned to suffer in hell for their sins are freed for a day.

The Vu Lan Day in Hoi An is an event associated with the annual wandering of the souls of ancestors; this event has its counterpart in almost all religions across the world. The Vu Lan Day in Hoi An is known in English as the “Wandering Souls Day”, as on this day souls are said to wander about their mortal homes. This event is commemorated in all the pagodas and shrines in Hoi An.

The tradition has very old roots, but it continues unaltered to this day, with families putting out offerings – flowers, fruits, sticky rice cakes, boiled cassava, sweet potatoes and sugarcane – to nurture the souls of their ancestors. The Vu Lan Day is a continiuation of the tradition of seeking forgiveness for the sins of deceased parents, so that they may be spared the tortures of hell and may return home. This day is also a mark of gratitude towards deceased parents. Lights are set afloat on the river to guide the wandering souls to nirvana. Also, on this night food is spread out on an altar within the house to appease the souls’ hunger, and false money is burnt as an offering to honor them.

The event of the Vu Lan Day in Hoi An is wrapped in legend. As the story goes, once upon a time there was a young boy called Muc Kien Lien; he was one of Buddha’s ten principle disciples who attained ‘enlightenment’ very early in life. When his mother died, she was compelled to pass through the 18 doors of hell as a punishment for her wickedness. As each consecutive door became tougher and more terrifying to get through, and as she grew to be plagued by overwhelming hunger, Muc Kien Lien was distressed and thought up of a way to smuggle food to her by magic. He managed to do that, but it was not of much help as the tormentors of hell turned all the food into fire as soon as she brought it to her mouth.

When he arrived back in the physical world, he asked for the Buddha’s guidance to help his mother and fulfill his duty as a pious son. The Buddha advised him to collect a gathering of monks and devotees and get them to pray together on the 15th day of the seventh month of lunar calendar. The combined prayers proved to be so powerful that they achieved the release not only of Muc Kien Lien’s mother, but also of countless other souls. Ever since, on the festival of Vu Lan – Wandering Soul’s Day- the gates of hell are believed to be thrown open to give the tormented souls a 24 hour holiday.

The Vu Lan Festival is seen as an opportunity to teach the laws of karma and cause and effect to younger generations, as well as teach children to respect their elders and to live moral lives.

Soure: hoian-tourism.com

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THE "WANDERING SOUL" TAPE OF VIETNAM

SGM Herbert A. Friedman (Ret.)

Note: The book “SOUND TARGETS,” Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 2009, used portions of this article and quoted the author and Ed Rouse the webmaster. This article has been translated into French and reprinted with the author’s permission by the Association of Collectors of the American-Vietnamese Conflict. The website “MILITARY HISTORY NOW” sampled this article for a story called “The Strange case of Ghost Tape No. 10.”  In 2015, Perception Pictures based in Brisbane, Australia, produced a short film set during the Vietnam War that dramatizes Operation Wandering Soul, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tTTiESgSS48 .  I was appointed the military and PSYOP advisor on the project. In November 2015, I was interviewed by the radio podcast "Here Be Monsters" about the Wandering Soul operation. In May 2016, I was contacted as a reference source by a producer preparing TV documentaries entitled "Ancient Assassins" for the Discovery Channel’s ‘American Heroes’ (previously “Military”) channel. In December 2016, “Wandering Soul” was rewritten in Australia as a full-length motion picture. In June 2017, I was interviewed as a reference source for the BBC World Service radio show called "Witness" about the Wandering Soul Campaign. In July 2017, I was interviewed by the BBC World Broadcast show  "History Hour" about both the Wandering Soul and historical psychological operations. 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. Parts of this article were used in the non-fiction / memoir book titled SKUNK ALPHA, the saga of Swift Boat PCF-79 during the Vietnam War. The website “Letters to Cicero” used stories, poems, anecdotes, photographs, and newspaper articles from this article in a series titled “Letter to Tacitus” that discusses the treatment of wartime dead. In October 2020, the producer of WNYC's Radiolab interviewed me regarding the strange and surprising stories of cassette and reel-to-reel tapes used in the Wandering Soul campaign. The same month the Norwegian blog, "The Grim Reaper" requested the use of images and text from this article that they called "Operasjon Wandering Soul" to be used in a blog called "The Evil of War" about "eerie" events during wartime. In 2021 I received a thanks for my help to a young student who did a short film on this operation. Sean David Christensen sent the address: https://vimeo.com/297855334 . In October 2021, I received a copy of the book Black Entry from Regis P. Sheehan. He used this article for a chapter titled "Wandering Souls." In May 2022, Six West Media working on a new series for the History Channel currently entitled Mysteries of War asked if I would be willing to share the photographs seen in this article for a production on the Wondering Soul? I gave permission. In January 2023, I was contacted by 72 FILMS that was producing a 6-part documentary series on the Vietnam War. They read this article and later heard my interview on Radiolab�s podcast. They asked for my help. In December 2023, I was contacted by Business Insider. �I�m a video producer at Business Insider working on a video about the Vietnam War for our YouTube show 'How Real Is It,' where we ask experts to break down the accuracy of movie and TV scenes. I am reaching out to ask permission to include the photo of the loudspeakers mounted on helicopters I found from your article Operation Wandering Soul.�

PSYOP soldier with backpack loudspeaker

One of the more interesting superstitions of Vietnam is the belief in the wandering soul. It is the Vietnamese belief that the dead must be buried in their homeland, or their soul will wander aimlessly in pain and suffering. Vietnamese feel that if a person is improperly buried, then their soul wanders constantly. They can sometimes be contacted on the anniversary of their death and near where they died. Vietnamese honor these dead souls on a holiday when they return to the site where they passed away. This sort of belief is not unique to the Vietnamese. I spoke to a South African soldier fighting the Marxist guerrillas of the Southwest Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) at the same time and he told me: When I was in the army in South West Africa and Angola in the 1970's the air force used to drop leaflets on the guerrillas that said, “You will be killed and a hyena will eat your bones.” It was culturally upsetting to the Ovambos who made up most of the SWAPO ranks. They believe if their bones are buried by the family they will become honored ancestors, but to have their bones eaten by a hyena meant they would go to their version of hell.

Tradition has it that the young Buddhist boy called Kien Muc Lien in Vietnamese was born in India. His name was Maudgalyayana (in Sanskrit language) and he was one of the closest ten disciples of Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama). He is famous in the Buddhist monasteries in Vietnam and other countries where people study Buddhism. He reached enlightenment at an early age. His mother was not so lucky. She was evil, and upon her death, she was sentenced to spend eternity being tormented by demons and ghosts and in constant pain from hunger. Kien Muc Lien magically sent food to his mother. The demons were enraged and turned it into flames before she could eat. The son then asked Buddha to help him care for his mother. Buddha told him to hold a special ceremony. The boy held the ceremony, called "Vu Lan" (Wandering Soul) to pray for his mother’s soul; and ask that her sins be pardoned. His wishes were granted.

Vu Lan Day is absolution of the soul. This is especially true in the case of parents. It allows their wandering souls to return home safely. The Vietnamese celebrate this holiday with many ceremonies including the floating of lights down the rivers at night to guide the lost souls to Nirvana.

It is held on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month every year at the Hoi An pagodas. The holiday is so popular than many tourists visit Vietnam during this time of the year to see the ceremonies. They set aside a day for the wandering souls and offer food for deceased relatives whom they believe might wander into the homes of their offspring.

Ann Crawford says in Customs and Culture of Vietnam, Charles E. Tuttle, Rutland, Vt., 1966: "Wandering Souls' Day is the second largest festival of the year. (Tet is the first.) Though it falls on the 15th day of the seventh month, it may be celebrated at any convenient time during the latter half of the month. It is not just a Buddhist holiday but also celebrated by all Vietnamese who believe in the existence of God, good and evil. They believe that sinful souls can be absolved of their punishment and delivered from hell through prayers said by the living on the first and 15th of every month. Wandering Soul's Day, however, is believed to be the best time for priests and relatives to secure general amnesty for all souls. On this day, the gates of hell are said to open at sunset and the souls fly out unclothed and hungry. Thus plenty of food is left at family altars."

The United States Military Assistance Command Vietnam issued a Fact Sheet 7 entitled Vietnamese Beliefs in Spirits and Trees dated 1 December 1969. It seems very similar to the Crawford writings above. It says about Trung Nguyen (Wandering Souls’ Day):

The festival is celebrated throughout the country, in Buddhist Pagodas, homes, businesses, factories, government offices, and Armed Forces units. Many Vietnamese believe that every person has two souls; one is spiritual (Hon), and the other material (Via). When a person dies, his soul is taken to a tribunal in hell and judged by ten justices. When punishment is rendered, the soul is sent to heaven or hell, as a reward or punishment for the persons conduct on earth. On Trung Nguyen the gates of hell are opened and the errant spirits return to earth where they wander aimlessly in the hope of finding a cult being offered to them. They cause misfortune if they remain unsatisfied, so the object of the Trung Nguyen is to provide ritual offerings for the errant spirits to propitiate them and grant them rest in death. To appease the errant spirits a family heaps offerings on the alter dedicated to the Spirit of the Soil, which stands before the house. The head of the household begs the permission of the spirit to make ritual offerings to the errant spirits. A mat is then placed upon the ground and offerings of rice, fruit and rice alcohol are put on it. The errant spirits are summoned to partake of the offerings by striking a gong or two pieces of wood. Members of the family hold burning joss as the kowtow, after which they burn votive papers on the altar. This ritual is performed outside the house because of fear that, given the opportunity to enter, the errant spirits might install themselves on the altar of the ancestors.

The day is so important to the Vietnamese that American propagandists often mention it in their leaflets and radio broadcasts. For instance, leaflet 23 dropped over North Vietnam says in part:

Faithful to the ancestral traditions, the people of South Vietnam are praying for the dead on the “Day or Pardon for the Dead.” As we sadly turn our thoughts toward the withering North, no sticks were burned on Vu Lan Day and no comfort was given to the wandering souls. How many wandering souls need our prayers and your prayers on this day of “Pardon for the Dead?” Comrades, demand that the Communist party stop its war of aggression in the south so that no more innocent souls have to join the already great number on innocent souls now wandering in this war-torn country of the South.

Death Certificate for a North Vietnamese Soldier

A death certificate for a NVA soldier who died at the age of 19 having joined the Army two years earlier. He had obtained the rank of Squad Leader. There is no information on where or how he died. The certificate simply says, “Died in the Southern front.”

This belief in the Wandering Soul is a strong one and even today, we find news stories about it. The following was written by Mark McDonald and was published by the Mercury News Vietnam Bureau under the title of "Remains of the War" in 2000.

The death certificate has been typed onto thin brown paper, with thick carbon-paper keystrokes. The document is creased and smudged from three decades of folding and weeping, but this much remains clear: Le Duy Hien, age 26, was killed on May 5, 1968. Hien is one of some 300,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers still missing in action from what is known here as the American War.

In marked contrast to the U.S. effort, the search for Vietnamese MIAs has largely been left to the families of the missing. Even now, 25 years after the end of the war, their relatives can be seen all over Vietnam, mostly on weekends, trudging forlornly through the sprawling military cemeteries reserved for the liet si -- the martyred. They go from headstone to headstone, pausing briefly at each one, looking for the name of a lost son, a dead husband, a missing brother.

‘Strangers have buried you in careless haste, no loved ones near, no friend, no proper rites . . . and under the wan moon, no kindly smoke of incense wreathes for you,’ the Vietnamese poet Nguyen Du wrote in his elegy, ‘A Call to Wandering Souls.’ To reach out to Le Duy Hien's wandering soul, the family holds a somber memorial ceremony every May 5 -- the date on his official death certificate. However, the family has been unable to follow the Vietnamese custom of digging up his bones after three years for cleaning and re-burial, and it causes Hien's mother no small amount of grief that her son's soul is still at large. ‘She believes Hien is not at rest,'' says Le The Luan, Hien's younger brother, who is now 54. ``Like all Vietnamese families, she wants to have us find his remains so he can be stable and at peace.’

The biggest problem for Hien's family is right there on his faded death certificate: On the dotted line that states where the young North Vietnamese sergeant went down, it only says, `’On a battlefield in the south.’ Sadly, Hien's family has no clues to his possible whereabouts. They know he headed off down the Ho Chi Minh Trail after being drafted, but he wrote the family just one letter, a letter that gave no details about his unit, its location or ultimate destination.

Therefore, Le Duy Hien's body remains undiscovered -- and his soul remains at large. His mother receives a small monthly payment from the government because, under Vietnamese law, all MIAs from the American War are now considered dead. The money, however, barely covers the cost of the incense she burns for him every day.

A Vietnamese told me a story that really makes clear the respect that the Vietnamese have for the dead. He said:

Near my office there was a restaurant where I normally had my lunch. I noticed that there were three small tombs in the garden without the names of the dead but carefully taken care with fresh flowers. I asked the owner who they were. She said that they were three young NVA soldiers who died while retreating during the Tet Offensive. One morning she opened her door and saw the three dead soldiers. When she complained that the bodies could cause disease for people, an ARVN officer told her to temporarily bury the dead soldiers in her garden. He said, “Later, after everything is quiet, we will send someone to take care of the bodies.” The woman buried the three men in her garden. She said one night, she dreamed that three young boys visited her and said thanks. They were in civilian clothes but had Northern accents, so she guessed they were the dead soldiers. She said that somehow after she buried the three soldiers, her business prospered despite the war. She strongly believed that it was the spirit of dead soldiers helping her. In 1975, some officials of the new Communist regime came and asked her to let them remove the remains to a military cemetery, but she refused and said that there were no dead soldiers in her garden, only three relatives that died during the war. Without evidence of the dead soldiers, the local authorities gave up. She said since their parents never knew where and how their children died she considered the three soldiers as her sons.

The Vietnamese are great poets and there are many poems that honor these wandering souls. One was written by Linh Duy Vo. It is entitled "The Wings of Freedom" and is dedicated to the South Vietnamese Freedom Fighters. Part of the poem is:

Four thousand years, countless perils The blessed South Vietnam still exists But your broken wings hurriedly bid farewell You perished without whispers... Gray clouds sadly enveloped your wandering soul Dark oceans mourningly embraced your wings.…

An older and more traditional poem was written by Nguyen Du in the 19th Century. It is entitled “Calling the Wandering Souls.” Some of the poem is:

Year after year exposed to wind and rain, on the cold ground they lie, sighing. At dawn, when the cock crows, they flee, only to grope their way again when night comes.

Of course the Communists retaliated and this anti-Government poem was published by the Da Nang City Propaganda Committee in 1967:

Oh fellow citizens, brothers and sisters dear! Oh the whole mankind's Conscience! Listen to the screams of thousands of slain people; They won't survive; but they don't want to die! Thousands of wandering souls fly in the entire space. They bear their eternal implacable hatred!

The concept of wandering souls can also be found in their modern literature. One of the most popular books in postwar Vietnam was written by Bao Ninh, a former North Vietnamese soldier. The Sorrow of War was published by the Writers Association Publishing House in Hanoi in 1991. The author tells of an area called the jungle of screaming souls where the North Vietnamese 27th Battalion was wiped out except for ten survivors by American and South Vietnamese troops. He says:

From then on it was called the jungle of screaming souls. Just hearing the name whispered was enough to send chills down the spine. Perhaps the screaming souls gathered together on special festival days as members of the Lost Battalion, lining up in the little diamond-shaped clearing, checking their ranks and numbers. The sobbing whispers were heard deep in the jungle at night, the howls carried on the wind. Perhaps they really were the voices of the wandering souls of dead soldiers.

During the American involvement in Vietnam, an attempt was made to use this belief against the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong. Since it was clear that they would die far from home, their bodies probably never found or never properly buried, it was certain that they would become a wandering soul after death.

Editing the recording

The operation was code-named "Wandering Soul." Engineers spent weeks recording eerie sounds. They were similar to the sounds employed during a scary radio show or movie. Very creepy and designed to send shivers down the back. These cries and wails were intended to represent souls of the enemy dead who had failed to find the peace of a proper burial. The wailing soul cannot be put to rest until this proper burial takes place. The purpose of these sounds was to panic and disrupt the enemy and cause him to flee his position. Helicopters were used to broadcast Vietnamese voices pretending to be from beyond the grave. They called on their "descendants" in the Vietcong to defect, to cease fighting. This campaign played the sounds and messages all night in order to spook the superstitious enemy. Despite eventually realizing that they were hearing a recording beamed from a helicopter, the enemy gunners could not help but fear that their souls would some day end up moaning and wailing in a similar fashion after death.

Both the 6th PSYOP Battalion of the United States Army and some units of the United States Navy broadcast the messages .

In general, the messages were as follows:

Girl's voice: Daddy, daddy, come home with me, come home. Daddy! Daddy! Man's voice: Ha! (his daughter's name). Who is that? Who is calling me? Oh, my daughter? My wife? Daddy is back home with you, my daughter! I am back home with you, my wife. But my body is gone. I am dead, my family. I…..Tragic, how tragic. My friends, I come back to let you know that I am dead! I am dead! It's Hell, Hell! It is a senseless death! How senseless! Senseless! But when I realized the truth, it was too late. Too late. Friends, while you are still alive, there is still a chance you will be reunited with your love ones. Do you hear what I say? Go home! Go home, my friends! Hurry! Hurry! If not, you will end up like me. Go home my friends before it is too late. Go home! Go home my friends!

In the article, First Lieutenant Jerry Valentine of the 5th Air Commando Squadron flying an AC-47 “Gooney Bird” from Binh Thuy Air Base says in part:

The tapes are best. We’ve got one we call the Wandering Soul” tape. It lasts about four minutes. It starts with Buddhist funeral music, then this spooky wailing voice. Then a little child is crying, the child is crying for its father. Then a Vietnamese woman comes on and tells how her husband was killed fighting for the Viet Cong. And all the time, this eerie background voice , wailing about death. It’s a real beauty – guaranteed to raise ground fire anywhere. It even sends chills down my spine. It’s so effective that even the government restricts use of it – they only let us use it on extreme occasions.

