AFVN Group Conversations
From: Marc Yablonka
Dated: May, 17, 2019
Subject: How the Military Conducts PSYOPS
Frank, The person I referred to in an earlier post today, whom I had flown up to Fresno to interview, was assigned to a Psyops unit that operated in the Highlands. Among his assignments was to show American films in the villes. He rarely, if ever, made it back to base at Ban Me Thuot before curfew began. From that, he surmised that, as he put it, “Charlie liked John Wayne, too!”
Marc
From: Ron Turner
Dated: May, 18, 2019
Subject: How the Military Conducts PSYOPS
Historically, PSYOPs units are created and configured, mostly, by mission need; skeleton units are kept on the books to facilitate activation. In that most broadcast operations are not in English, people with native or near native language skills usually do the broadcasting under the supervision of broadcast professionals of one or another backgrounds. A book well worth reading, is "The Belarus Secret" by John Loftus - most would rightfully find the content rather shocking.
Regards,
Ron
How the Military Conducts PSYOPS
May 2019
From: Steve Sevits
Dated: May, 20, 2019
Subject: How the Military Conducts PSYOPS
How does the military conduct Psy Ops? Sometimes not too well,
In the early 1960s the14th Psy War Bn was stationed on Okinawa and included print and broadcast units. It was cloaked under the name "Broadcasting and Visual Activity - Pacific." I never understood why the unit had a parachute rigger, a demolitions specialist and submarine qualified people who were Army.
It was also a mystery why some artillery captain ordered the interior of the studio trailer painted with semi-gloss paint “because the studio acoustic tiles looked a bit shabby and worn.”
A program written for translation and broadcast to mainland Asia on the subject of Buddha’s birthday was a mystery to me why they allowed the program to open with the incredible line: “Siddhartha Gautama was Buddha’s Christian name.
And some wonder why Psy Ops is sometimes looked upon with question and disfavor.
Steve
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From: Frank Rogers
Dated: May, 17, 2019
Subject: How the Military Conducts PSYOPS
At the Far East Network in the late 60s, we got in someone from PsyOps in Vietnam. He was capable but had been stuck in the MPs where promotion was in short supply. He was assigned to guard at a PsyOps unit, managed to get his MOS changed to 91R for almost immediate promotions up to SSg E-6. He was not an “on-air” person, so was assigned to Chitose where he functioned well on the management side.
Frank
From: Jim White
Dated: Jun 7, 2019
Subject: How the Military Conducts PSYOPS
I never got around to sending a message so I will use my "Webmaster's privileges" and add it here.
When I was with the MAAG-ROC in Taipei in the early 1970's we had a young SP4 Smith attached to us from the 7th PsyOps unit in Okinawa. We really didn't know why we had him and evidently he had only been told "Go get a flight to Taipei and report to MAAG-ROC." We didn't know what to do with him and he certainly didn't either. So for some reason, since I as the NCOIC for the SJS (Secretary, Joint Staff) he was literally attached to me. I had an office with desk, chair and telephone, for him but I didn't what he was to do either. But, I still took him under my wing--went to lunch with him, got him out of trouble when he had a little too much to drink when downtown, etc. Finally, after nearly a year, someone realized we really didn't need him so he returned to Okinawa. Nice kin--he just didn't have a job.
Jim W
From: Ron Turner
Dated: May, 20, 2019
Subject: How the Military Conducts PSYOPS
Steve,
There is no shortage of ill-informed people in any endeavor. Sometime around 1968 a well coordinated and supposedly important report went out of a major MI facility about Burma referring to its capitol of Mandalay - guess they read too much Kipling.
Regards,
Ron
From: Ron Turner
Dated: May, 20, 2019
Subject: How the Military Conducts PSYOPS
Bob,
Yes the book is even more shocking and the CIA in the interview you attached is trying to get somewhat out from under responsibility. As far as I can tell, only Army CIC fought the illegal immigration of higher level war criminals who had worked with us in the post-war cold war. Some of them were in our employ and hidden from legitimate prosecution by our allies, particularly France. At least in the greater White Russia area, it seems that many if not most of those in our political war/psywar operations were wanted criminals with well documented charges.. Out of fairness to to Psyops folks, two of the finest human beings I've ever known were associated with Psyops: one was an Army Intel officer who spoke Mandarin and the other was an older Chinese-American PhD who part time taught for U of Maryland. I wonder if these guys (the Belarus Nazi's) would have survived so well if they had been killing Christians instead of Jews? In my opinion the ultimate shame of the 20th Century was/is anti-Semitism. But enough, thanks for the attachment.
Regards,
Ron
From: Preston Cluff
Dated: May 17, 2019
Subject: How the Military Conducts PSYOPS
Would you believe, Paul, I was assigned to the 4th PSYOP Group at Ft. Bragg for a year. They had one 71R position at the time (1981). Don't know how many that have -- if any -- now.
Preston
Article on: How The Military Conducts PSYOPS
From: Bob Morecook
Dated: May, 20, 2019
Subject: How the Military Conducts PSYOPS
Below is a link to an interview with John Loftus as published by the CIA.
Indeed it is full of shocking stuff.
Bob Morecook [another Bob]