Social Education 70(6), pp 363–365 ©2006 National Council for the Social Studies

Examining the Seven-Flag Chieu Hoi Pass: A Primary Document from the American War in Viet Nam Ted Engelmann

I served as an air force sergeant in Viet Nam from March 1968 to March 3. What four languages are used on 1969. During that time, U.S. military aircraft dropped Chieu Hoi (safe conduct) the front of this pass, and what do passes over suspected enemy locations to encourage enemy soldiers to surrender. they say? Great quantities of leaflets were scattered (more than 6 million in one month in 1969, All of the languages convey the same for example).1 Often there was a recorded voice message in Vietnamese, broadcast message on the pass: “Safe conduct for through loudspeakers from the aircraft, encouraging enemy personnel to pick up a all who surrender will be honored.” The pass and turn themselves in. I mailed a Chieu Hoi pass to my father in the States, who languages are: returned it to me when I got back home. This classroom activity encourages students H. Korean (Hangul) to examine a Chieu Hoi pass as a primary historical document, identify its various I. Thai elements, and begin discussing a few of the larger questions about the American War J. English in Viet Nam that are symbolized by this document. K. Vietnamese

Examining the Pass B. 4. Whose signature is on the back of In the classroom activity below, students C. the pass? (individually or in small groups) receive D. L. Nguyen Van Thieu, who was a handout—an exact reproduction of the E. Republic of Korea (South Korea/ president of South Viet Nam from author’s Chieu Hoi pass with a set of eight ROK) 1967 until the fall of Saigon in questions. (The answers or suggested F. 1975. responses are provided below for the G. teacher’s use.) The first five questions 5. Who do the two men shown on have factual answers, and they are linked 2. Why are six non-Vietnamese the back of the pass represent? to specific parts of the pass (labeled A nations represented on the front of M. On left, Southern soldier of the through N). The last three questions are the pass? Army of the Republic of Viet meant to provoke discussion and further These were allies of the Republic of Nam (ARVN). research. While these latter questions South Viet Nam when the 1968 ver- N. On right, North Vietnamese are important, they may be controversial sion of the Chieu Hoi pass was printed. Army (NVA) soldier from the even today, and their answers are less Among foreign troops, South Korean Democratic Republic of Vietnam clear. troop strength was second only to that (DRV). of the United States. After 1972, there 1. What nations are represented by were more troops from the Republic 6. How would you summarize the the seven flags (A through G) shown of Korea in Viet Nam than American emotional message of this pass? on the front this pass? as the United States was pulling out of The pass is meant to convey messages of A. Republic of (South) Viet Nam Viet Nam. strength (seven flags), authority (with the (RVN) [center flag] South Vietnamese president’s signature),

O c t o b e r 2 0 0 6 363 and trust (with the photo of the ARVN woman, or child who approached soldier guiding the smiling NVA soldier). The concept of “many U.S. troops in a military zone was The fact that it is the same shape and size flags” was intended at some risk of being killed, espe- as paper money also conveys authority cially after the Pentagon began and trust. to counter the per- measuring success in the war with ception that the numbers of dead “enemy.” In fact, 7. Is this document an example of there was often no way to determine propaganda? American superpow- whether a dead body was an enemy Propaganda is information spread to er was “picking on” combatant or a civilian. In order to further one’s cause. In the United States, please ranking officers, body counts the term “propaganda” carries a nega- the little country of were inflated. tive connotation—that the information North Viet Nam. conveyed is probably false. This Chieu • A Tradition of Resistance. In 1802, Hoi pass was part of President Lyndon the king arranged to change his Johnson’s “many flags” program. The 8. Was the Chieu Hoi pass an nation’s name to Viet Nam, which concept of “many flags” was intended effective tool for the U.S. military means “people” (Viet) “of the south” to counter the perception that the effort? (Nam), to distinguish the Viets as American superpower was “picking on” The U.S. program to encourage sur- independent and different from the the little country of North Viet Nam. render was widely considered to be a Chinese. The Vietnamese fought Johnson wanted to show the world (and failure. Historians of the American-Viet against Chinese domination for Americans) that a coalition of countries Nam War mention numerous factors centuries and against French colo- (many flags) sided with the United States. that weighed against the success of the nial rule for nearly 100 years (from The Chieu Hoi pass was an attempt to safe conduct pass in convincing North the mid-1800s until 1954). For “win the hearts and minds” of the enemy. Vietnamese soldiers to give up. These many Vietnamese, political and The truthfulness of the message on the factors include: military intervention by the United pass is a point of debate. States seemed to fit all too easily • Spying. Peasants and Viet Cong into the historical legacy of oppres- (local sympathizers/guerillas who sive occupation by foreigners. fought on the side of North Viet Nam) from the countryside who A Failed Weapon surrendered and were given liberty The Chieu Hoi pass is an interesting could act as spies, strolling about example of a weapon of psychologi- making observations of U.S. troop cal warfare that was not very effective. presence, weaponry, and equipment, Teachers can use it to help students then disappear after dark—to report review a historical unit of study, get back to North Vietnamese contacts. ideas for further independent research, Suspecting sabotage by their former or discuss aspects of a costly conflict in enemy made it hard to fulfill the which the United States failed to “win promise of “safe conduct” to any the hearts and minds” of the people they Vietnamese man or woman who were purportedly trying to liberate. surrendered to allied troops. Note • Prisoner Abuse. U.S. soldiers turned 1. “Chieu Hoi Program Information for the AMERICAL Division Area,” AOL Hometown: Americal (1st their prisoners of war over to the Battalion, 6th Infantry, U.S. Army), hometown.aol. South Vietnamese Army, under com/wr9r/Chuhoi.html. which they were often mistreated and tortured. The infamous “tiger Further Reading for Teachers cages,” which confined prisoners to Sam Keen, Faces of the Enemy: Reflections of the Hostile Imagination (New York: Harpercollins, cramped spaces for months at a time, 1991). were one example of mistreatment. Such treatment often strengthened Ted Engelmann is a freelance photographer the resistance of prisoners. and writer. He gives workshops for educators on the legacy of the American War in Viet Nam and • Body Counts. Any Vietnamese man, on Asian societies today.

S o c i a l E d u c a t i o n 364 Chieu Hoi (Safe-Conduct) Pass Handout

Below is a reproduction of a Chieu Hoi (safe conduct) pass from 1968. During the American-Viet Nam War, U.S. military aircraft would drop passes over suspected enemy locations to encourage enemy soldiers to surrender. Great quantities of leaflets were scattered (more than 6 million in one month in 1969, for example). Often, there was a recorded voice message in Vietnamese, broadcast through loudspeakers from the aircraft, encouraging enemy personnel to pick up a pass and turn themselves in. Examine this primary historical document, and then answer questions 1 through 5. The last three questions (6, 7, and 8) are meant to provoke class discussion and further research. While these later questions are important, they are controversial even today, and their answers are less clear. A

B E

F C

D G

H I

K J

Note: The actual size of the pass is 7cm by 15cm. M

N L

1. What nations are represented by 4. Whose signature is on the pass and 6. How would you summarize the the seven flags shown on this pass? what was his title? (Item L) emotional message of this pass? (See items A-G) 5. Who do the two men shown on the 7. Is this document an example of 2. Why are six non-Vietnamese pass represent? (Items M and N) propaganda? nations represented on the pass? 8. Was the Chieu Hoi pass an effective 3. What four languages are used on tool of the U.S. military effort? this pass, and what do they say? (Items H-K)

Further Reading for Students Tim O’Brian, The Things We Carried (New York: Broadway Books/Doubleday, 1998)

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