Vietnam Veteran Chad Spawr, a former PSYOP Team Leader of the 6th PSYOP Battalion in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969 told me about his experience playing the tape:

There was a tape that we used; it was an audio tape, called “Wandering Soul” that played on some of the cultural aspects of the Vietnamese. One of the important tenants of Buddhism is that when a person dies within a very short period of time they have to be buried in consecrated soil in a family plot…Very haunting, very eerie, it was done with voice and echo chamber. It was very effective…I’d go out on a night ambush patrol with an American infantry unit with the 1st Cavalry and set up a small speaker in a tree and direct that toward an area where we suspected enemy troops were and I’d play that tape for a couple of hours. There were a couple of occasions when I did that where we’d get a prisoner later and the interrogation would indicate that they’d heard the tape and they were frightened by it, so I know that it had an effect, I know that it had an effect.

One evening after a full day in the villages, my interpreter and I left the compound about 0100, and moved to a small grove of palm trees about 300 meters north of the compound. My interpreter climbed a tree, and hung a speaker from a large palm frond, with the speaker pointed into the general area north of the compound toward the villages. We connected the speaker to a small amplifier and tape player, and began playing "Wandering Soul." At first, there was no reaction to the broadcast, but then we began taking some random sniper fire from one of the villages. We finished the broadcast, and the interpreter did his own improvisation of the tape, this time speaking to the "people" as if he was a "Wandering Soul." He pretty much made it up as he went, and after a few minutes, we again began to receive random sniper fire. This broadcast lasted about 15 minutes after the tape had finished, after which we retrieved the speaker, and returned to the MACV compound. We repeated this nightly broadcast for the next three or four nights, but we varied the location of the broadcast in case the local Viet Cong had staked out our previous broadcast locations. We also varied the broadcast volume so it would sound closer on one night, but farther away the next night. Aiming the speaker had a similar effect. We did, however, receive random incoming but inaccurate fire as a result of most of the broadcasts. Since it was only my interpreter and me, we could move quickly and quietly, more so than if we took along a squad of the local troops, who weren't very noise disciplined. On either the fourth or fifth morning, at first light, we left with a small patrol to enter the village where the sniper fire had originated. We found several shell casings (7.62 x 39mm) from an AK-47 or SKS rifle probably hidden in some ground litter, but nobody knew who fired it or where the rifle was hidden. My interpreter then told a few people that the "lost spirits" were sure to return if the shooter and/or the weapon were not surrendered to our patrol. We continued searching the few houses in the village, and as we were preparing to leave, an elderly lady told my interpreter where to find the rifle. It was hidden under a small trough in a pig sty. We dug out a very nice Chinese Communist SKS with bayonet, a few rounds still in the internal magazine, with a rare sling attached. My interpreter then told her that the spirits might return, but they would be of no danger to her or her family members. Interestingly, as we packed up to leave the local Vietnamese District Chief came to see us off, and told us he was glad we were leaving. When I asked him "why," and he replied that the "Wandering Soul" broadcast not only unnerved his own men, but left his wife and children upset, even though he explained that it was just a tape designed to discourage VC morale and perhaps enhance decisions to defect or stop fighting. They could not reconcile the concept of the broadcast voices and a taped recording. They couldn't understand the technical side, and being very superstitious to begin with, they believed the "message" of the tape.

In 2020, Chad spoke more about the Wandering Soul mission in Perspectives , the Journal of the Psychological Operations Association. He added a bit more that he remembered in the years since he spoke to me:

We began hearing about the broadcast area being haunted by spirits of the dead. Local farmers were reluctant to work the fields near where the broadcasts had originated. Unfortunately, other audiences, including� "friendly" villagers and some RF/PF militia soldiers, had heard the broadcast, and were reluctant to engage the enemy. They believed the actual spirits were wandering lost and were in great anguish and pain. This was not an intended effect. About two weeks later, we repeated the broadcasts from yet a third location, but this time the local VC seemed ready to respond. We had no sooner begun broadcasting than sniper fire was received, and it was quite accurate. The tree line we were using was quickly peppered with incoming fire, including at least one RPG round. We ended the broadcast, reported the incoming fire incident, and returned to our patrol base. A joint US-RF/PF sweep of the village the next day netted a number of spent AK rounds, one damaged SKS rifle, and some old French tactical web gear. Our RF/PF partners reported that there was fear in the village about the ghosts in the nearby rice paddies and tree lines, but that the local VC cadres were not fooled and opened fire to demonstrate that they could "drive off the spirits."� Not sure if the spirits were driven off, but I was! Spirits may not be real, but incoming 7.62x39 and RPG rounds are definitely real.

A U.S PSYOP soldier stands watch as an ARVN soldier broadcasts a surrender appeal.

In July 2017, Alex Last interviewed Rick Hoffman, a member of the 6th PSYOP Battalion Vietnam for the BBC radio show WITNESS. When asked what the rest of the Army thought of about the Wandering Soul and PSYOP in general, Rick said:

The rest of the Army looked at us with skepticism. They did not understand what we were doing. They saw us as some kind of magic show. To my knowledge the first time the Wandering Soul tape was ever used was on a Swift Boat down in the Delta. They drifted down into a VC concentration and launched the tape and my understanding is that they got 13 defections afterwards. Whether you were doing the ghost tape or dropping leaflets out of a C-47, you got shot at a lot.

Sometimes the tapes worked on American soldiers too. One Vietnam veteran told me:

Our job was to hide, watch and report mostly. We tried not to make any noise. However, we were on one Operation that I remember hearing the most godawful moaning and wailing and clashing cymbals coming from loudspeakers on an aircraft circling us. A great cacophony of noise alien to the Western ear but powerfully evocative to the superstitious farm boys turned Viet Cong guerrillas. It was Buddhist funeral sounds I was told later. It kept me awake and scared the hell out of me. Members of the 5th Air Commando Squadron conduct a strategy session prior to dropping leaflets over South Vietnam in 1968.

Bob Cutts mentioned the tape in Stars and Stripes of April 28, 1968:

First Lieutenant Valentine was the "old man" of the 5th Air Commando Squadron C Flight, the Binh Thuy AB unit that flies all PSYWAR missions over the Mekong Delta, in planes armed only with 10.000-volt speakers and tape recorders. He said:

We are always getting scrambled for stuff like that. We never know where it will be, sometimes we just go out at night and harass a VC unit. We just fly over them all night, keeping them awake and letting them know we know where they are. Night missions are the most frightening but the most interesting. In the daytime you cannot see them shooting at you. But at night, you see all these big yellow balls coming straight up at you. The tapes are best. We have got one we call the "Wandering Soul" tape. It lasts about four minutes. It starts with Buddhist funeral music, then this spooky, wailing voice. Then a little child is crying, then the child is crying for its father. Then a Vietnamese woman comes on and tells how her husband was killed fighting for the VC. And all the time, this eerie background voice, wailing about death. It is a real beauty, guaranteed to raise ground fire anywhere. It even sends chills down my spine. It's so effective that even the government restricts use of it, they only let us use it in extreme occasions.

Another official tape coded number 6 is entitled “Come home to your family that fears you will die.” The message is 180 second long. The first 20 seconds is the sound of women and children crying. Then two announcers speak:

Oh, why is there such mournful crying? These are the sounds of sorrow coming from the homes you have left. The heart-broken cry of a young wife who has lost her husband. The sad cry of a mother whose son will not return. The pitiful cry of a little child whose father has been killed, cruelly robbed of life in the so-called “war of liberation,” the very war in which you now participate. It is also the sad, sad cry of families whose sons have died so senselessly for Communism.

There is then 20 seconds of children playing and laughing.

Oh, why didn’t you return to your family? Your children are waiting for you. Listen! There little voices ask for you. Where is daddy? Where is daddy? How can you be indifferent to those young children? They no not where you are or what you are doing. Make your decision now! Why don’t you return at once to rejoin your family? They are waiting for you. Oh, the child’s laugh is such a dear sweet sound. But the child’s cry is such a sad and mournful sound.

The tape ends with 20 second of crying sounds.

One wartime news story tells of the operation at Fire Support Base (FSB) Chamberlain. It was published in Tropic Lightning News, 23 February 1970.

If you were a Wolfhound of the First Battalion, 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division, and were at Fire Support Base Chamberlain on the night of February 10 you might have sworn the place was being haunted by poltergeists, ghosts that is.

Loudspeaker Team

The moans, groans and weird sounds began at eight that night, a likely time for the cloudlike forms to reveal themselves. Of course, ghosts are nonexistent, or are they? In this case the ghosts and weird sounds were furnished by the Sixth PSYOP Team and the S-5 Section of the 1/27th Wolfhounds who were conducting a night mission at Chamberlain. With the help of loud speakers and a tape of ‘The Wandering Soul,’ a mythical tale of a Viet Cong gone to Buddha, the mission was a success. "The Wandering Soul is a tape about the soul of a dead Viet Cong. It describes the wandering of this soul about the countryside. The dead VC tells his comrades to look at what has happened to his soul and that he will never be at rest, always wandering,’ said Captain William Goodman of Philadelphia, the battalion S-5. ‘Buddhists believe very strongly that if they aren’t properly buried and properly mourned, their soul will wander through eternity,’ added First Lieutenant Peter Boni of Boston, the officer in charge of the Sixth PSYOP Team. ‘We play upon the psychological superstitions and fears of the enemy. The method is very effective," Boni said. "The tape makes the friendly villagers return to their homes, and any suspecting persons who remain are questioned,’ Goodman said. A quick-reaction sweep following the tape by the l/27th Recon Platoon netted three detainees, one of whom was jailed. ‘It was the first time this type of tape has been used in the Third Brigade and reviewing the results we plan to use this method again," Boni said.

John Pilger made many short films in Vietnam. In 1970, his movie The Quiet Mutiny mentioned the Wandering Soul Campaign. The narrator says in part:

The Green Machine plays games like the Wandering Soul. The Wandering Soul is a tape that is used by the operating battalions and separate brigades to broadcast a rallying appeal to the Viet Cong. The tape itself is a weird one, with a funeral dirge in the background and a father talking to his family, saying that he has died on the battlefield and he is trying to rally his comrades to return to the just cause. The Vietnamese people worship the souls of their ancestors and the Wandering Soul message is very different, conceived in an echo chamber by the U.S. Army and broadcast by helicopter over the jungle where the gooks are supposed to be hiding. We drop about 800,000 leaflets a day over the jungle. We tell them "what's happening to them in their battles�" �We tell them also that you are going to be killed in the future and we ask them "why?" We tell them to desert their unit and how they will be treated once they rally. How they will be well-treated. The object of dispersing our leaflets by helicopter is they will take a bunch and throw them out by hand most of the time. Occasionally wishing to get a more direct result they will take a whole carton and drop it out trying to hit someone.

Tiger Roar Recordings

Sometimes the Wandering Soul tape was used in conjunction with other sounds to multiply the fear in the heart of the enemy. A former member of the 6th PSYOP Battalion told me, "You know what we did on 'Nui Ba Den Mountain' in 1970? The 6th PSYOP got an Air Force pilot to fly to Bangkok, to get an actual recording of a tiger from their zoo. We had a Chieu Hoi (a rallier to the national government from enemy ranks) come down the mountain and tell of a tiger that was attacking the Viet Cong for the past few weeks. So, we mixed the tiger roar onto a tape of 69-T, 'the wandering soul', and a 2-man team got up on the mountain, played the tape and 150 Viet Cong came off that mountain.

Years later a Vietnam veteran told me:

Tigers used to be found within 20 miles of Danang and were a problem when I was there in 1965-1966. We captured a Viet Cong who was leaving hill 1025 because of tiger predation. I think at that time there were about 125 tigers left in Vietnam.

I have tape 69. I cannot swear this is the tape they mention above, but perhaps the tape simply indicated the addition of the tiger's roar. It would fit where it mentions the "dangers of your present life."� A tiger's roar right there might be meaningful. The tape is 54 seconds long with a male speaker. It starts and ends with a recording of Ho Chi Minh's voice:

The war may still last five, ten, twenty years or longer.

The narrator then adds:

Can you survive under the hardships and dangers of your present life? Can you ever find peace again? Yes, you can, by crossing to the protection of the Government of Viet Nam's Chieu Hoi program where you will receive a warm welcome, good treatment, and a chance to build a new life. Remember, Ho Chi Minh himself said the war may still last five, ten, twenty years or longer.

Author's note: According to military records, there were 4 known deaths caused by tigers in Vietnam, two from the 4th Infantry Division in the Central Highlands and two members of the U.S. Marine Corps. There were many close calls, where Americans were in the jaws of a tiger before the big cat was shot and killed. Tigers are such an interesting subject that they almost deserve a short article of their own. An American PSYOP soldier in Laos told me that the Laotian Army had a tape they used when the Pathet Lao were on the run. They would follow the retreating force and play the tiger roars all night keeping the enemy from getting any sleep and at a high state of nervousness.

What, no Green Beret?

Another soldier told me about a cub his Special Forces unit found in 1968 and raised. The tiger became a pet and drank beer along with the soldiers. They often walked him around their compound on a leash. He was sometimes used for interrogation when a Viet Cong prisoner was threatened to be fed to the tiger and he would be brought right next to the prisoner's face and pinched in such a way to make him roar. The Special Forces intelligence was extremely accurate and treasured at Langley! Because the tiger could not be set loose being used to humans and easy prey, they eventually had the CIA fly him to a zoo in Australia where he lived a happy life and sired many cubs until his death in 1985.

Before we leave the subject of tigers, I should mention Richard L. Holm who wrote Recollections of a Case Officer in Laos, 1962-1964: No Drums, No Bugles. He mentions an operation regarding tiger urine:

The Viet Cong sometimes used sniffer dogs, which caused lots of problems. One of the reports that we forwarded mentioned that the presence of tigers in each area appeared to make a difference. The VC's dogs seemed to be less effective if they smelled tiger excrement or urine. We had no way of knowing if this was true. At Headquarters, an office in the Directorate of Science and Technology decided to try to produce a countermeasure. Years later, when I was about to retire, I learned that the office had analyzed samples of tiger urine and excrement from the National Zoo and manufactured a substance that resembled and smelled like what the tigers produced. But it did not fool the dogs in the Panhandle of Laos.

Wandering Soul Tape

Captain Albert Yanus of the 5th Special Operations Squadron played the Wandering Soul tape from a HC-47d flying out of Bien Hoa AFB. The 5th SOS utilized HC-47d’s, O-2’s, and U-10's at Ben Thuy for leaflet and speaker missions. Their official motto was “The truth shall make them free,” and their unofficial motto was “Better to bend the mind than destroy the body.”

He sent me a picture of the tape and the letter of instruction that accompanied it. Notice that the label on the tape box says “Wandering Soul! Play only at night.”

The instruction sheet is from the II Field Force Vietnam , 6th Psychological Operations Battalion, dated 24 June 1968. The tape number is 059-6T with the targets the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army. The Southern dialect text on this 3-inch tape is:

Funeral Music - crying:

Children: Daddy, Daddy, come home to us. Father: Oh my children! Oh my wife! My dear children! Here I am. I come back to you! Oh my darling. Oh my darling, here I am coming back to you. But I’m dead! What a pity. I have come back to you to let you know that I am dead. I have died needlessly. But it was too late, when I finally realized that I was wrong to join the Viet Cong. Friends…you are still alive. You still have a chance to see your loved ones. Rally now! Do not hesitate any longer. You still have time to rally! Rally now to save yourselves, my friends. If not, you won’t be able to escape from death. You will be killed like I was. Rally now. Rally! Rally immediately before it is too late.

The British Broadcasting Corporation produced a show called Witness, with the title “US Psychological Warfare in Vietnam.” In it, a former Captain of the North Vietnamese Army talked about hearing the tape on the battlefield:

…We had weaknesses, we missed our homes. We are human like you…But worst of all, each night the Americans sent over helicopters broadcasting recorded tape of babies crying and women’s voice pleading in Vietnamese for us to come home, or a child’s voice saying “Mommy is crying, she can’t sleep; she loves you and misses you.” It went on like that all night. Can you image what it is like for a soldier in a tunnel that has been away from his family for years? At night, hearing those voices, it certainly affected the spirits of our fighters. Those recorded voices made us think of what we missed, but afterwards we were more determined to fight

LTC Raymond Deitch, 6th PSYOP Battalion Commander

Raymond Deitch, former commander of the U.S. Army 6th PSYOP Battalion was interviewed on the History Channel Secrets of War series, episode 51 , Psychological Warfare . Talking about Operation Wandering Soul he said:

It exploited the belief among many of the Vietnamese people that once a person is dead the remains must be placed in an ancestral burial ground or that person will forever wander aimlessly in space forever.

South Vietnamese Nationals make a recording

A male voice was recorded through an echo chamber that represented the soul of the dead soldier. In some cases, the recording was actually too persuasive for its own good. The tape was so effective that we were instructed not to play it within earshot of the South Vietnamese forces, because they were as susceptible as the Viet Cong or North Vietnamese Army.

It was not only the Vietnamese that were superstitious. Kenneth Conboy says in Shadow War – The CIAs Secret War in Laos about an operation to convince the Pathet Lao that one of their dead generals was talking to them:

Ghost music and recordings allegedly in the general’s voice were played from airborne loudspeakers; on one of these flights, the broadcasting aircraft passed too close to a Royal Laos Army garrison, causing the spooked Royalist troops to desert en masse.

Other American troops have mentioned the superstition of the local people:

The Cambodians have a Buddha cloth. It was about a 10 x 10-inches white piece of cloth. It had Buddha symbols and marks all over it. It protects one in battle. In one case a soldier wadded it up and strongly squeezed it in the palms of both hands. He broke out in a sweat. He said the cloth was first class and very powerful. The Hmong troops have a kind of belt they tie around their waist. It is magic. No harm can come to you while you wear it. The Hmongs also have ceremonies. They will ask a soldier friend of the Hmong to take off his shirt and using a special magic knife make a cut on each pectoral muscle, each shoulder, and each shoulder blade, just enough to draw blood. Then they take ointment from a small tin and spread the ointment into each cut. As they do this they blow into the cuts and chant prayers. The purpose was that no harmful metal could enter the soldier's body.

The PSYOP-POLWAR Newsletter of 20 November 1969 mentioned the Wandering Soul campaign briefly:

The First Infantry's Divisions G-5 staff used 'Wandering Soul' broadcasts of eerie sounds intended to represent the souls of enemy dead who have not found peace (i.e. by being buried in the village family plot). Communist troops, of course, knew perfectly well that the sounds were coming from a tape recorder on an enemy helicopter, but the idea was that the sounds would at least get a Communist soldier to think about where his soul would rest in the likely event of his being killed far from home.

