Chieu hoi bag
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The Chieu Hoi (pronounced 'Choo Hoy') Programme was an initiative by the South Vietnamese to encourage defection by the Viet Cong and their supporters to the side of the Government during the Vietnam War. Defection was urged by means of a propaganda campaign and a number of incentives were offered to those who chose to cooperate, along with psychological warfare to break enemy morale.
To further this aim, invitations to defect, which also acted as safe-conduct passes, were printed on clear plastic waterproof bags used to carry ammunition for the US soldier's M16 assault rifle. Each bag held one magazine, and was sealed up to prevent moisture from the jungle's humid climate from damaging the contents. When the magazine was needed during a firefight with the enemy, the bag would be torn open and discarded, in the hope that it would be discovered by enemy troops who would read the text and consider defection.
However, in practice this method was of little value as littering the jungle with these bags would signpost the movement of US troops to the enemy, and Viet Cong would not be keen to retain them as it would indicate their intentions and indict them as traitors; and according to the testimony of Seargant Scott Camil during the 1971 Winter Soldier Investigation, the passes were sometimes rejected anyway, and their holders shot.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Testimony of Scott Camil, Winter Soldier Investigation
