We have examined samples of the US/South Vietnamese propaganda campaigns on other web pages. Let's now look at the North Vietnamese propaganda.

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The North Vietnamese had their own propaganda program. The pictures below are scans of leaflets I found while out 'in the boonies'. Let's take a look at these... and then I'll give you my views.

Refuse to fight

These leaflets were obviously intended for US soldiers. The leaflet poses some of the same questions that we asked ourselves. Even today -- forty-plus years later -- many of us are still searching for answers to these questions.

As you can see, the leaflet advises the US soldiers to "Refuse to fight!". It warns the GI's to get out of Viet Nam before it is too late.

"Our resounding victories!"

The leaflet below was large. Its eight pages were folded 'accordian-style'. The actual dimensions of the folded leaflet are about 5 1/2 inches high by 3 1/2 inches wide. The scans vary in size due to differences in my processing of the pictures.

So what do I think?

I think that the VC and NVA soldiers were a lot like us. No... we did not like the war either. We knew that when you die, you are dead for a very long time. Even if the claims in the VC leaflet above were true, would that have changed my mind? Would I come up to the Captain one morning and said: "Okay, I'm done. I refuse to fight. I demand to go home." Good soldiers are 'married' to the military. 'For better or for worse...' 'In sickness and in health...' Walk away? Nah... wouldn't think of it. There is no honor in that course of action. Perhaps that is why we had only marginal success with our propaganda programs. Perhaps the other soldiers were, in many ways, just like us.