Huey Helicopter with mounted loudspeakers

Duane Yeager mentioned the operation is an article entitled "Winning Vietnamese minds was what the U.S. Army's 4th Psychological Operations Group was all about," in Vietnam Magazine, December 1990. He says:

As with the leaflet catalog, PSYOP units also produced and maintained a library of audiotape propaganda messages for support of tactical operations. As one Viet Cong commander complained, these audio messages were hard to ignore, for the sound even penetrated through the earth to VC hidden in underground tunnels. One of the most effective such tapes was 'The Wandering Soul,' an eerie tape, played mostly at night, that constantly reminded NVA soldiers of the hardships they were enduring, home, and the loved ones they had left behind.

The 29 October 1965 overseas edition of Time discusses the strange PSYOP campaign:  

Tucked away in their hammocks beneath the dripping rain-infested canopy, the Viet Cong guerrillas could hardly believe their ears. Out of the night sky came an ominous, warbling whine, like bagpipes punctuated with cymbals. It was Buddhist funeral music - a dissonant dirge cascading from the darkness. Then a snatch of dialogue between a mother and child: "Mother, where is daddy?" "Don't ask me questions. I am very worried about him." "But I miss Daddy very much. Why is he gone so long?" Then the music and voices faded slowly into the distance and the platoon settled back to a restless sleep.   It was, of course, only one of many sights and sounds that the Viet Cong are greeted to every day, courtesy of JUSPAO - the Joint United States Public Affairs Office, which handles psychological warfare in South Viet Nam . Funeral dirges howl nightly over Viet Cong redoubts from the loudspeakers of JUSPAO planes, along with the tape-recorded cries of little children, and weird, electronic cacophonies intended to raise terrifying images of forest demons among the superstitious terrorists. During daylight hours, JUSPAO's eight aircraft dump tons of leaflets on the enemy - 3,500,000 a week, ranging from safe conduct passes to maps showing the best way to get out of Red territory. Says one of JUSPAO's "psywar" adepts; "We are the world's worst litterbugs."

Speaking of JUSPAO, their PSYOP Circular Number 7 dated 4 November 1968 mentions “Significant Dates” in Vietnam. It says in part:

Trung Nguyen (Wandering Souls) Day is the Vietnamese All Souls Day. According to Vietnamese beliefs, every human has two souls, one spiritual, the other material. When a man dies, his soul is judged by a tribunal. Once judgment is made, the soul goes to Heaven or Hell as reward or punishment for his conduct during his lifetime. On Trung Nguyen Day, sinful souls can be absolved from punishment or delivered from Hell through prayers for them by the living. On this day the gates of Hell open at sunset and the damned souls go out, naked and hungry. Those who have faithful descendants living on earth come back to their homes and villages. Offerings for them are placed on alters by their families. Those who have no relatives on earth or who are forsaken by the living wander, hungry and helpless, through the air on black clouds, on rivers, from tree to tree or in the villages begging. Offerings of food are on altars in the pagodas, the markets and other suitable places in the villages, towns and cities.

Helicopter Tape Deck Playing a Propaganda message

The full message of one such tape is archived under audiotape 1965AU2346, “No Doze Chieu Hoi.” The pill of the over-the-counter alertness drug “No Doze” contains 200 milligrams of caffeine, so certainly the name of this tape is a gag implying that the tape would not allow any Viet Cong to doze while it was being played. The message is a bit different than that translated above:

Buddhist funeral music. Child: Mother, where is daddy? Mother: Do not ask me darling, I am very worried to death. Child: But I miss Daddy. He is away so long a time. What kind of business does he do that keeps him from coming back to mother and to me? Do you miss him Mother? Mother: God! Stop asking me darling. Child: Do you really miss daddy? Tell me. Mother: Yes…I miss daddy. Child: You miss daddy. I miss daddy too. Why doesn’t he come back? He must not miss you and me. He surely left us Mother. Mother: Do not say so. He is coming back. Child: Do not lie Mother. How often have you told me he is coming back and he has not. Daddy lied too. He said he would be away for a couple of days and… Mother: Leave me alone. Go play. Child: No I won’t go play (crying). I won’t go play. Daddy…daddy…daddy…come back with me and mother. Daddy…daddy… Strange and eerie noises. Bugle: Attention weary soldiers of North Vietnam . We know the hard times you face. Not enough food, not enough medicine. Your leaders have misled you. They are taking you down the road to sure death. Do not die far from home because of their lies. Return to the open arms of the Government of Vietnam . The choice is up to you. Death or the open arms of the Government of Vietnam . Death or Chieu Hoi! Bugle.

This dirge and others like it came from the fertile imaginations of officers like Captain Blaine Revis, who served with Military Assistance and Guidance Group, Vietnam (MAAGV) from April 1963 to May 1964 and later served as Commander of the 29th PSYOP Detachment, a 27-member special unit attached to the 1st Air Cavalry Division in 1965. Revis told me:

One idea that I presented was to mount loudspeakers on some helicopters and to play tapes of the Vietnamese funerary dirges. (Really strange sounds but very effective in producing a mood of finality and defeat in the Viet Cong) The idea was represented in the movie “Apocalypse now,” but in the movie instead of the funeral dirge they played the “Ride of the Valkyries.” More identifiable to a western audience, I suppose. The dirge is played on a small instrument that looks and sounds like a miniature clarinet. I had noted that when a funeral procession went by and the dirge was played, even people who did not know the deceased became agitated and would sometimes cry openly. When I asked why, they would explain that soon it would be their turn even if they were young. I recommended the use of the dirge to General Kinnard of the 1st Air Cavalry Division along with the painting of the helicopters to look like the beast that carries people to heaven or Hell. I do not know if he acted on the recommendation.

A former US Army master sergeant who acted as a G2 (Intelligence NCOIC) during the war recalls:

It brings back a lot of memories. The tapes were also used in conjunction with, and to assist in the Phoenix Program. It led to some information for the Enemy Political Infrastructure Files (collateral and special intelligence).

Robert H. Stoner reports a Navy operation. He tells of Operation Sea Float/Solid Anchor. This was a joint US-Vietnamese attempt to inject an allied presence into An Xuyen Province, 175 miles southwest of Saigon. Stoner says:

This evening's adventure was to insert and extract a Beach Jumper Unit ‘Duffel Bag Team.’ (This team planted and monitored vibration-and body heat-activated sensors that helped track movements of the bad guys around our base). On the way out, we were to play some ‘Wandering Soul’ tapes the Psychological Warfare boys had dreamed up to terrorize the guerillas. The line was the guerillas would become so frightened, they'd come over to the government side." HAL-3 Seawolves

Aviation Electricians Mate Senior Chief (E8) Bill Rutledge took part in a Navy operation using Army helicopters temporarily surplus from the Army inventory. He says:

The only Navy Helicopter Gunships that ever flew combat missions were assigned to Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three (HAL-3)(the Seawolves), under the operational control of Commander, Task Force (CTF) 116, in Vietnam from 1966-1972. This unit was the most decorated naval aviation unit in history. Navy pilots and enlisted gunners flew heavily armed Army UH1B "Huey" Gunships at low level and in the night covering the Navy Seals, The Brown Water Riverine Forces, and any allied unit in contact with enemy Viet Cong and regular North Vietnamese Army forces. They supported the PBR (Patrol Boat, River) operations with fire support, recon, and medevac services. The unit was tasked with additional responsibilities, including assistance to the Vietnamese Navy units operating in the Mekong Delta.

The Saigon Brass came up with an added mission. We were already dropping Chieu Hoi passes, small Republic of Vietnam Flags and surrender pamphlets during our regular missions. In addition, we were now to place one large speaker in each back door of the Gunship to play a PSYOP Cassette repeating tape while flying over known enemy controlled areas. Invariably, playing of the tape to win the "hearts and minds" of the enemy forces would cause the enemy forces to fire on the helicopter. With the large speakers in the door, it was difficult for the door gunners to return fire. The Saigon-issued mission orders put the aircrews at great risk. We were not there to win hearts and minds. We were there to protect allied forces on the ground and to search for, and destroy any enemy we could find.

Navy Helicopter Gunship

Knowing that every time we used the PSYOP tape we took fire, we installed smaller speakers and bigger door guns. The lead helicopter was armed with a 50 caliber machine gun and dual M60 7.62mm machine guns. The trailing helicopter had a door-mounted M134 6-Barrelled 7.62 minigun that fired up to 4000 rounds per minute and a M60 machine gun. In addition the helicopters were armed with an external rocket pod (seven 2.75 inch rockets) for the pilot and an external minigun for the co-pilot. We then played the tape with the intention of taking fire. The gunners were at the ready. One gunship flew low and another gunship flew high, ready to roll in for the kill at the first sign of Viet Cong activity. Apparently, someone in Saigon found out what we were doing and told us to stop. We did not stop, but used the tape less often. Killing was our business and the PSYOP tapes helped make business damn good. We never saw the result of the PSYOP program but heard rumors of enemy forces occasionally defecting.

The U.S. Naval Forces Vietnam Monthly Historical Survey, June 1968 tells us more about their Psychological Operations:

Psychological and civic action operations continued to be actively pursued during the month. The Viet Gong recognizing the inroads being made by the naval forces continued to intensify their counter-attacks. Forty-two per cent of the broadcasting missions conducted drew hostile fire. The majority of the incidents occurred in the Delta. In one incident PBR and Navy Seawolves wounded 18 Viet Cong following an attack on a PBR patrol conducting a PSYOP speaker mission six miles east of Vinh Long. Captured Viet Cong prisoners and Hoi Chanhs frequently stated that in many units troop morale was low due to lack of food and the B-52 bombing raids. The intensification of the Chieu Hoi program was initiated to capitalize on the reported Viet Cong morale problems. In the field of civic action and US/GVN image building continued with over 12,000 Vietnamese patients receiving treatment during MEDCAPS conducted by U.S. Navy and Vietnamese Navy personnel. In one MEDCAP operation, intelligence was received from villagers on the location of two arms caches and one Viet Cong defense platoon in the Binh Dai Secret Zone.

The U.S. Naval Forces Vietnam After-action Monthly Reports adds:

The Chieu Hoi rate for Naval forces dropped off drastically from the record high at 115 in May 1969 to six who rallied directly to Naval units and six who turned themselves in to other forces as a result of Navy loudspeaker broadcasts. Some of the themes of the PSYOP tapes played in June 1969 were: “Wandering Soul,” “Women and Children Crying,” “Family Separation,” and “VC Fighting a Hopeless War.” In July 1969, a variety of themes were utilized on PSYOP loudspeaker operations conducted by Navy Task Force 115 Units including “Midway Conference,” “Reward’s Third Inducement,” “Wandering Soul,” and the soundtrack from the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine.”

Mile Worthington was a door gunner in the Navy Seawolves. He told me a story about one of his missions that went bad.

We were tasked to do a PSYOP flyover in our gunship. I was pissed because I had to take off my door mounted mini-gun in order to accommodate the 6 loud speakers. This Operation was in conjunction with the Army. We took off and headed for “Snoopy's Beak” with a box of Chu Hoi pamphlets and these speakers and the Army PSYOP trooper and tapes. We got over the place he wanted and started throwing the pamphlets and as soon as he turned on the speakers the whole damn world lit us up. I had been in some fierce fire fights but this got my attention. I pushed the Army guy back, grabbed my free M-60 with my left hand as I was cutting the speakers away with my right hand. Needless to say I pissed this guy off as I kicked the speakers loose and leaned out and returned fire. I could hear him yelling but my instincts as a gunner took over. Then our pilot turned right back into the fight and shot all 14 darts of high explosive and fleschetts. Needless to say, I wanted to fly no more PSYOP missions.

Bill Ogle, a Seawolf helicopter pilot who flew a number of PSYOP missions in 1968-69 recalled playing what he called "The Howling Ghost" tape many times. He said that "On about half the missions a PSYOP officer would fly with us and attempt to direct the mission. We dropped leaflets, magazines, and played the tape. Without exception we drew fire each mission. This was one of the primary objectives of the mission." When not flying the PSYOP missions, the pilot, "Seawolf 57," flew mostly in support of the Navy SEALS.

We mention above how it was possible that a PSYOP tape aimed at the Viet Cong could terrify and demoralize troops of the Republic of Vietnam . Lieutenant Junior Grade Tom Byrnes (USNR) tells of an operation that he took part in as part of Mobile Advanced Tactical Support Base (MATSB) Operation Seafloat in the Nam Can Forest in An Xuyen Province, IV Corps. Tom was one of 8 Naval officers trained at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare School  at Ft. Bragg, NC from  September to December 1969.  His 5 enlisted team members received on-the-job training and were mostly former Swift Boat crew members. The tour of duty was 4 months for an officer and 3 months for an enlisted man. He performed PSYOP operations with a 1400-watt broadcast system from Beach Jumper Unit 1. The system was used on Swift boats, Yabuta junks, Army Huey helicopters, or Navy Seawolf  (UH-1B) helicopters belonging to Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three (HAL-3), Detachment One. Tom says:

Operation Seafloat was a group of 12 AMMI pontoon barges tied together and anchored in the Song Cua Lon (Big Crab River) about 6 miles north of the very southern tip of the country. The Ammi is a Navy 90x28-foot pontoon barge developed after World War II for rapid construction of piers, bridges, and small craft facilities. It can be moored in water ranging from 3 to 40 feet in depth. We had about 100 Americans, 20 Vietnamese, Swift Boats, River Assault Craft crews and Navy SEALs. Since we didn't have any infantry, and the area was mud and Cai Duoc trees, boat operations were the order of the day. Sometime late in the summer of 1970 a unit of Vietnamese Marines and their U.S.M.C. Advisors were assigned to work in our area. Since we had the boats, we decided to launch a small amphibious operation in the area where the South China Sea meets the Gulf of Thailand . The idea was for the Swifts to carry the Vietnamese Marines out of the Bo De river and to proceed south, then southwest and to debark them from the Ocean onto the mud beach. We had a Vietnamese-language tape made that said, "Drop your weapons and stand up." The idea was to play it from a 1400-watt broadcast system on a U.S. Army Huey helicopter which would fly over the area just ahead of the Marines as they hit the beach. The landing was a mess since the water was so shallow. The Marines had to wade about 500 yards to the beach through the mud. I was on the Huey and we orbited just outside of the beachhead until the Marines hit the beach. We then went roaring through the area about 5 feet over the trees with the tape blaring the message every 5-8 seconds.   We stayed around for maybe 5 minutes and then returned to Seafloat. At the nightly briefing later that evening we were told the operation was a success and that our broadcast resulted in 5 Viet Cong dropping their weapons and surrendering to the Marines. Unfortunately, the bad news was that it also resulted in several Vietnamese Marines dropping their weapons and raising their hands. We often dropped leaflets from helicopters although most of the local people could not read. This gave them something tangible to hold on to. We followed up with helicopter loudspeaker messages and “Wandering Soul” harassment broadcasts. Whenever we played the tape near friendly Vietnamese they opened fire on us. If there were Viet Cong near us when we played it, they also opened fire on us. We preferred to use it on nights with moonlight. We would use SEAL tiara grenades (Phosphorescent marker rifle fired grenades, not white phosphorous) fired high. When we heard them pop we would start the tape. As the phosphorous started to fall, the breeze would catch it and it would look like a ghost in the sky. It was probably very effective since it gave me the creeps, and I was the one causing it. We also used the Wandering Soul in conjunction with a "Laugh Box" You squeezed it and it gave out an irritating laugh. We would play the Wandering Soul, they would shoot at us. We would shoot back and mortar them with the Swift boat’s or the Heavy Seal Support Craft's (HSSC) 81mm mortar, then play the laugh box over the1400 watt broadcast system. We often added country or rock music, or messages from ralliers to their villages. We ultimately caused 823 Viet Cong to rally to the Government side. With the exception of one man, everyone on the team was wounded at least once. All but one of the wounds were shrapnel, and all but one were non-life threatening.

A Patrol Craft Fast (PCF), also known as Swift Boat

Miami Herald writer Guy Gulotta recalled his experience with PSYOP in a feature piece entitled “Master of the Game,” written for his newspaper in 1989. Guy was a Navy reserve lieutenant (junior grade) assigned as commander of a small navy Patrol Craft Fast, also known as a PCF or "Swift Boat." He was stationed on a semi-permanent base on pontoons moored in the Cua Lon River in 1970. The base was known as Sea Float. Some of his comments are:

The object of our game was to win the hearts and minds of the local people by killing all the "Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Communist aggressors" we could find. Charlie and the Swift Boats were like two youth gangs in a vacant lot. If it moved, zap it. Thus it was that we had little enthusiasm for periodic "PSYOP" (Psychological Operations) designed to further our cause with the Vietnamese. It tended to muddle things up, dilute the action with the impurity of a political campaign. Besides, in our area the only Vietnamese we knew about were waiting to tear our heads off; there wasn't any point in preaching to them. My crew pointed this out to me the first time we were instructed to cruise the canals playing tapes of "The Wandering Soul," a howling banshee sermon promising eternal damnation to any Viet Cong who didn't lay down his weapons and join up with us right away. Nobody on the boat understood the words, but any boat that played it usually got hit with rockets. "The Wandering Soul," as Seaman Sherwood J. Drumheller told me, "is Number 10," and dropping off the chart. Unfortunately, I pointed out, we were the only boat on duty that had a functioning PSYOP system - a loudspeaker. "We’re going to have to play something," I said. "Great," said Drumheller, who was 19 and the only normal person on the boat besides me. He favored Steppenwolf, Credence or the Stones, but would also go with Santana because "some of the words are foreign." Boatswain's mate Hogan, who was from Lubbock, and had no known first name, hated Steppenwolf, but offered Buck Owens or Dolly Parton in exchange. "Not heavy enough," I concluded. I chose Ike and Tina Turner (Workin' Together), pointing out that Tina, like Dolly, was a girl, and she sang Honky-tonk Woman (Stones) and Proud Mary (Credence), which, incidentally, was about a river boat. Besides, she had a voice that could melt steel; Charlie would love it. And it worked. For six hours in the middle of the night Tina Turner ripped through the forest like a chain saw, and we didn't hear a single gunshot or see a single muzzle-flash. "The Wandering Soul" was never heard again on the Cua Lon River.

A Gunner's Mate 3rd Class by the name of "DJ" Skully tells about his first exposure to the Wandering Soul tape. He was a member of River Section 534, later River Division 534. He was patrolling the Ham Loung River in the area of Mo Cay and Ken Hoa Provinces as part of Operation Gamewardens. He manned the aft 50 caliber machinegun on a fiberglass Mark II Patrol Boat River (PBR). The time period was late December 1967 to early January 1968. Speakers were mounted on the boat's engine cover armor plating. He said:

I first heard the tape around midnight. Pitch black. We idled along the river bank. Now that I have heard it again I wonder, What the F**k was I doing? Amazing! Freaky! I don't remember the tape being used again by our unit after the Tet Offensive in 1968.

In Brown Water Black Berets , Coastal and Riverine Warfare in Vietnam by Thomas J. Cutler, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 1988, the author provides another opinion of the use of psychological operations along the rivers in his interview with Navy Lieutenant Dick Godbehere who served on a  Patrol Boat, River (PBR):

He disliked psychological operation patrols because the PBRs had to move slowly in order to allow the messages to be heard, which made them very vulnerable to attack, and because listening to the taped messages over and over challenged his sanity.

The Wandering Soul tape did not just appear full-blown on the Vietnam scene. There were earlier variations. One former operations officer of the 10th PSYOP Battalion (1968) told me:

I do not remember that Wandering Soul reverb tape at all. I note that the time of that tape follows my tour by 1 year. Our tapes were of Vietnamese funeral music and most were the standard fare sent to us from Group.

He recorded Arthur Brown's "Fire" from 1968 and used the "demonic" portion repeatedly in an endless loop. He mentioned that the tapes often enraged the Viet Cong and led directly to their death:

Our C-47 'Gabby' aircraft came back one night and I waited for them at Binh Thuy for an after-action report. After all, this tape was my baby and they were beta testing it. The pilot stormed in, spoke briefly with the Commanding Officer and then came to talk to me. He said that they would never play that tape again. He had received incredible ground fire the moment they turned it on.

SP5 Tom Zangla took this picture of Spooky in action from the 525th Military Intelligence Group MACV Team 21 Compound near Pleiku, Vietnam, in May 1969.

He had stumbled on to a Battalion-sized Viet Cong force and they were bold enough to attack our aircraft. That's an important intelligence point. It was rare for a Viet Cong unit to engage our aircraft unless they were absolutely sure of their strength and security. Of course that was what I wanted. Over the Commanding Officer's objection I scheduled our C-47 for a repeat visit over the same target. The next night they went up again, but what I wasn't told until later was that Spooky (a gun ship) went along with our aircraft and flew the speaker mission in opposing orbit and all blacked out. When our aircraft played the recording, the ground fire erupted again and Spooky "hosed em" with all three cannon in full cyclic rpm.

This sounds very much like an early aspect of Project Quick Speak where we tried to get the enemy to react to our tapes so they could be engaged. He concludes:

This incident happened but was never officially reported. The crew felt damned good about seeing the ground fire halt instantaneously as Spooky answered back. It was no fun being an unarmed flying target. As I remember it, no one worried too much that what we did was against Group regulations.

The 8th PSYOP Battalion played a different kind of sound tape in Vietnam according to SP4 Vaughn Whiting in an article entitled “Madison Avenue, Vietnam” in Esprit magazine , June 1969:

A hundred miles from the nearest railroad track, the crashing sound of a steam locomotive shakes the jungle night. Whistles shriek. Bells clang. Steam escapes from open valves in a hissing crescendo that makes men cover their ears. A quiet little valley near the Cambodian border suddenly sounds like the Rock Island Line in the days before diesel engines. But Charlie never sees the train. The sound comes from loudspeakers aboard a low-flying C-47 on a psychological operations mission with only one object: Mess up Charlie’s mind, mess it up so badly that he will shoot at the sound out of pure frustration and give away his position. When that happens, a Spooky gunship, which has been circling just out of sight, glides in with its miniguns ablaze and quiets the valley for the night. Night after night, these C-47 teams, called Gabby Spooks, fly over areas where they think large enemy units are camping and broadcast their repertoire of ear-splitting raucous sounds. Sooner or later the racket proves too much for the hungry, sleepy, homesick soldier below. One of them breaks discipline, rushes into a clearing and take an angry potshot at Gabby. Then it’s all over.

Joint Vietnamese-American PSYOP Loudspeaker Team prepare to take off. Note the bundle of leaflets on the floor of the aircraft.

There are numerous reports of the Viet Cong opening fire on the loudspeaker aircraft. Specialist 4 (SP4) John (Snake) Orr of B Company, 6th PSYOP Battalion (Bien Hoa) told me that during his Vietnam tour he was assigned to and supported at different times the 101st Airborne Division, the 1st Infantry division, the 1st Air Cavalry (almost 600 hours flying speaker and leaflet missions) the 9th Infantry Division, and the 25th Infantry Division. John said that the 9th Infantry Division was the only unit that thanked him. He said that in general, most of the infantry patrols were unhappy to have his team tagging along. He suspects that they considered his PSYOP troops just dead weight who they hoped could shoot straight in a firefight. John preferred flying to ground operations; though he admits that he took a heck of a lot more bullets in choppers than he ever did on the ground. He adds:

I played the Wandering Soul tape many times during 1969-1970; until it got my aircraft all shot up. The damn tape drew fire every time. I never understood the lack of fire discipline on the part of the enemy. My light observation helicopter was an easy target and I always got very worried of the time lag between the first green tracers coming up and our protecting Cobra attack helicopter’s response. It could be worse on the ground. I had an encounter with an officer who tried to convince me that my two-man team should set up a all-nighter with the tape and 1000-watt speakers in a hostile deserted village with a 200 foot high South Vietnam flag colored helium balloon attached to my speakers.  I believe he fully intended that it would draw fire; though he professed that it would draw in Chieu Hoi’s.  As team leader, I refused to put my team in jeopardy and that got the major and me in a little trouble. Loudspeaker equipped helicopter in Vietnam

In Sonic Warfare: Sound, Warfare, Effect, and the Ecology of Fear , The MIT Press, 2010, author Steve Goodman mentions the Wandering Soul and similar devices. I have edited the comments for brevity and he says in part:

During the Vietnam War, we still confused sonic power with high volume, for example, in the so called “Urban Funk” Campaign where we mounted supersized oscillators on top of attack helicopters and blasted Victor Charlie with heavy metal at 120dB. We called that weapon the “Curdler” and it was a very primitive system. The Curdler, or “People Repeller,” was an oscillator that could deafen at short range. When used with a public address system and a 350 watt sound amplifier, it was possible to direct intelligible speech to a range of 2.5 miles. The Curdler was also capable of unleashing siren frequencies of between 500 and 5,000 hertz and of inducing panic. We also used high frequency nighttime wailing sound in a weapon we called the “Wandering Ghost,” intended to spook the Viet Cong by playing on certain Buddhist beliefs and that weapon was a big step forward because we came to realize that there is no sound more powerful than the one that conquers your true heart with deep vibrations.... Ultimately what we are talking about is a weapon that uses harmonic infrasound amplified by the power of Evangelical Christian faith to summon and deploy a voice that sounds like it comes from right inside your head, but also sounds like it is coming from everywhere else. A voice that comes from everywhere and nowhere, from everyone and no one, and when you hear it, you will obey no matter what it says because the real weapon that brought down the walls of Jericho was the voice of God.... As journalist John Pilger reported in his book Heroes, [South End Press, Cambridge MA, 2001] The 1st Air Cavalry PSYOP officer was a captain. He was a stereo-and-speakers buff and what he loved to do was to fly in a helicopter low over the jungle and play his tapes to the enemy. His favorite tape was called “Wandering Soul,” and as we lifted out of Snuffy he explained, “What we’re doing today is psyching out the enemy. And that’s where Wandering Soul comes in. Now you’ve got to understand the Vietnamese way of life to realize the power behind Wandering Soul. You see, the Vietnamese people worship their ancestors and they take a lot of notice of the spirits and stuff like that. Well, what we’re going to do here is broadcast the voices of the ancestors—you know, ghosts which we’ve simulated in our studios. These ghosts, these ancestors, are going to tell the Vietcong to stop messing with the people’s right to live freely, or the people are going to disown them.” The helicopter dropped to within twenty feet of the trees. The PSYOP captain threw a switch and a voice reverberated from two loudspeakers attached to the machine-gun mounting. While the voice hissed and hooted, a sergeant hurled out handfuls of leaflets which made the same threats in writing.

Historian Eric B. Villard found a Staff Sergeant Matt Glasgow article titled "Division Psyops Teams Waging Winning Battle in Other War" in the 1st Cavalry Division Newspaper . Curiously, my pal Chad Spahr who was a member of the 6th PSYOP Battalion is quoted in this clipping. He is mentioned in this Wandering Soul article several times. and talks about loudspeaker operations in this news clipping. Some of the text is:

A new weapon has been added to those employed by the 1st Cav during a firefight - Psychological Operations. Under recently initiated operations, the enemy is not only faced with the awesome cavalry fire power but he must cope with attacks upon his sense of security, purpose, and wellbeing - Each of the division's brigades is now equipped with a 1000-watt loudspeaker, a two-man psychological operations team, and a standby helicopter in addition to an arsenal of leaflets - "Other times we use funeral music...We ask them if they want to die here, away from the families and their place of birth. In their religion it is important to be buried in the place where they were born.

Thomas C. Sorensen mentions the use of ghostly PSYOP messages in The Word War , Harper & Row, N.Y., 1968:

Low flying loudspeaker planes awakened the enemy at night with somber Buddhist funeral music, followed by the recorded voice of a child pleading for his daddy to return home - or perhaps weird electronic cacophonies to frighten the superstitious who believed in forest demons.

The Joint U.S. Public Affairs Office booklet National Catalog of PSYOPS materials mentions one such tape numbered 3A. The tape is 49 seconds long and the message is spoken by a woman. It opens with 10 seconds of Buddhist funeral music and ends with two more seconds of the music. The message is:

Each day that passes brings you closer to death. All men must die sometime. But if you stay with the Viet Cong, you will soon die by bombs or bullets. It is much better to spend the rest of your life among your family and friends. Come home! Make your plans to leave the Viet Cong now. Come home before you die. Come home!

A former 1st Infantry Division sergeant who served several tours in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970 remembers the taped funeral music. He comments:

The damn reverb effect of the recording is eerie. I saw and picked-up leaflets and once heard Funeral Music played over the valleys around Landing Zone Mary Ann. A Kit Carson Scout told me what the music was. This was a ghostly sound. Hell, listening to that made me want to Chieu Hoi myself. It must have been effective as hell in the jungle at night.

The Vietnam Archive Oral History Project Interview with pilot Captain John Hodgin mentioned the mission where strange sounds were played from C-47 loudspeakers:

We had what was called a NO DOZE Mission. This was usually over places where the Viet Cong were coming in from the Ho Chi Minh Trail. It was over the troops, not the villages. We would go up somewhere around 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. at night over where we knew the Viet Cong troops were massed, and fly over their area all night with screams and funeral music, just to keep them awake. Screaming, babies, people, and in the background funeral music. If they ever shot at us, we would back off and then the gun ship with the Gatling guns would come in there and just wipe them out. We then go back and broadcast again. We would stay there all night for as long as you can fly, maybe eight hours with that music. It was loud inside the plane. We had earplugs we had to use. Of course, we had our headphones over the top of the earplugs. It was all Vietnamese I had no idea what they were saying. We did that at 3,000 feet, which kept a lot of the rifles from hitting us. Back during that time, the Viet Cong also had those .50 caliber machineguns which were the first things really that could reach an airplane and tear it up. We had a standing policy that if we got shot at with a .50 caliber, we left. You can see the machinegun tracers. When they are coming your way, it looks like they are going so slow with the tracers because they are coming straight at you. They would usually not reach you. Every now and then there would be a big white flare go "Phoom!"� And go right on by you quick. You say, "Uh-oh that's one of those," and you would get out of that area.

Sergeant Jerry Sopko, 1st Platoon, Delta Co, 4th Battalion, 503rd PIR of the 173rd Airborne, 1969-1970 adds:

I remember those tapes playing along the I Corps - II Corps border area of Northern Binh Dinh Province. At the time, the 4th Battalion of the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment was working the An Do Valley. Even knowing that it was a PSYOP tape, it freaked you out…especially if you were on an ambush mission that night. I recall a ghostly "woooo—wooooo", and "ah-oooo" kind of wail. I didn't know what it was called; we simply called it "Ghosts."

Another former sergeant wrote:

I can relate to your article concerning PSYOP Broadcasting Propaganda tapes. I was a Field Team Leader, assigned 4 August 1967 to the 6th PSYOP Battalion in Saigon .   I worked for the first few months with the 246th PSYOP Company at Bien Hoa and in late 1967 I was transferred to Cu Chi, attached to the 25th Infantry Division.  I was promoted to Sgt. E5, and reassigned to 244th PSYOP Company where I was a Field Team Leader in Quang Tri   Province , attached to the First Cavalry Division. We did Search and Destroy missions in the A Shau Valley. I spen t many hours in a “Huey” with loudspeakers broadcasting those very tapes.

There is another strange sound tape meant to mess with “Charlie’s” mind that we should mention. The 1969 Army Concept Team in Vietnam publication Employment of U.S. Army Psychological Operation Units in Vietnam says about Operation Tintinnabulation:

Operation Tintinnabulation was a new Propaganda technique being tested by the 10th PSYOP Battalion, in cooperation with the 5th Special Operations Squadron, was recently employed against two VC battalions. Tintinnabulation (which literally means the ringing of bells) involves two C-47 aircraft, one "Spooky" (minigun-equipped) and the other a "Gabby" (loudspeaker-equipped). During the initial phase, the Gabby employs a frequency pulsating noisemaker designed to harass and confuse the enemy forces during night hours, while the Spooky provides air cover. During the second phase, the harassing noisemaker continues, however, emphasis is given to use of Chieu Hoi tapes. The first phase is designed to eliminate the feeling that the night provides security to the target audience, while the second phase is designed to reinforce the enemy’s desire to rally. Targets for both phases are recommended based on the results of daytime ground operations. During a recent operation in Vinh Long Province, a total of 24 missions were flown with over-the-target time of approximately 2 hours per aircraft. The number of Hoi Chanhs in the province more than tripled (122 in September to 379 in December), and ralliers stated that the effects of the night missions caused them to rally. The initial success of Operation Tintinnabulation suggested this concept should be considered for use in other areas.

A November 1968 report states that phase I of Operation Tintinnabulation ended on 14 November. A night operation, this phase utilized the C-47 aircraft and speaker system with the frequency pulsating generator (Noisemaker) and various tapes of eerie music designed to eliminate the feeling that the night provides security to the target audience. Phase II was initiated on 15 November and incorporates the use of loudspeaker and C-47 aircraft equipped with mini-guns to suppress ground fire. Specially designed tapes based on Hoi Chanh feedback are used in this phase. On 19 November, 16 Hoi Chanh rallied and 14 of them stated that the night loudspeaker – gunship operations were a major factor in their decision to rally.

We have seen no data to verify the success of the Wandering Soul operation. I suspect it did not do well. The one continuing factor I find is that in most cases the Viet Cong opened fired when they reacted to the tape. This resulted in them being fired upon. This does not seem to be a successful way to motivate defections.

The Wandering Ghost campaign was not universally admired. 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 complains that there was some frustration at the lack of signs of tangible PSYOP success, and this led to gimmicks like sky-lighting effects, and ghostly loudspeakers:

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.

Major Michael G. Barger also quotes Beck in his U.S. Army Command and General Staff College 2007 Master’s thesis Psychological Operations Supporting the Counterinsurgency: 4th PSYOP Group in Vietnam:

Lieutenant Colonel Beck, in his Senior Officer Debrief, called the use of gimmickry, such as projecting images on clouds or using ghostly loudspeaker broadcasts, as “more-or-less desperate attempts to find a quick solution” to show “solid evidence of positive results.” Beck asserted that effective PSYOP takes time and instant results are usually the result of other factors that predisposed a target audience to complying with a PSYOP argument. He also pointed out that units could not sustain trickery for long, and once the lie was revealed it would damage the credibility of PSYOP personnel.35 Worse, once gimmickry failed to achieve results, the commander who once overestimated the potential of PSYOP now was even more inclined to relegate PSYOP to an ancillary function rather than integrate it into his combat plans.

Leaflet 4-29-69

Although in general leaflets that showed dead Viet Cong were frowned upon since they were not likely to win the admiration and respect of the enemy, and in fact were known to make them angry and ready for revenge, from time to time the American PSYOP units did prepare such leaflets. To remind the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army of their vulnerability, the 4th PSYOP Group prepared a series of leaflets in 1969 that depicted dead Viet Cong. I will show one such leaflet but the reader should understand that there was an entire series. Some of the leaflets were 4-27-69 “Don’t Die Like This”;   4-29-69 “Don’t Die Tragically Like This”; 4-40-69 “Don’t Die Uselessly for the Communist Dark Plots Like Your Comrades in this Photo”; and “Wishing Longevity to Uncle Ho Doesn’t Mean that More of Your Comrades have to be Killed Dreadfully like This.”

The Psychological Operations leaflet and poster catalog of the 244th Psychological Operation Company, Detachment 2, Quang Ngai, Vietnam, offers a leaflet that fits in very well with this topic. The title is,  "Two Ways of Appreciating Combatants." It depicts a live person with the text, "One, Human" and a dead person with the text , "One, wicked and Abandoned."

The text compares the life of a Communist soldier with that of a Government of Viet Nam soldier. It first says of the Communist, " We think of how these wounds torment your body until the day you die in the nooks and corner of the thick forests and mountains. In a strange mound, no incense where your bodies are buried. Who will think of you?..." It next tells of the ARVN soldier, "For us, if we die in the battlefield our bodies will be carried to our native village and buried there. If we are wounded, we are taken to a military hospital for medical treatment and recuperation."

Leaflet 23-65

This is an early 1965 leaflet produced by the joint PSYWAR Civic Affairs Center of the I Corps Tactical Zone, Republic of Vietnam. The front of this leaflet depicts a dead Communist fighter on the ground. The text is:

Has this man had a proper burial? Will his family ever learn where his grave is?

On the back a living Communist thinks of his family and wonders:

My family needs me. Am I ever going to see my family again? Why should I fight my brother Vietnamese comrades? Death.

Leaflet 116-66

Another early I Corps leaflet. This one depicts a dead Viet Cong fighter on the ground. I am tempted to turn this one upside down so you can see the body better, but the text on the bottom proves that they wanted the body seen this way. The leaflet was poorly cut by the printers and the stains are caused by the glue used to paste this specimen into the unit�s leaflet file. The text is:

Many of you have died tragically on the battlefield and no one will know where your grave is.

The back has a long all-text message. It is a tactical leaflet targeting the 325th Viet Cong Battalion:

TO THE COMBATANTS IN THE 325TH VIET CONG DIVISION,

For a long time, the Viet Cong cadres have taken advantage of you and need you for their cannon fodder. The Viet Cong have no regard for you, and you are making a needless sacrifice. They send you to a battlefield and use their human wave tactics where you tragically die. Now is the time for you to profoundly reflect and hasten to return to the Republic of Vietnam�s Government and to the people to increase the prosperity of the country and the happiness and abundance of the people before you and your family are forever parted. The administrative and military authorities and the people are waiting to welcome you just as they have done to your colleagues who have already returned to the true cause.

Leaflet 134-66

This is another early I Corps leaflet that was used in 1966. The reason I add it is because many of the American leaflets to the enemy used the mother as a theme. This one depicts a mother looking at an empty bed on the left, at the right we see her son, not sleeping, but dead in the jungle. She wonders where his body lies. The text on the front is:

He was here only last year! Where have they buried him!

The text on the back is:

A VIET CONG SOLDIER SPEAKS TO HIS MOTHER

Mother, I considered it certain that I would die in battle, and you would not know of my death. Sometimes I felt that death was perhaps better than this way of life, but I felt sorry for you, mother, who needed my assistance. I dared not let my comrades know of my true feelings, because I feared they might report them to my leaders. Many of my comrades were tired and as sick as I was because of the lack of food and medicine. I�m sorry I had to leave you, mother, but death was better than my life with the Viet Cong.

Leaflet 7-549-68

I liked the image on this leaflet a lot. Two North Vietnamese Army soldiers resting in the bush, one seeming to massage his foot. It reminded me of the military when a couple of American soldiers would sit on their foot lockers, maybe shining their boots and just have a pleasant talk. It was always a very comfortable time. I liked the color of the leaflet, blue being my favorite color. It is a tactical leaflet aimed specifically at the 1st Regiment of the North Vietnamese 2nd Division. The text is on the front is:

FRIENDS, NEVER SUFFER TRIBULATION!

ATTENTION OF DISSENTING SOLDIERS OF THE REGULAR 1ST REGIMENT OF THE NORTH VIETNAMESE REGULAR 2ND DIVISION. We know you are afraid of the prolonged death, and it has made your life in the jungle an exhausting misery. You do not have medicine when sick. More than 500 of your friends were killed in August. Do you want to become one of them? Your fellow soldiers were buried in unmarked graves. You have two choices - to die where you are, or to come over to the Government of the Republic of Viet Nam. You will be warmly received upon returning.

Leaflet 7-567-68

This leaflet depicts the unmarked graves of Viet Cong fighters deep in the jungle. The text on the front is:

UNKNOWN GRAVES

DEAR FRIEND, You are setting foot on ground filled with the bones of countless of your comrades. They fell because they were accidentally or forced to sacrifice for the ambitions of the Communist leaders. They fell because of the outrageous rhetoric of the Communist propaganda machine. There are so many people who have been given beautiful titles by the Party, such as "heroes who destroyed the enemy" and "heroes of production"; but ask yourself, do you remember those people? Soldiers, you will be praised, flattered, and listened to until you are fascinated. But when you fall, your memory is immediately erased, no one in the unit is allowed to mention your name to offend you. Only your family mourns you day and night, but no one knows where you are buried! We, the emotional national soldiers [South Vietnam Army] , do not want this land to be mixed with your bones anymore. We sincerely wish to welcome you at Chieu Hoi Centers.

Leaflet 7-462-70

I want to stop here and add a 7th PSYOP Battalion 1970 leaflet that is interesting. In a way it is almost "black," using an indirect attack to get the attention of the enemy. It does not say "you will be buried in an unmarked grave."� It says that if you should be killed, instead of being buried in an unmarked grave, fill out this leaflet and we will be able to send you home for a proper burial. It seems to serve two purposes. It will identify the soldier of his body is found dead on the battlefield and his name could be used for propaganda, and even more interesting, every time he sees that piece of paper, he will think about being killed in a strange country, something not likely to help his morale. It does not say "if you are killed," it says "when you are killed." The text of the leaflet is:

MEMBERS OF THE NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMY AND LOCAL FORCES, Fill out the blank spaces on the back side of this paper and keep it with you. When you are killed the Vietnamese Army or Allied Force will give you a proper burial with a detailed tombstone which will enable your relatives to find your grave. (If for any reason, you do not want to keep this paper, then write the information on another piece of paper and keep it with you.)

The back of the leaflet has the following places for information to be added:

Full name; date of birth; place of birth; father's name, mothers name; rank, title; unit, wife's name; children's names.

Leaflet T-09

This leaflet dropped along the Ho Chi Minh Trail asks:

Is this a grave?

Unfortunately, it is not. But it is the final resting place, many, many kilometers from the graves of his ancestors. His body cannot be identified, his grave cannot be marked, and his soul will never find rest.

Leaflet 246-117-67

This leaflet almost seems designed for the Wandering Soul Operation. It shows two dead fighters of the Viet Cong C-40 Regiment. The leaflet was requested by the U.S. 196th Light Infantry Brigade. The 246th PSYOP Company printed 100,000 copies for distribution by air. The text on the front is:

ATTENTION MEN OF THE C-140 REGIMENT!

The text on the back says in part:

…These members of your unit fired on the U.S. and other Allied Forces. Their own comrades left them to die without proper burial honors to lie forever in unmarked graves. Their souls will remain forever lonely and lost, never to return home…

Notice the use of the term "unmarked graves" in the text of the leaflet. We will find that term in many leaflets and loudspeaker missions. The Vietnamese would understand that term meant they would walk the earth forever. One loudspeaker mission that used the term was a loudspeaker appeal by PSYOP personnel asking the Viet Cong to rally to the government side as part of the Chieu Hoi program:

Attention members of the V-21 Regiment. You cannot win! You were severely beaten when you attacked the ARVN base camp, located west of the Saigon River in Tay Nihn Province. You suffered more than 289 casualties while the ARVN suffered small losses. You fought well, but against a better and stronger force you did not have a chance. Now many of you are wounded and dying. Do you want to be buried in an unmarked grave? You have two choices: die where you are, or rally to the Government of Vietnam. If you rally you will be given medicine and be treated well. Rally now. Hide your weapon and rally during daylight hours to any ARVN or Allied soldier or GVN official.

Leaflet 246-136-67

This leaflet has a very nostalgic image that was used more than once by American PSYOP troops. A Viet Cong fighter's wife stands alone outside her home while the rest of the family eats. She thinks of her husband out in the bush and wonders if he is still alive. 50,000 of these leaflets were requested by the Vietnamese 25th Infantry Division. The text on the back is:

Wives of the fighters of the in the 165th Regiment.

Where is your husband? Is he one of those that have been killed by the might allied forces. More men from the 165th Regiment die each day. They are buried without honor in a grave forever unknown. Dead men cannot return to their families. Tell your husband to rally under the Chieu Hoi Program. Don't let him wait. He will be treated well, given a generous allowance, and be trained in a skill that will provide a better life for his family. Don't let him die for an unjust cause.

The same image was used on JUSPAO leaflet 952. The text now is:

A MESSAGE TO TROOPS STILL IN THE VIET CONG

Whenever the family sits together at the dining table, everyone is emotional and missing you. We remember you have been suffering much and not knowing how you are doing now. We miss the male head of our family and feel the loneliest ever. We send our messages to you via the birds, the winds, and the clouds, with the hope they will reach you, and that you will reunite with us soon. The Open Arms program of the RVN Government.

Leaflet 246-179

This leaflet depicts a group of dead Viet Cong left to rot on the ground after a battle. 100,000 copies were printed at the request of the 25th Infantry Division. The text on the front is:

Bodies of Slain Viet Cong Guerrillas lay abandoned by their Unit.

There must be an end to needless killing. The Viet Cong are losing the battle and desperately need replacements for those who have recently died in battle or who have rallied to the winning government cause. Why torture or force innocent young men into the ranks to die for a hopeless cause. Do not let friends, relatives, or yourself be used by the Viet Cong. Stay at home and avoid the Viet Cong traps. If necessary, more to a Vietnam Government controlled area for a more secure life.

Leaflet 23 was dropped on North Vietnam and shows the South Vietnamese praying for their dead on the "Day or Pardon for the Dead." The people are reminded to "burn a stick of incense in honor of our ancestors." The captions on the two photographs on the front are:

Faithful to their ancestral tradition, the people of South Vietnam are praying for the dead on the "Day of Pardon for the Dead." As we sadly turn our thoughts toward the withering North, No sticks were burned on Vu Lan Day, and no comfort was given the wandering souls.

The message on the back is:

Dear Compatriots of North Vietnam, The Trung Nguyen or Vu Lan holidays are approaching. This is the time when every Vietnamese would pause to burn a stick of incense in honor of our ancestors or as an act of mercy for the souls of those dead who have no one to honor their memories. Faithful to our ancestral traditions, we in the South are burning incense and praying for the deceased. On this occasion, our thoughts go to you and the many sufferings, both material and moral, you are enduring under the ruthless regime of the Godless communists. We know that you are being harassed into abandoning your pious duty of honoring your dead. But our thoughts also go to the many dead who fall every day in South Vietnam under the murderous hands of the Viet Cong. How many wandering souls need our prayers and your prayers on this day of "Pardon for the Dead"? Compatriots, demand that the Lao Dong Party stop its war of aggression in the South so that no more innocent souls would have to join the already great number of innocent souls now wandering on this war-torn country of the South.

Leaflet 4-11-70

Since the Vietnamese felt a need to be buried close to home, the United States printed numerous leaflets that threatened them with an unmarked grave. This 4th PSYOP Group leaflet was printed on 3 April 1970. The front shows “unmarked graves.” There are four clear areas in the grass and apparently we are to think there are four bodies buried in those clear spots. The text is:

Are you doommed for an unmarked grave like this?

Men in the NVA Communist ranks

Many of your comrades have been killed because they blindly followed their leaders’ orders. Their reward was an unmarked grave. How can you and your comrades escape a similar fate? Some have left their units to surrender and be imprisoned. They still have hopes of reuniting with their family when the war ends. Some have responded to the Chieu Hoi policy of the Government of Vietnam for a new life of happiness and security in South Vietnam…If you continue on your present course, you will die and be buried in an unmarked grave. You must think about your families and resolve to return to them as soon as possible. 

At some point Monta Osborne of JUSPAO reviewed this leaflet and said:

This leaflet uses the old theme, employed countless times in Vietnam, that the NVA soldier faces death in South Viet-Nam, with burial in an unmarked grave. A recent study by JUSPAO stated that threats of death leave NVA soldiers unmoved, and implied that the "unmarked grave" theme has little if any validity with NVA soldiers, who tend to feel that "when you're dead, you're dead" and the corpse does not worry about whether its grave is visited by the descendants.

While discussing the above leaflet, one veteran told me that perhaps the enemy did try to recover those bodies. He said:

Some of our troops came across a NVA burial site. They found a bottle with the names and locations of graves inside. It was believed the bottle was hidden so that they could return later and identify and recover the bodies. In another case about 40 NVA bodies were found hidden in an old well after an attack. Again, it is assumed that the enemy expected to come back later and recover the bodies.

Leaflet SP-808

This leaflet shows a young boy being forcibly taken away from the family to be impressed into the Viet Cong. When I say "impressed," I mean the same sort of kidnapping that went on in Continental days when the British Navy would stop American ships and take sailors and force them into the British Navy. On the left we see the boy taken; on right we see the corpses of dead Viet Cong on the field being eaten by vultures. The text at the left and right is:

WHY DOES THE VIET CONG FORCE YOUNG BOYS INTO THEIR SERVICE WHEN FORMERLY THEY TOOK ONLY OLDER VOLUNTEERS

BECAUSE THE VIET CONG ARE LOSING THE WAR!

The Viet Cong regular troops have suffered huge losses in dead and wounded on the battlefield. They need replacements. More and more Viet Cong are returning to the Government cause, creating gaps in the Viet Cong ranks. Replacements are needed to fill these gaps. Viet Cong �human wave� tactics require many people to be sent to their deaths � young people, imperfectly trained, badly armed, make good bullet shields for the northern cadre of the Viet Cong. And if these young conscripted soldiers in the Viet Cong ranks should live for a little while, then the Viet Cong take them from their hamlets and villages, send them far away to other provinces, to die and rot unburied, or to be buried in shallow unmarked graves in the jungles and swamps of the highlands.

Leaflet 3806

This leaflet has two themes. The first is that the soldier will die in Cambodia; the second is that because he will not be buried at home his soul will never find rest. The leaflet depicts a Communist soldier crying on the ground, thinking of what will become of a friend he just buried. The text on the front is:

HE WILL NEVER RETURN TO ANCESTRAL SOIL

He was a courageous soldier that fought "the People's War" So far from home. Like you, he followed his loved ones to follow the "just cause" extolled by the Communist Party of North Vietnam. Yet, who stands by his shallow Cambodian grave so far from home to mourn his courageous death? His family joyfully awaits his triumphant return, not knowing of his fate. His party bosses praise his noble death while sending others to take his place. The "just cause" of the Communist Party has not rewarded him properly. An unmarked grave on Cambodian soil, of preying jungle beasts, await your dying breath.

Leaflet 4454

This leaflet depicts a lonely Viet Cong in the bush thinking of his family at home. The text is:

An image of a North Vietnamese soldier grieving in spring while separated from his family during Tet.

The back is all text:

How many springs have elapsed since you were taken away from your families and unable to enjoy Tet with your loved ones? Have you received Tet greetings from your wife, sons, or other relatives on this traditional holiday? Does this Tet�s find you happier than on previous similar occasions. Do you realize that it is the communist scheme of seizing South Vietnam that forces you to live away from your family and sustain endless hardships while depriving your relations of your company in celebrating Tet? May a time come when you are able to rejoin your families and enjoy Tet with your relatives? Indeed, it may, but will you survive until then? Or will your bodies already be buried somewhere in the wilderness? There is one alternative left to you. Break with the Communists and go over to the people of Free Vietnam. Then you can enjoy a significant Tet every year.

Those Wandering Souls Died in Nameless Graves

Captain Edward N. Voke, S2 (Intelligence) staff officer of the 6th PSYOP Battalion from 1966 to 1967 ran across a poster in I Corps in 1967 that used the Wandering Soul theme. He told me:

I  have a 16 x 10.25-inches poster 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

Voke mentions another leaflet which tells of the enemy of their dead lying unburied on the battlefield: He considered this leaflet one of the best he had seen:

One of the most effective leaflets I ever saw was printed after one of the battles in 1966 or 1967. A U.S. Infantry Division Commanding General wrote a letter to the enemy division Commanding General (on regular 2-star stationery; English on one side & Vietnamese on the other), informing him that his North Vietnamese troops had disgraced themselves on the field of battle. The American general said that he had buried the North Vietnamese dead and was carrying for the wounded; and if he could do anything else, to please contact him.  We later heard the full background on that battle. Apparently, the U.S. forces were beating and pushing back the North Vietnamese slowly, and the enemy was pulling back in good order. Then, a North Vietnamese machine-gunner in the center platoon panicked, jumped up and ran to the rear. Seeing this, other troops around him also began to run to the rear and it opened up the center of the North Vietnamese defense. The American forces exploited the sudden weakness and caved in the enemy with terrible losses to the North Vietnamese. If the enemy Battalion Commander knew what caused the rout he probably didn’t want to tell his boss. The American Commanding General’s nice letter let the North Vietnamese Army Commanding General let everyone in the immediate vicinity know of the division’s cowardice. I heard that many copies of the letter were dropped over the enemy’s area of operations. We later heard that the North Vietnamese battalion and regiment commanders were relieved. This was by far the best PSYOP leaflet I ever saw by a US combat unit. General Hay letter

Lieutenant General John H. Hay Jr. discusses the same leaflet in Vietnam Studies – Tactical and Materiel Innovations , Department of the Army, Washington D.C. 1989. Hay says in part:

On 13 May 1970 an agent reported that within Phong Dinh Province some 300 local force Viet Cong were to be recruited and sent to Cambodia as replacements for North Vietnamese Army units that had suffered heavy losses. The information was passed to the U.S. intelligence adviser and the province adviser for psychological operations. By 1600 on the same day, the psychological operations staff had prepared a leaflet capitalizing on the raw intelligence information. The priority target selected for the operation was the area of Phong Dinh Province , which was known to harbor hard-core Viet Cong. The province adviser for psychological operations and the S-5 adviser arranged to have the leaflets distributed throughout the appropriate districts during that night and the next day. Late in the evening on 14 May, the first Hoi Chanh rallied in Phung Hiep District with a copy of a leaflet on the Stationery of the Commanding General of the 1st Infantry Division, red flag with stars and all. By 23 May, twenty-eight Viet Cong had rallied, stating that they had done so because they were afraid of being sent to Cambodia . The leaflet read in English and Vietnamese:

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY HEADQUARTERS 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL 22 March 1967

AVDB-CG                                                                                                                   SUBJECT:                  Unsoldierly Conduct of Officers of Cong Truong 9

          TO: Commanding General                   Cong Truong 9                   HT 86500 YK

Dear General:   This is to advise you that during the battle of Ap Bau Bang. On 20 March the Regimental Commander of Q763 and his battalion commanders disgraced themselves by performing in an unsoldierly manner.    During this battle with elements of this Division and attached units your officers failed to accomplish their mission and left the battlefield covered with dead and wounded from their units.  We have buried your dead and taken care of your wounded from this battle.                                                                Sincerely

                                                                        J. H. Hay                                                                         Major General USA                                                                         Commanding

Notice that Volk mentions a time line of 1966-1967 for this leaflet when we spoke in 2007, and General Hay places it in 1970 in the statement he wrote in 1989. This difference could be caused by “the fog of war,” or it is possible that General Hay wrote such a leaflet on more than one occasion.

Chip Decker at left – in the early 1990s at Ft. Rucker, Alabama

Warrant Officer 1 Chip Decker flew the “Huey” helicopter for the 128th Assault Helicopter Co. (Tomahawks) in Vietnam. He told me that in regard to the General Hay letter-leaflet:

I was just 19 years old back then. This is a leaflet I dropped in 1967 in III Corps. It is two-sided with Vietnamese text on one side and English on the other. I kept about a half-dozen as souvenirs but now I am down to just one. I know at least two boxes about two feet square full of the leaflets were dropped from my helicopter. Usually we were working for the Division S2 (Intelligence) or S3 (Operations) out of Di An. We supported the 1st Infantry Division, the 25th Infantry Division, the 99th Light Infantry Brigade, the 173rd Airborne Brigade and sometimes the Vietnamese Army Division. Di An Base Camp (also known as Di An Army Airfield) was located northeast of Saigon, 13 kilometers northeast of Tan Son Nhut Air Base and 12 kilometers southwest of Bien Hoa. I would get a mission sheet to go to Di An these PSYOP guys would jump on-board and ask us to orbit so they could drop the leaflets. One other thing, the air flow around the belly of the Huey would trap leaflets against the helicopters underbelly skin and when we landed back at Division the rotor wash reacting to the ground surface would blow all the leaflets stuck on the belly all over the division helipad! We would also drop the different Chieu Hoi leaflets all the time for the Division and run some of the loudspeaker missions. One other thing, the air flow around the belly of the Huey would trap leaflets against the helicopters underbelly skin and when we landed back at Division the rotor wash reacting to the ground surface would blow all the leaflets stuck on the belly all over the division helipad!

Retired Colonel Alan Byrne of the 4th PSYOP Group told me that in general these personal letters were frowned upon. Although this is not exactly what he talks about here, it is close. He says:

There was another type of leaflet message that we would receive from our field units on rare occasions asking if it was OK to develop and produce them. And we vetoed them every time along with a letter back from our Group Commander to the combat unit commander (Usually a Battalion Commander) explaining why these were not acceptable. There were, however, a few that did get out and printed in small numbers. I seem to recall that a command directive went out directing commanders to cease and desist on any actions of this type. These we nicknamed “Macho Man” leaflets. They were always a direct physical challenge and threat. The language was always very explicit language and they were always from an American commander to the opposing NVA or VC force commander. The general theme hardly ever varied. Our American commander would toss the gauntlet in insulting terms to the opposing enemy commander to meet him alone, on the battlefield. They then, without any weapons, would fight, one-on-one, hand-to-hand, to the death.

Wandering Soul Leaflet Prepared but not Disseminated.

Specialist Fourth Class Charles Kean Jr. Was a member of the 245th PSYOP Company in Vietnam during the years 1966-1967. He was trained as a U.S. Army Illustrator (Military Occupational Specialty 81E2W). He told me:

We never used this one that I drew. I am not sure if that was the final version of the drawing or a work in progress. Perhaps it was refined to show some grass or small trees to indicate that the body was left to rot in the jungle. We heard that there was a superstition among the Vietnamese that their soul could not rest and would be forced to wander endlessly if certain rituals were not followed after death and they were not properly interred according to tradition. The drawing was an attempt to capitalize on those fears. Unlike us, they would leave their dead and wounded on the battlefield when they retreated after a battle. Sometimes it seemed that they would willfully leave their wounded knowing that our medical people back at the base would do all in their power to patch them up and save their lives. The text would have explained that this soldier’s soul was going to wander Vietnam forever because he did not have a traditional burial. We mostly did specialized leaflets for tactical situations. We produced leaflets covering a lot of different dialects and situations. The unit was charged with the task of producing materials that encouraged the enemy to lessen their resistance or surrender.

Leaflet ATF-010-70

The Australian 1st Psychological Operations Unit produced a leaflet with a similar theme of Viet Cong bodies left on the ground to rot by their comrades. About 100,000 copies of Leaflet ATF-010-70 were produced 4 June 1970 and dropped by aircraft. The front depicts a dead Communist guerrilla in the jungle. Text to the left of the body is: 

Unburied Communist dead on the battlefield.

The leaflet targeted the Ba Long Province Viet Cong units. The purpose was to demoralize the enemy by the thought of them never being properly buried at home and wandering forever in the afterlife. The text on the back is:

Soldiers and Cadres of D440, D445, C25, C41, and other Ba Long Province Units Lately, and especially from 4 May to 23 May, the Government of Vietnam and Allied Forces in Phuoc Tuy have found 15 bodies of Communist soldiers lying where they died on the battlefield. Some only had a sheet of plastic over them. Will you soon be killed and left unburied in the jungle?

The VC itself responded to this sensitive matter of disposal of the dead as raised by the Australian leaflets. The enemy’s headquarters, Military Region 7, issued an order that bodies were to be recovered from the battlefield at all costs and given a proper burial.

The leaflets were supplemented with the playing of the “Wandering Soul” tape at night. The Australians used a Pilartus Porter aircraft to fly the missions (it replaced the U. S. Skymaster O-2B aircraft).   They flew at about 1000 feet above ground level just above stalling speed at night without lights. The aircraft engine could not be seen or heard by the enemy on the ground below.

Former sergeant Derrill de Heer of the First Psychological Operations Unit described the Australian use of the tape:

I and others in the unit used the Wandering Souls tape on many occasions. There seems to be a number of versions of it made. In PSYWAR a tape needs to be 20 to 40 seconds long or you may leave an area before the intended target hears the whole message. The Australians only played the tape at night in areas away from inhabited areas and away from areas of South Vietnamese soldiers. The Vietnamese have a strong belief that if you die violently or where you are not known or are not buried in the traditional way your spirit will wander eternally. Hence the tape was made to make then think about their death and perhaps consider returning to the South Vietnamese government side under the Chieu Hoi (Open Arms) amnesty program. As I remember the tape the first half was electronic music with a voice from beyond saying he was wounded and did not know where he was.  He was thinking of his family and children. The music changed to psychedelic music and the voice was more wavering and he was now dead and his spirit was wandering.

De Heer mentioned the operation again years later in a newspaper interview:

We did this during night-time because in the silence of night sound travels further. We’d be drifting in a Pilatus Porter aircraft, with no lights, at about 1000 feet, just above stalling speed. On a ground, they couldn’t hear the aircraft. All they could hear was the message we were broadcasting. The message included a scary voice of a bleeding soldier, alone in a night and yearning for home. The tape that included electronic music, then changed to a more resounding tone, and portrayed the voice of a dead soldier, now a wandering spirit. It finished with a plea for enemy soldiers to rally to the Government of South Vietnam. The sound of tape was chilling, even for non-Vietnamese troops. I had one pilot that simply refused to fly missions when we were going to play that tape. It freaked him out.

The Wandering Soul operation was mentioned a third time by de Heer in his Masters’ Thesis: Victoria per Mentum: Psychological Operations Conducted by the Australian Army in Phuoc Tuy Province South Vietnam 1965 – 1971. Some of his comments were:

The superstition most favored by Australians related to the Vietnamese belief that if a villager died violently or outside the village his soul would wander without resting…One particular taped message produced by the Americans for general use was the message that was referred to as ‘Wandering Souls’. It was discovered later that there were a number of versions of this theme of Wandering Souls made by US forces throughout South Vietnam. The version used by the Australians was a taped message about twenty to thirty seconds in length and contained a spiritual theme divided into two parts. The first part of the message could be described as electronic music with a voice in an echo chamber in Vietnamese saying “they were wounded and they did not know where they were, they were dying.” In the second part of the taped message the music changed to a slightly weirder and psychedelic style of ghostly music making the voice changes to sound like a spirit voice. The voice declared that “I am dead and my soul (spirit) is wandering.” This demonstrated how the victim was no longer in the region of the village and his ‘spirit’ would be condemned to wander forever. The effectiveness of these broadcasts was believed to be heightened during night flights when the aircraft would fly close to stalling speed at about one thousand feet above ground level with aircraft navigation lights switched off. At this altitude, the engine of the turbo-propeller driven Porter aircraft was so quiet that it could not be heard from the ground.

Royal Australian Army Service Corps Private Ken Stevenson told me about his 1969 experiences with the Australian PSYOP unit and his missions where the Wandering Soul tape was played from a helicopter.

He arrived in Vietnam in November 1969 and was sent to Forward Support Base Julia. He told me that Brigadier General Sandy Pearson, the Australian Task Force Commander was serious about the war and intended to continue operations during the Christmas holidays. The Australians assigned him the duty as a driver for the PSYOP unit. He said that many of the Australian regulars sniggered when they heard his assignment announced on morning parade. Psychological operations were considered a joke by most of the Australian troops. They thought it was funny that the new guy got the job of driving the “nut cases” in PSYOP. Ken was a conscript; a trained College instructor. Although a driver, because of his education he was given some more interesting jobs and often worked with the American III Corps PSYOP battalion at Bien Hoa and sometimes helped develop leaflet drops with them. He told me:

I usually worked with a four-man team; a Lieutenant Dick Williams, a Staff Sergeant Pete Erio, a clerk Private Norman, and me as the official driver. The Officer in Charge was Captain Mike Nelson. We had a Vietnamese Army interpreter named Sergeant Cu who was also a school teacher in civilian life. We even had a movie van. At that time we used Huey helicopters from Royal Australian Air Force 9 Squadron at Vung Tau with mounted speaker banks. The Pilatus Porter planes were not in Viet Nam when I was there. I took part in Wandering Soul missions and even brought a copy of the tape home. Those missions were exciting; I felt that I was actually doing something significant. I remember that on one night mission the pilot said after about 5 minutes, “We're going to drop you back at Nui Dat and then fake the log when get back to base, are you OK with that?” Like the targeted Viet Cong, he too was scared witless. He was spooked out by the eeriness of the tape and the fear of being a few hundred feet over the canopy in the dark. We were quite low, actually “sitting ducks” if some dedicated Viet Cong cadre decided to take us on. On the bright side, I don’t remember ever drawing fire during a mssion. As I said earlier, PSYOP wasn't seen as a traditional Army role so Headquarters seemed to be just humoring us. Most Australian Army effort apart from combat went into Civil Affairs and the engineers.

The "Wandering Soul" Used in Another Campaign

Long after the war was over the United States began declassifying CIA documents from the Vietnam War. One that caught my interest was this one, a strange use of the American wandering Soul Campaign:

A rumor campaign directed against Communist targets inside South Vietnam (by planting rumors through the South Vietnamese Army tactical radio operator chatter, which we know the North Vietnamese monitors) are being developed. Themes are designed to confuse the enemy about our military intentions, to increase doubts concerning Soviet and Chinese support, and to add to internal North Vietnamese mistrust. In all our activities, leaflets, radios, rumors, and other special operations, we are giving the impression of iron U.S. determination and power. We have already told them that our air and sea power has been greatly increased and new augmentations have been announced. We also hint at powerful, new weapons. And we are playing on North Vietnamese superstitions by claiming that the "Wandering Souls" of their unburied dead in the South are guiding our bombs.

The Wandering Soul Concept used in a Training Exercise

A decade after I wrote this story I heard from an old PSYOP officer who told me about using this concept during his early days when he trained to work in psychological operations:

We were told about the “Wandering Soul” recording when I was attending the PSYOP Officer Course. There is a joint field exercise at the end of the course with 82nd Airborne units playing the role of government forces and Special Forces students playing the role of the guerrilla forces. As PSYOP students we were tasked to develop leaflets and broadcast tapes in support of the government forces. Inspired by the Wandering Soul tape and author John Berrio’s “Dead at 17” poem I decided to do a broadcast having a dead guerrilla lament over his death and his failure to surrender to the government when given the opportunity. This is what I recorded: “Agony claws my mind. I am a statistic. When I first got here, I felt very much alone. I was overwhelmed by grief, and I expected to find sympathy. I found no sympathy. I saw only dozens of others whose bodies were as badly mangled as mine. I was given a number and places in a category. I was called a “Casualty of War.” The day I died was an ordinary day. How I wish I had not joined the guerillas. But I thought I was doing the right thing. I know better now but it is too late for me. It doesn’t matter how I was killed. We were on patrol. I thought I was doing the right thing fighting against the government, now I know better. The last thing I remember was hearing an explosion, I was no longer standing. I could see my own legs six feet away from me. My friends were all dead or mangled around me. My whole body seemed to be turning inside out. I heard myself scream. Suddenly, I awakened. It was very quiet. An officer of the government forces was standing over me. Standing next to him was a doctor. My body was mangled. I was saturated with blood. And pieces of jagged shrapnel were sticking out all over me. How strange that I could not feel anything. ‘HEY! I cried. Don’t put that sheet over my head. I can’t be dead. I’m too young I’ve got too much to live for. I’m supposed to have a wonderful life ahead of me. I haven’t lived yet. I can’t be dead. Why didn’t I surrender?’ They zipped up the body bag. The government treated me with respect. They are not evil like I was told. They contacted my family and asked them to identify my body. Why did they have to see my like this? Why did I have to look at mom’s eyes when she faced the most terrible ordeal of her life? Dad suddenly looked very old. He told the man in charge , ‘Yes – That is our son.’ The funeral was strange. I saw all my relatives and friends walk toward the casket. They looked at me with the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen. Some of my friends were crying. And a few girls touched my hand as they walked away. Please – somebody, anybody – wake me up! Get me out of here. I can’t bear to see Mom and Dad in such pain. My grandparents are so weak from grief they can barely walk. My brother and sister are like zombies. They move in a daze. No one can believe this. I can’t believe it either. I CAN’T BE DEAD. Why didn’t I surrender when I had a chance? Why! Please don’t bury me. I’m not dead. I have a lot of living to do. I want to laugh and play again. I want to go fishing, play ball and raise a family. Please don’t put me in the ground. I promise if you give me just one more chance God, I’ll stop fighting; all I want is one more chance. Please God; I don’t want to be dead.”

The Search for the Dead goes on...

Australian Vietnam War veterans Bob Hall and my old buddy Derrill de Heer were asked by Hanoi to help find the bodies of those soldiers killed by the Australians during the war. As former veterans, both academics, from the University of New South Wales Canbera at the Australian Defence Force Academy, share a deep connection to Vietnam and its people. Mr. de Heer remembers one occasion in 1970 when he was approached by a Vietnamese man for help in seeking details of his son who had been killed the night before in contact with Australian soldiers a week earlier and buried near Phuc Hai village, not far from the beach.

We found the old man's son buried in the sand -- one of four -- and wrapped him in a poncho. It was a clean wound, thank goodness, but I've never seen so much grief in my life.

The Australian practice of burying the bodies of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong personnel and marking the grid reference of the grave sites in unit war diaries proved the key to compiling the digital database. Derrill added:

Since 1972, the terrain has changed, dams have been built, towns expanded, roads built, so putting the burial details on old army maps would have been of no value. What we've been able to do is convert that information of wartime contacts -- latitude and longitude -- and put it on to Google Earth.

The issue of Vietnam's war dead -- estimated at 1.1 million -- is a sensitive one for Hanoi. But Vietnamese families are now demanding to know more about the last resting place of loved ones lost during the brutal conflict.

By 2012 Australian Military researchers had identified the names and burial sites of more than 600 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops killed by Australian and New Zealand soldiers. The fighters are among tens of thousands of Vietnamese listed as missing in action during the war. The researchers have urged Australian Vietnam Vets who have items such as photographs, diaries or letters taken from the bodies of slain Vietnamese to hand them over so that the team at the university can work with sympathetic Vietnamese to locate the families of the fallen. The Australian mission to help find the Vietnamese MIAs has been named Operation Wandering Souls . It takes its name from Vietnamese culture in which the spirit of those whose fate is unknown or who died violently will wander forever.

A Hand-drawn picture of a Mother carried by a North Vietnamese Soldier found in a destroyed village in I Corps by and Australian Adviser on the Australian Army Training Team. The advisor sent it home and it stayed in his trunk until he heard about the Wandering Souls Program.

The son of the mother in the picture was located by articles written in the newspaper and the picture above was returned to the grateful family in North Vietnam by Australians Derrill de Heer and Bob Hall in 2013 as part of their continuing “Operations Wandering Soul” project to return soldier’s artifacts to their families. The son when he identified the pen and ink drawing of his mother told the Australians that the smile never left his face. On the back of the portrait was a family tree showing the eight children in the family. The son wrote to the Australian veteran in Vietnamese and had the letter translated into English, thanking him for keeping the portrait and thanking him for his generosity.  

On 9 April 2012, Australian Vietnam veteran Derrill de Heer turned over the dates and times of more than 4,000 clashes between Australian and PAVN troops as well as data on about 3,905 North Vietnamese Army troops killed to the Information Network on Martyrs (MARIN) in Hanoi. The document comes from the Vietnam “Missing in Action” Project which was initiated by the Australian Centre for the Study of Armed Conflict and Society (ACSACS) at the University of New South Wales Canbera.

The Remains of 25 North Vietnamese Soldiers are Honored

When you write a story you wonder if it is still significant or if the story just gets old and meaningless. This story is still meaningful, and the Vietnamese still search for their dead in 2022. A short film appeared on Facebook featuring Le Hoang Linh , the Vice Head of the English division of Vietnam Television international, the national television in Vietnam. He is also a reporter and a filmmaker. In the film, he shared with the audience a special project that he was working on. He mentioned reading reports of American soldiers digging a mass grave for the dead North Vietnamese troops in the fight for Landing Zone Bird in December 1966. At one point he says about finding a gravesite with the help of some American veterans (edited for brevity):

Now remember, the battle took place nearly 56 years ago and for all that time their families of those soldiers have been living in pain and desperation, not knowing where their loved ones were and what exactly happened to them. I believe that when those bodies can never be found those wandering souls never rest in peace. When they told me they had found the remains of 25 martyrs at LZ Bird who had died in 1966 I cried hysterically.

He goes on to talk about the search for the bodies and recommends that those with knowledge of gravesite get it touch with the National Steering Committee 515 for search, collection, repatriation, and identification of fallen soldiers' remains . About 200,000 Vietnamese remains are still uncounted for.

CONTINUED RESEARCH INTO THE WANDERING SOUL

National Public Radio reported in June 2011, that Steve Goodman, the head of Hyperdub, a London-based record label, opened an exhibit called AUDiNT (Audio Intelligence) at the Art In General gallery in New York City which looks at various military uses of sound. He said:

What we're doing is tracing or mapping these three phases of the history of acoustic weaponry. Firstly, starting with the Second World War, there was a division of the U.S. Army that was referred to as the Ghost Army. Part of what they were involved in was sonic deception, putting loud speakers in the battlefield to create a false impression. So we trace this from the Second World War to the U.S. Army in Vietnam, a division of psychological operations called Wandering Soul . This involved helicopter-mounted loudspeakers playing simulated Buddhist chants, fabricated sounds of the dead ancestors of the Viet Cong fighters speaking to them from the afterlife to try and persuade them to surrender. The third phase is the use of these ultrasound driven directional audio speakers. These speakers can actually rupture eardrums from a distance.

About the same time, Radiolab , a National Public Radio show produced in New York City called me to talk about the effects of the Wandering Soul campaign. Apparently, some of these old PSYOP campaigns still intrigue researchers.

Other sounds used to Frighten or Intimidate an Enemy

There were other types of sounds that have been over the years by the U.S. military to frighten or confuse the enemy.

According to one historian writing in an Internet Forum:

The tape called “Little NVA Sister / Crying Baby.” This tape consists of a little girl pleading desperately for her soldier brother to come home. This was meant to target those young men who had left their parents, their siblings and their home to join the revolutionary cause. This could be effective considering how important on and hieu were. Since an early age, children were instilled with the custom and tradition known as on and hieu . They were taught that they owed their parents a moral debt ( on ) of such great proportions that it could never be fully repaid. So the children were told and expected to constantly try and please their parents and obey them. This was supposed to make them feel better for themselves, having reduced the burden of work on his parents. Anyone who did not follow through with this was rejected. Social standing was so important that it was considered that each person had to do this and try his/her best not to ruin the family position within the village. The hieu on the other hand was all about honoring, obeying and respecting his/her parents. They were always supposed to put their family and parents' needs, expectations and wishes first. This included caring for them. The eldest sons also had an extra responsibility to take care of the family graves.

A similar story of a young girl’s voice on a tape is told by Jerry C. Bowman of the 4th PSYOP Group attached to the 173rd Airborne Brigade. The story was written by Lou Michel of the Buffalo News dated 27 February 2017:

His first battle was at Dak To in the Central Highlands. A commander ordered Bowman and his interpreter to make their way to a village of Montagnards, a French word describing Vietnam’s mountain people who were American allies. “We set up our speakers on a hill and started playing tapes to the North Vietnamese. I asked my interpreter what we were saying in Vietnamese, and he told me a mother was telling a North Vietnamese soldier a baby crying on the tape was not his. It was a psychological game. She was basically telling the soldier that she had cheated on him while he was away at war.” The mind game backfired. “It upset them and they started mortaring the village and shooting rockets at us. It was like the Fourth of July. We had really p-----d them off.” Bowman tried to calm the situation. “I had two other tapes with me, one was the Mamas & the Papas and the other was the Four Tops from Motown. I started playing them and it was echoing all over the place. I guess the echoing kind of confused them and they stopped shooting.

In 1967 Vietnam, a Warrant Officer named Terrence M. Connor fitted a police siren to his helicopter of Troop B, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division. He remembered that the sound of the siren had frightened him as a kid and believed that the Viet Cong were a superstitious people who would be frightened by the sound of the siren as adults.

Freelance author Joseph Trevithick wrote about other sound devices in an article entitled The Pentagon Once Tried to Make ‘Screaming’ Bombs . He said that beginning in 1964, the Air Force began work on “Pyrotechnic Harassment Devices,” or PHDs. This was an air deliverable unit that generated noise over a six hour period. The Air Force wanted noise-emitting devices that would be small enough to fit inside a pod-shaped SUU-13 dispenser. The planes could drop the screaming pods before speeding away. The early pods spewed out gun shots, whistles, whines and other white noise. The final design had clusters of blank cartridges to simulate gun sounds. Each canister would fire eight bursts of eight shots total over a period of six hours. The bomblet fired each burst at random intervals. Each time, a special bellow would let out a screaming whine. After the device had finished the full cycle, a one pound explosive charge would blow up the whole unit.

The units were not successful. The PHDs were easy to spot from the ground and the screaming sound was not realistic. The technicians recommended that experimentation continue and new types of harassing bombs should concentrate on one type of noise that sounded real. The Air Force then tried a mechanical or pyrotechnic scream generator that could be dropped from aircraft and broadcast any recorded sound. These were called “screaming meemies.” None of these sound systems saw combat in Vietnam.

In 1993, Army psychological operations troops blasted animal screams and industrial noise at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. It was not successful and federal authorities eventually stormed the site, leading to a fire that killed 76 people.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, American troops deployed Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD) and similar sound-making equipment. LRAD could blare out uncomfortable sounds to individuals more than 1,500 feet away. Law enforcement and shipping companies have bought used LRADs against rioters, prison inmates and pirates.

THE SHORT HORROR FILM “WANDERING SOUL”

At the very start of this story in the introduction I mention that in 2015, Perception Pictures based in Brisbane, Australia, asked me to be the PSYOP advisor in a short film set during the Vietnam War that dramatizes Operation Wandering Soul. I wrote this article about the Wandering Soul operation back in the 1980s. I had previously been approached by the L.A. Theatre Works, the BBC Radio, and NPR Radio about similar productions. I told Perception that I would be happy to help. Over the next year or so we had some minor arguments; some of the things said and actions taken by the troops, the rank of the members of the loudspeaker team, the dress of the soldiers, and other small details seemed just a bit off, but of course the Australian film makers were going for dramatic effect while I was going for accuracy. I was a bit surprised when it turned out to be a horror rather than strictly historical feature, but I did think it was really well done and they stuck to the spirit of the story. Although I had a copy of their finished product I kept quiet about the production for three years while further negotiations went on about making a full-length movie went on. As I write this in October 2019, they still go on. But, Josh Turner, the writer and director of the short film finally wrote to me and gave me permission to show the short to everyone. So, I am happy to add it to this article that was the inspiration for the film.

The author invites interested readers who may have additional information or personal experiences with the "Wandering Soul" tape to write to him at [email protected] .

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Wandering Soul: Must-Watch Horror Short Film By Josh Tanner

Wandering Soul, a horror short film by Josh Tanner, has a great ghost story set during the Vietnam War that is inspired by bizarre but absolutely true events: The film is portrayed from the unique perspective of the ‘enemy’ Viet Cong soldiers in the claustrophobic tunnels of Cu Chi.

The film had a great festival run, taking out Best Horror Short at the Hollyshorts Film Festival in 2017 and playing at many prestigious festivals including Palm Springs, Sitges and Moscow. Now it’s time for us to release it to the wider public!

Brisbane based Josh Tanner, director of Wandering Soul, is known for his focus on dramatic performances and arresting visuals and has directed many short films, commercial and video content for clients including Village Roadshow, Commbank and Hewlett Packard.

Josh’s short films have also screened and won at film festivals internationally, with his latest film, The Landing, screening at over 50 film festivals worldwide and winning 11 awards, including taking out Best Short Film at the prestigious 46th Sitges International Film Festival in Spain, and LA Shorts Fest 2014, both of which qualified the film for 2015 Academy Award nomination.

Synopsis (Spoiler Alert)

The narrative is told from the perspective of the Viet Cong – a viewpoint rarely depicted in cinema. Taking place in the claustrophobic tunnels of Cu Chi, Dao (Lap Phan), a Viet Cong soldier, is going about the grim task of burying a fallen comrade.

End of Watch: Crime Flash Fiction By Tom Barker

Being deeply spiritual, he begins a burial rite believing it is vital to putting the soul of his deceased companion to rest. He is interrupted by another solider, Quan (Henry Vo), who insists they must evacuate the tunnels before American forces arrive.

Refusing to leave until he completes the ceremony, Dao and Quan begin experiencing terrifying phenomena indicating the soldiers are not alone deep within the pitch-black bowels of Cu Chi.

To view Mystery Tribune’s online archive of crime, horror and thriller short films, please visit here .

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Chinese New Year festival kicks off in downtown Moscow

MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/. The Chinese New Year festival, the first of a series of events to be held as part of the Years of Culture of Russia and China in 2024 and 2025, has kicked off in downtown Moscow.

The opening ceremony was attended by officials from the Moscow city government, the Russian Foreign Ministry, and the Chinese embassy in Russia.

Special venues have been organized and decorated in the Chinese style in central Moscow to host festival events until February 18. "The first broad celebration of the Chinese New Year in the Russian capital city will be a milestone event in relations between the two countries and mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties," the press service of Moscow’s committee on tourism said.

According to Deputy Mayor of Moscow Natalia Sergunina, the program of the festival features more than 300 separate events, such as master classes, guided tours, theatrical performances, musical and cooking shows. "China is one of the most promising areas for the development of tourism and partner relations in general. In 2023, this country was the first among foreign states in terms of tourists visiting Moscow. We hope that this year the tourist flow will continue to increase thanks to our joint programs," the committee quoted her as saying.

During the festival, Moscow will be decorated in red and gold colors, the committee’s chairman, Yevgeny Kozlov, said. "Visitors will be able to get a taste of eastern culture. More than a hundred restaurants joined this festival. Elements of Chinese culture - calligraphy, Chinese music - will be displayed at numerous venues in the center of the city," he said, adding that he hopes that this festival will be "the beginning of a new tradition." "I am sure that within the Years of Friendship between China and Russia, which were declared by our leaders this and next year, we will see a lot of interesting events both for Moscow residents and tourists from other regions, and for tourists from other countries," Kozlov noted.

23 Things to Do in Moscow, Russia

Please note: this article was originally written in 2015. I’m updating this in 2022 to state that — for obvious reasons — you should not be travelling to Russia at this time. If you are in Russia, you should leave immediately.

As the capital of the largest country on earth, Moscow is also larger than life. In a city adorned with palaces straight out of a fairytale, you won’t be shocked that even the metro system is full of opulent art.

At the center of Moscow is the iconic Red Square, home to the Kremlin and the spiritual heart of the city. But as you wander, the storied streets guide you to marvelous sites from ancient cathedrals to royal estates, the summer havens of the Tsars.

Wherever you look, you can see the footprints of old Russia, the Bolshevik Revolution and Stalin. Connecting all three is a rich culture, exceptional theater and a vibrant nightlife.  

Explore the Red Square

There’s so many layers to the story of Moscow that it can feel overwhelming. There’s really only one place to start this adventure, and that’s at the Red Square. Streaming out of the square is each of Moscow’s major streets, like ventricles feeding the rest of the body. It’s easy to see why this is both the historical and cultural centrepiece of the city.

The Red Square is home to several of the top landmarks in Moscow, from Lenin’s Mausoleum and the State Historical Museum to the iconic Kremlin. In times of victory and defeat, this has been the point of congregation for the community even when it lacked its modern day splendor back in the 15 th century. 

On regular days, there remains a fantastic atmosphere in Red Square as locals come and go and tourists explore with wide eyes. Although you’ll find ample stunning sites, you may be surprised to know that there’s only a single statue in the historic square. This statue shows Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, who defeated the Polish invasion in 1612.

See St. Basil’s Cathedral

One of the most eye-catching sights in Red Square is St. Basil’s Cathedral. Its colorful onion domes stand atop a church of incredible variations. The cathedral was built in the 1500s under the request of Ivan the Terrible. The architects were Barma and Postnik who essentially combined nine different styles of churches, chapels and domes into one spectacular work of art.

As the legend goes, the architects were later made blind by Ivan the Terrible. This was so they couldn’t recreate the sheer magnificence of St. Basil’s. Under the early morning sunlight (or at dusk) the orange colors shine brightly, as if the cathedral was a grand bonfire accented by streaks of green, yellow and blue. 

It’s hard to imagine from the outside that St. Basil’s interior is exceptionally small. There are nine individual chapels that are intimately decorated with frescoes and icons, both of which lead your eyes up to the soaring domes above.

Go on a River Cruise

After visiting the Red Square, turn your attention to the Moscow River. A great way to take in the city’s sites is from the water, which offers a unique and quiet perspective away from the crowds. Public transport on the river will return in 2022, with the schedule increasing year by year. 

The Moscow River and its surrounding canals feature almost 50 bridges and showcase the city in a way that few can duplicate. A popular station for river transport can be found alongside Gorky Park. From the dock, you’ll head north through the heart of the city with the Red Square and all its highlights floating by on the left bank. Before the river swings and heads south towards the Danilovsky District.

While exploring the city on the Moscow River is a great way to see the sights and get around, it’s easy to turn it into a romantic experience. Moscow is even more spectacular under the evening light, something you can discover on a luxury river cruise.

Visit the Bolshoi Theatre

Within the illustrious city center, you’ll find grand architecture and history, with one of the best examples being the Neoclassical Bolshoi Theatre. The breathtaking six-tier hall is one of the oldest ballet and opera houses in all of Europe. 

Each renovation has remained faithful to the original design, allowing the grandeur of the Bolshoi Theatre to remain as it has since 1824. Catching a show here is one of the best things to do in Moscow, even if ballet or opera has never been your speed. The rigorous passion on display transcends fandom and will have you on the edge of your seat.

Some of the classic shows at the Bolshoi Theatre include Francesca da Rimini by Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky’s Mazeppa. Both iconic shows premiered right here. After entering the theater, take time to appreciate the opulence on display, from the multi-tiered chandelier to the gilded accents and red velvet walls. It’s grandiosity will have you ready for a night of high culture.

Spend Time at Tretyakov Gallery

The Tretyakov Gallery may have begun as a private collection among the Tretyakov brothers, but it has grown to be the most significant museum of Russian fine art on earth. The gallery is now home to well over 130,000 exhibits, including several iconic paintings known the world over.

Near to Red Square, the Tretyakov Gallery comprises an old and new building. The former is home to works dating back to the 11 th century, with the new building featuring contemporary and modern art. Some of the most renowned pieces include The Trinity, by Andrei Rublev and the Vladimir Mother of God, which is almost 1000 years old. While you could spend a number of hours admiring the worlds of Ilya Repin, a celebrated Russian realist painter.

Surrounding the Tretyakov Gallery are several sculptures to complement the experience. None more striking than the 280-foot (86m) statue of Peter the Great.

Roam the Moscow Kremlin

The Kremlin is an enormous complex whose sheer scale can only be appreciated from within its ancient walls. It’s the most recognizable landmark in Moscow, as it has been since opening in the 15 th century. Since that day, the Kremlin has gone onto be the home for a series of Tsars before becoming the official residence for the president of the Russian Federation.

Major government leaders may live elsewhere, but if anything, that lowers the red tape and opens up more of the grand palace. The Kremlin covers over 105,000 square miles (275,000 sq. km) and is surrounded by fortress walls. As you wander, it’s easy to place yourself in eras past as you gaze upon several opulent cathedrals, spellbinding palaces, and the ancient Armoury. 

The Armoury produced and stored weapons for centuries until in was converted into a museum in the early 19 th century. You can now explore the history of Russian, Western European and Asian weaponry along with resplendent works by jewelers and goldsmiths, including the museum’s Faberge egg.

Pay a Visit to Lenin’s Mausoleum

Vladimir Lenin was the founder and leader of Soviet Russia and eventually the Soviet Union. He remained in power until the day he died. Shortly after his passing, the mausoleum was created in Red Square. It was only supposed to be for a short period, but such was the popularity of the leader that Lenin has remained on display ever since.

He was removed from his original tomb into a permanent sarcophagus that now holds a central spot in the Red Square. The marble stairs that flank the mausoleum have also taken on a life of their own, as the spot for leaders to watch the many events that take place in the famed square. 

Almost a century removed from his passing, Lenin’s Mausoleum is still a popular attraction with regular lines to enter. But it’s well worth the wait for an eerie experience as you cross paths with the revolutionary leader, who lays peacefully within a bullet proof chamber.   

Visit the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

A few blocks from the colorful St. Basil’s is a no less opulent, but even more significant cathedral. The first Cathedral of Christ the Savior was demolished under the order of Stalin in the 1930s. He had plans to build the tallest skyscraper on earth, a dream that was later scrapped as the grounds became home to the massive Moscow Pool. This makes the new iteration, built in 2000, the youngest of the city’s many incredible churches.

The Cathedral of Christ the Savior has the classic onion domes atop what is the largest Orthodox church on earth. From the front, paved paths lined with lamp posts guide you towards the cathedral. From there you can appreciate the magnificence of its huge facade, featuring golden accents, archways and spires. As you wander inside, you’ll be taken aback by the mosaic floors, grand altar and intricate paintings. 

From the back of the church, admire the impressive Bolshoy Kammeny Bridge along with views of Red Square and Gorky Park.

Spend a Day at Gorky Park

Speaking of, head across the beautiful bridge and make your way to the city’s top park. Gorky Park is an expansive green area that runs along the banks of the Moscow River. It’s the biggest in the city, with something to offer for solo travelers, couples and families alike.

In the summer months, locals flock to Gorky Park in the evenings and on the weekends, where you’ll find all sorts of entertainment. In the morning hours, stumble upon yoga classes and dance lessons before joggers and cyclists arrive in equal numbers. If you have time, get about on foot to appreciate the manicured gardens along the walking path that guides you to Sparrow Hill. From the top, you can bask in exquisite views of the Moscow skyline.

Gorky Park is also home to the Muzeon Art Park, where you’ll find an unusual collection of over 700 sculptures. At night, Gorky Park plays host to an outdoor movie theater while live music is also a common treat.

Patriarshiye Prudy

A traditional home for artists and poets, Patriarshiye Prudy is a bohemian neighborhood with an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants and bars. Tucked away from the downtown, Patriarch Ponds is quieter than much of Moscow, yet remains an exciting pace to be. The charming ponds have been referenced in endless poems and depicted in notable pieces of art. You could spend a quaint morning watching the sun rise over the glistening water, which slowly begins the reflect the many beautiful buildings that surround the park. While in winter, the pond freezes, turning into a popular and scenic ice rink.

Along the surrounding streets you’ll discover one of Moscow’s foodie hotspots, with plenty of cozy cafes serving tasty treats and popular Uruguayan steak houses. As primarily a residential neighborhood, you’ll find the tables have turned. Away from the Red Square, visitors will enjoy a look into everyday life, while enjoying some of the best hospitality in town.

Take the Moscow Metro

It’s not in every city that you’ll want to explore the metro. But as we know by now, very few cities are like Moscow. The local subway system was developed under Stain in the 1930s, making them one of the oldest in the world. In typical Stalin fashion, each station is unique, with its own layer of grandeur.

Akin to underground palaces, each station is an attraction making getting around Moscow on the metro an aesthetically pleasing experience. Some of the top stations include Arbatskaya, which features striking bronze chandeliers and granite slabs. While Park Kutlury, next to Gorky park is laden with marble. The stops immediately surrounding Red Square are also easy on the eyes.

On a metro tour, you’ll visit the best 9 metro stations in the city and discover how and why they’re as beautiful as any famous landmark in Moscow.

Walk Down Old Arbat Street

After walking out of Arbatskaya metro station, you’ll find yourself in one of the most hip parts of Moscow. Arbat Street began as a prominent trading route on the outer edges of Moscow. But from those days in the 1400s to now, the city has expanded greatly to the point Arbat Street feels like the center of town.

The historic street is lined with lamp posts backed by upscale buildings harboring chic bars and hip cafes. One of the latter being a popular spot for Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov to hang back in the day. But Old Arbat Street isn’t just famous for those two luminaries, it has long been a haven for artists and poets, including Alexander Pushkin and Bulat Okudzhava, whose statue is found along the pedestrianized street.

Once you’ve completed the mile-long walk, cross over the New Arbat Street where tourism and modern culture collide. Wander through antique shops or watch the street artists play live music or draw humorous caricatures.

Enjoy the Views from the Ostankino TV Tower

For the best views in the city, it’s hard to pass up an experience at the Ostankino TV Tower. The building was completed in 1967 and including the antenna spire it stands at over 1,770 feet (540m) tall. This makes the TV Tower the tallest in Russia and one of the tallest structures in the world.

Visitors can make their way to the observation deck 1,115 feet (340m) above the ground for expansive views of the entirety of Moscow. But to really get your heart racing, sign up for the glass floor experience that will have you feel like you’re flying over a thousand feet above the ground. Turn your trip into date night by reserving a table at the tower’s revolving restaurant. As you eat, the tower rotates 360 degrees, completing a full circle three times every hour.

Make your experience at the Ostankino TV Tower a breeze by getting Moscow’s hop-on hop-off bus pass that not only stops here, but all the top attractions around the city.

Explore the Tsaritsyno Palace

30 minutes on the train from the center of Moscow, Tsaritsyno Palace was once the home of Catherine the Great. The building first opened in 1775 and its lavish palace is surrounded by expansive grounds covering more than 400 acres.

The palace itself is predictably eye-catching. Its warm velvet bricks make way for towering arches and spires. To the left and right are musical fountains and its interior decor has undergone a complete refurbishment to bring it back to its heyday. As you wander through the palace, you’ll discover embellished staircases that lead to grand halls where royal meetings and parties took place.

Tsaritsyno Palace is now a museum, and alongside the storied halls you’ll find several fascinating exhibits. These explore the life and times of Catherine the Great, along with the history of the building. Other highlights include the palace’s own opera house. Afterwards, take a tour of the lush grounds and historic ruins.

Wander Through the VDNKh

What began as an exhibition has grown exponentially to become one of the top parks in Moscow. VDNKh opened in the 1930s as the host of an agricultural event. But in the decades since it continues to be improved upon. It’s now home to over 400 structures, from fountains to museums.

The expansive complex blurs the line between a park and open-air exhibit, with beautiful gardens punctuated by intricate architecture. As you wander around, you’ll find pavilions that represent former Soviet nations along with ample space to sit and admire the amazing Friendship of Nations Fountain. 

Two major attractions in VDNKh are the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics, which celebrates the Russian space experience along with the city’s aquarium. But perhaps the park’s best feature is its lively atmosphere. As a common meeting point for Moscovians, you’ll find restaurants in abundance, the largest skate park in Europe, horseback riding and even the chance to zipline across the complex.

Experience the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics

As you explore the VDNKh, save plenty of time to visit the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics. While we all remember the moon landing in 1969, it’s easy to forget that Russia actually sent the first man into space. While the “Space Race” was an enormous factor in the Cold War between Russia and the U.S.

The museum is unmissable, thanks to its towering titanium pillar, affixed with its own rocket. It celebrates the story of Russian space exploration, from sending Yuri Gagarin into space to developing the sputnik. Visitors will be able to gaze upon the first suits worn in outer space and full sized rockets. 

On this private tour, you can learn more about the Cold War and the Space Race that fueled human ambition and lead to incredible feats. Your personal guide will meet at your hotel, where you’ll learn even more about the historic metro on your way to VDNKh. From there, receive valuable insight into the complex before taking a deep dive into Russia’s space exploration.

Shop ‘Til You Drop at GUM

After several days of jumping between cathedrals, parks and palaces, you may be seeking a little retail therapy. If you’re ready to take a break from architectural marvels and embark on some browsing, then make a beeline for GUM. The mall stands for main universal store and is your one stop shop for fashion in Moscow.

You’ll have your choice of over 200 shops, from local boutiques to high-end international brands, meaning you can literally shop ‘til you drop. When you do, you’ll find a great selection of upscale restaurants within the mall, so you don’t have to settle for a regular food court. To save time, head to the Soviet-style canteen for authentic local food.

Bored partners can say goodbye to their loved one and explore the historic mall, which opened in 1893. In keep with the times, it’s starkly different to your typical stale mall with its grand facades and overhanging glass roof that features 20,000 panels.

See the Novodevichy Convent

On the banks of the Moscow River, the Novodevichy Convent is a captivating monastery from the 16 th century. Once a prominent fortress, the convent features five domed cathedrals and a marvelous bell tower. Surrounded by historic walls and a series of guard towers, are lush grounds where former leaders once roamed. 

Thanks to its preservation (its last major renovation was in the 1600s), it’s easy to step back to those hallowed eras when the Novodevichy Convent was a hub of activity. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, visitors can explore the impressive Smolensky Cathedral, whose interior decor rivals any in Moscow.

In the 1600s, more chapels were added and feature distinct Muscovite Baroque architecture. But joining them all together is the 236-foot (72m) bell tower that was the tallest structure is Moscow upon completion. 

Enjoy a Culinary Walking Tour

Russia may be known more for its vodka than food, but no time in Moscow would be complete without exploring the local cuisine. Russian cuisine differs from much of Europe, owing to the diversity of a country that balances the pull of the West and East at the same time.

Modern Russian cuisine is very much an example of what was available to everyday people throughout the eras. As you explore the city, you’ll discover a range of dough-based dishes such as pies, rolls and blini, not to mention plenty of dumplings. Owing to its Orthodox heritage, there is also a great range of vegetarian dishes.

Meat dishes in Russia are a particular treat and this is because it was often prepared during the holidays. These celebratory recipes have been passed down through the generations and now form a part of everyday cuisine.

You can learn all about Russian cuisine as you sample local flavors on a food tasting tour.

Explore an Old Royal Estate at Kolomenskoye

From the 1300s to the Bolshevik Revolution, the Tsars and prominent members of Russian society spent their summers at the Kolomenskoye Estate. Covering 300 hectares, several adorned palaces and a 16 th century cathedral, the estate is now an expansive open-air museum.

Just out of downtown Moscow, uncover an abundance of history as you roam the famed grounds with views of the Moscow River. Within Kolomenskoye Estate, there are four significant sites that make up the museum. These include the captivating Palace of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Such was the esteem held by the palace that it was seen as the Eighth Wonder of the World.

From the fairytale-like palace, explore the beautiful Church of the Ascension before making your way to Golosov Ovrag, known to be a portal into another dimension. Around the grounds, there are several spacious lawns to later sit back and take in the incredible sights.

Visit the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts

A Romantic era playwright, poet and author, Alexander Pushkin, is one of the foremost historical figures in Russia. A man who is also known as the father of the modern Russian language. Despite these storied achievements, he has zero connection to the Museum of Fine Arts that carries his name.

However, all art lovers should make their way to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, which hosts an expansive collection of European art. The museum is broken up into eras, including French Impressionism, the Dutch Golden Age and the Renaissance. Highlights include works by iconic luminaries such as Rembrandt, Botticelli and van Gogh. Along with Cezanne’s “Mardi Gras” and the “Young Acrobat on a Ball”, by the one and only Picasso.

After paying a visit to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, wander across the street and find the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Join Locals at the Izmailovsky Market

When you think of the Moscow Kremlin, your mind immediately shifts to the landmark within Red Square. However, kremlin simply means fortress. In fact, you’ll visit many kremlins as you explore the city. One that stands out more than most is Izmailovo. 

Its fairytale setting looks like something straight out of a Disney film. Here, old Russian architecture collides with modern culture. The colorful buildings may very well be as captivating as any in Moscow. Beneath the resplendent spires and kaleidoscopic roofs is the best market in town.

Many travelers flock to New Arbat Street to pick up souvenirs, including the famed Russian dolls. But the Izmailovsky Market is less of a tourist trap while remaining kinder to your wallet. Within the kremlin is an enormous bazaar teeming with merchants selling high quality Russian dolls. If you’ve wandered down Arbat, you’ll quickly notice the difference. Among the dolls, you’ll discover a wide range of goods, such as traditional costumes, handcrafted chess sets, and plenty of memorabilia. Finish by wandering down the aisle of delectable street food.

Experience the Nightlife

Moscow’s nightlife goes into the early hours of the morning. For those seeking a night out on the town, you’ll have an endless list of bars and clubs to choose from. Patriashiye Prudy is one of the top nightlife hubs in Moscow. Here, you’ll find a row of casual bars and cocktail joints along with some smaller nightclubs, including the popular Clava.

Red October is a huge string of red-brick factories that are now home to some of the best and exclusive nightclubs in the city. One not to be missed is Gypsy, a rooftop club with beautiful nighttime views of Moscow skyline.

Keep in mind that most clubs have strict dress codes. Be sure to tick all the boxes before lining up in the cue. 

Lauren Juliff

Lauren Juliff is a published author and travel expert who founded Never Ending Footsteps in 2011. She has spent over 12 years travelling the world, sharing in-depth advice from more than 100 countries across six continents. Lauren's travel advice has been featured in publications like the BBC, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Cosmopolitan, and her work is read by 200,000 readers each month. Her travel memoir can be found in bookstores across the planet.

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30 comments.

I loved Moscow – but then I’ve been obsessed with Russia for years and had a much calmer start to my time there than you! I have to admit that it’s not nearly as nice as the rest of Russia (is it just me or does everything seem a lot greyer in Moscow?), but it was definitely interesting. Apparently they’re considering taking Lenin out soon as his family want him buried, so hopefully you’ll get to go back and see him some day – and have a much better trip!

I’d been to St Petersburg before and I enjoyed it SO much more than Moscow. Awww no, I have to see dead Lenin!

Maybe some Russian vodka would’ve helped?

I find that getting lost is always a bit more entertaining when there is vodka involved…

Hahahaha, I’ll bear that in mind for the next time I get lost :-)

YES ITS JUST YOU!!!Of course moscow isnt for everybody (naive american backpackers)

*naive English backpacker.

hee hee…nice! :)

oh no! Sounds aweful! I am really looking foeward to seeing Russia

I’m sure you’ll have a great time! I LOVED St Petersberg, but just found that Moscow was not for me.

Come on now Lauren! You shouldn’t be judging a destination so quickly! You need to give it a few days to explore, soak up the culture, meet the people. Although, I feel this way about Barcelona. 4 days, and I just don’t see how its everyone’s favourite city in Spain. I think I have to go back and try again to see what’s so magical.

I know… I can’t help it! I decide if I like a place pretty much within a few hours. Maybe one day I’ll go back and give it another chance.

And I LOVE Barcelona!

It’s totally fair to judge a city by your first impression of it! I do it allll the time (both abroad and in my own country).

I do it all the time, too, but know I probably shouldn’t!

I love those Russian hats. What an interesting place to visit.

I love the hats too — I bought one the last time I was in Russia!

Sorry you had a bad time–some days are just like that wherever you are. And the hat’s a keeper anyway.

Feel free to contact me next time you’re going to visit Moscow if you’re looking for an unforgettable journey. )

I loooove Moscow!

I think there are a few reasons why you didn’t enjoy your time there. Well, first, 24 hours is not a whole lot of time to explore Moscow. There’s SO MUCH to see and impossible to see the majority of it in a day. Also, I’m sure you just wanted to relax for a bit and if you’re new to Russia and do not speak Russian… then that’s probably not going to happen.

In my experience, I found very little English speaking Russians and over all, they wern’t very helpful and often glared at me, lol. And yeah, taxis (both official and unofficial taxis) over charge foreigners. You have to basically fight with them to get a good price… but It’s hard to do that if you don’t speak Russian.

So I can see how the trip was super frustrating and not really enjoyed.

If you knew a little Russian or had a friend to help you around, I am POSITIVE you would have enjoyed yourself so much more!

Moscow is certainly my #1 city thus far. I even love it more than Vienna! Then again, I knew a little Russian, spent the weekend there with my Russian friends, and got to see much of the city.

Hmmm, maybe go back again on a relaxed journey?

We spent a week in Moscow back in March of 2013. We found a great apartment on Tverskaya Street just 150 meters from Red Square. People asked us why in the world would we go to Moscow in March (we found an airfare error and jumped on it), but in hindsight I wouldn’t want it any other way. Red Square, the National Historical Museum, St. Basil’s, Novodevichy Convent, etc, were incredibly beautiful in the snow (plus, I imagine all the dirt and grime is covered in the winter also). I probably won’t go back to Moscow, but definitely recommend it to all my friends, but only in the winter. If/when I return to Russia, I think it will be to Saint Petersburg, but that is a city I want to visit in the summer.

Thanks for sharing, Terry!

Your post made me laugh! I have been to both Moscow and St Petersburg and enjoyed both. Much preferred Moscow as we were lucky to stay with friends who’d been living there for a couple of years and they knew good local restaurants to visit and gave us lots of advice. Dead Lenin was also a highlight! St Petersburg, while beautiful, seemed more like a museum than a living city to me. We had a guide and were very carefully steered to all the main attractions and away from “real” Russian life. I find it a fascinating country but it’s not exactly relaxing to travel in. I’ve just discovered your blog, so look forward to reading more.

Thanks, Sandy! Happy you enjoyed my post! I can’t believe it’s been four years since I visited Moscow.

Had the same experience today. 16h connection used for doing a selfie in the red square . the impression from the city is exactly the same as yours. I won’t come back . The red square area is impressing , the snow is nice and there’s kind of Christmas atmosphere , but I felt this city is just a mix of bad things I’ve seen in other cities – big brand empty shops with poor people outside as in Beijing , traffic as Bangkok , prices as London , neglected as East Berlin , Heavy guarded as Jerusalem , cold as Kiev .

Thanks for sharing your perspective, Boten! I’d like to revisit Moscow one day to see if my opinions have changed, but it’s been six years since I was last there, so I guess I’m not making a huge effort right now!

Is it just you? If it’s anything like my experiences there, then yes and no, lol.

I’m a graduate of my uni’s Russian Studies program, and the first two trips I took to Russia, I have to admit I was miserable for the first 3 days or so after I got there. And that’s with knowing the language (and the cyrillic on the metro signs), so without would be understandably harder.

In my experience, Russia (and in particular, Moscow) can feel like a very unwelcoming place to arrive in, especially if you’re alone. People don’t smile at you in shops or on the street, speech and mannerisms can feel startlingly brusque if you’re not used to it, the weather can be harsh, even the smells all around you can be new and disorienting (a mix of indoor-smoking and iron and stone from the ubiquitous stairways). I think all those factors can subconsciously cause your mood to do some swan dives in the first few days, even if in your conscious mind you’re excited to be there.

As you noted with the hostel, there’s also sometimes a weird mix of impossibly complex bureaucracy and surprisingly huge margin of error, which can seriously make anyone visiting (and all the more so people who have to live there with it year-round) feel extremely frustrated and helpless.

On top of all that, there’s a strange mix of affluence and desolation pretty much all around you, both of which can feel hostile and off-putting when you’re looking for somewhere to settle in and combat jet-lag, homesickness, anxieties, or anything else you’re dealing with.

To be fair, a lot of people also simply hate Moscow. People who are from Russia, but from somewhere far away from the capital, often also find it cold and uninteresting. So it could be that you’re just not a fan, which is obviously fine too.

If you do go back though, having a longer time to hang out and explore could help. I sometimes have a hard time recommending what to do and see in Moscow, because honestly my favourite thing to do there is just to exist and spend time. In the summer it’s nice to get a snack from a cafe or grocery store and sit in one of the parks or by the river, or walk down the winding streets and happen upon a walled monastery with a little door in it that takes into into another world of incense and candles. Or use Moscow as a base, and take local electric trains to nearby sites with views of the countryside along the way. In the winter, take shelter in a cafe like Cafe Margarita (my favourite spot in Moscow, if not the world) where you can cuddle a cup of tea and listen to a trio of violins and a piano; or take the glorious metro system to the Izmaylovsky Market, and trudge through the snow among rows upon rows of vendors and old folks gathered around a fire playing chess.

It’s a daunting place, and to some people it’s not necessarily worth it. To me, even though when I first arrived I would have gladly accepted the first ticket someone had offered me out of there, I ended up finding a lot that I liked – but more importantly, I felt like for me it just took time to start feeling okay there.

Thank you so much for leaving such a helpful comment, Emma!

After spending two months studying in Moscow I am so sad you had such a horrible experience in my favorite city. Obviously, like Emma said already, Moscow is not for everyone. I urge you to revisit Moscow, and Russia in general, because they have modernized (and Anglicized) a lot in the past few years.

My favorite spots include Tsaritsyno Park (just a 5 minute walk from the Tsaritsyno station on the green metro line), Zurab Tseretali Musuem (the famous Georgian-Russian artist), and Strelka Bar (which overlooks the Moscow River and has great nighttime views of the city).

As for the metro, I have found the Moscow metro to be the easiest, most efficient metro I have ever used (NYC, Boston, Chicago, DC, and St. Petersburg included). The Moscow trains are typically now labeled both in Russian and in English. Also, most young Russians nowadays speak somewhat rudimentary English if you should ever need any assistance.

Like I said, Moscow may not have left you wanting more, but I encourage you to spend a little more time there if you are looking for a place steeped in history, full of culture, and teeming with amazingly hospitable people.

So sad to hear negative about my country. Your bad experience could happen in any place (I travel a lot, I know), don’t apply it to whole country. I live in beautiful Saint-Petersburg and invite you to show this place if you want. Travel with local friends and you avoid negative situations. Write me on email or instagram @filatov.aleksey (here you can see photos of my city) . Hope to be friends), hope to improve your meaning about Russia.

I love St Petersburg! :-)

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