The Leaflet Drop
The Newsletter of the Psychological Operations Veterans Association (POVA)
Founded 1988
1 November 2020
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Fellow Psywarriors,
As previously reported in the 15 October POVAcomm message, the new National Museum of the US Army will open on 11 November. For those who don't recall, here is the message I forwarded from the Museum:
We are very excited to announce that the National Museum of the United States Army will open its doors on November 11, 2020. Our Foundation cannot wait to welcome you to this extraordinary tribute to the American Soldier. This would not have been possible without you, our supporters, who have been with us and shared our vision in bringing the history of the Army and significance of the American Soldier to the public. For that, we cannot thank you enough.
Free timed-tickets are now available through the Museum’s website at theNMUSA.org. These tickets will be required for entry and we expect them to be in high demand.
To ensure everyone’s safety, the Museum is preparing to open our doors in accordance with CDC guidelines and in consultation with public health experts. The Museum will promote social distancing by limiting the number of visitors in the building, offering ‘grab and go’ refreshments in the café, modifying some of the interactive exhibits, and enhancing cleaning procedures.
I simply cannot emphasize how important it is that younger Psywarriors begin to "step up" into leadership roles within POVA. We have come a long way since 1988, but we must move past the "first-generation" leaders to the leaders who will continue to take POVA forward. Perhaps the following comment from Life Member and POVA Historian Herb Friedman will shed better light:
The Psywar Society had existed since the end of WWII and published over 200 quarterly magazines about propaganda. The members got older and older, many in their 90s, and some of the oldest and most knowledgeable ones just died. A few of us were forced to take over the organization to keep it afloat. I wrote letter after letter to the membership telling them that some young people needed to come forward to keep the organization alive. About 10 years ago I gave them an ultimatum that if nobody stepped up, we would have to close down. Well, nobody stepped up and we did close down.
So, a warning. Organizations like POVA cannot exist simply because 4 or 5 individuals are responsible and willing to work long hours to keep it moving forward. The day will come when they will tire of it and walk away. Young men be warned. If you care about the group step forward and spend some time building the organization. I have been there and seen what happens when the last few people throw up their hands and say "enough."
Please don't let POVA die as the Psywar Society did so long ago. We are part of our PSYOP Regimental community, a vital part that helps to link soldiers, veterans, Gold
Stars and families together.
Chad Spawr
President
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Remember Everyone Deployed
Please remember all our fellow Americans deployed around the world. Most of us know what that is like.
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New POVA Life Members
POVA is very pleased to welcome our new Life Members who joined with us. POVA now rosters 200 Psywarrior soldiers, veterans, and Gold Star Families:
Homer T. Hodge
F. Scott Main
You can view our entire Life Member roster on POVA’s website at
www.usapova.org/pova-life-members
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2d PSYOP Group Commanding Officer Nominated for Promotion to Brigadier General
COL Andree Ana Navarro-Carter, a POVA Life Member, has been nominated for promotion to Brigadier General. Currently commanding the 2d Psychological Operations Group in Twinsburg, OH, COL Navarro has been a POVA member for several years.
Congratulations to yet another POVA member moving into higher leadership echelons.
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Long-time POVA Member Hammond Salley
Hammond Salley has been a POVA member since the early 1990's, and has always been a strong advocate for our community and our Association. Among his many talents is an acute eye for detail, and his work has helped to guide POVA in our Constitutional, operational, and financial activities for many years. He is a trusted and deeply valued POVA Life Member. Here is a short background on his life and career:
As the son of a career Army officer, Major Hammond Salley lived many places before returning to his home state and attending the University of Florida where he received an ROTC Army commission in the Infantry. That 'Army BRAT' experience proved invaluable during his next 21 years in the Army with assignments throughout the United States, two tours in Germany (Cold War) and two tours in Vietnam. Maj. Salley has served in Armored, Airborne and Mechanized Infantry Divisions as well as in Special Operations units. He is Airborne, Ranger, Special Forces (i.e. Green Beret) and Psychological Operations (PSYOP) qualified.
Hammond was assigned to the 4th Psychological Operations Group in Saigon when the TET Offensive commenced in January 1968. As a member of the Top Secret black operations unit known as MACVSOG, he was then sent to MACVSOG Forward Operations Base-3 (FOB-3) at the Khe Sanh Combat Base near the DMZ and Laotian border. FOB-3 was colocated with the then surrounded 26th Marine Regiment during the Siege of Khe Sanh - the most famous and bloodiest battle of the Vietnam War.
Hammond retired from the Army in 1984 and started a second career as an aerospace analyst / project manager for McDonnell Douglas/Boeing. His initial assignment was on the design team for the C-17 troop/cargo transport aircraft. His later focus was on development of future defense related projects for Boeing's 'Phantom Works' involving direct interface with military customers. He retired again in 2005 after 20 years with Boeing.
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Did You Know?
There is an ongoing perpetual debate about the effectiveness of psychological operations in land warfare. Taken from POVA Archivist Ed Rouse's excellent website, www.psywarrior.com, this is an excellent but succinct assessment of the effectiveness of psychological operations in relatively recent history.....the Gulf War:
During Operation Desert Storm the 4th PSYOP Group fielded 71 Tactical loudspeaker teams. These teams provided support to USARCENT (both XVIII Airborne Corps and VII Corps), USMARCENT and USSOCCENT. Loudspeaker teams broadcast surrender appeals, harassment and deception tapes. Most loudspeaker teams had Saudi Arabian, Egyptian or Kuwaiti linguists attached to execute live broadcasts as the situation dictated.
Loudspeaker teams were also innovativly employed for prisoner control at the EPW camps with broadcasts designed to accomplish prisoner pacification and underscore Military Police authority. One of the best examples of the successful use of loudspeakers occurred during the Gulf War. The allied coalition effectively isolated, both physically and psychologically, a large element of Iraqi forces on Faylaka Island.
Rather then reduce the island by direct assault, a tactical PSYOP team from the 9th PSYOP Battalion, aboard a UH-1N helicopter, flew aerial loudspeaker missions around the island with cobra gunships providing escort. The message told the adversary below to surrender the next day in formation at the radio tower. The next day 1,405 Iraqis, including a general officer, waited in formation at the radio tower to surrender to the Marine forces without a single shot having been fired.
How successful was the US PSYOP campaign in Desert Storm? The International Red Cross reported that nearly 87,000 Iraqi soldiers turned themselves over to coalition forces, most of them clutching the leaflets or hiding them in their clothing. All incidents of surrender were bloodless.
Perhaps the best testimony to the effectiveness of PSYOP was given by an Iraqi General when he stated that: "PSYOP...was a great threat to troop morale, second only to the coalition bombing campaign."
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Historical Reminiscences & Excerpted History of the 1st PSYOP Battalion
Your editor served with the 6th PSYOP Battalion in Viet-Nam, and upon return to CONUS in July 1969 was assigned to HHC, 1st PSYOP Battalion, 2d PSYOP Group at Ft. Bragg, NC. In hindsight, 1st POB was really a "holding tank" for PSYOP soldiers returning from Viet-Nam or those going to Viet-Nam.
For many of us returning, there was little to do of PSYOP value unless we were printers, graphic artists, etc.. As an 11F4LVN (language qualified Infantry Operations/Intel Sergeant, there was little MOS-related work to be done. Many of us were advised that, if we had more than a year of service time remaining, we should look for movement into another Army career field. There seemed to be no future in PSYOP in 1970. I chose Counterintelligence.
What I did not know then was the incredible history of the 1st PSYOP Battalion prior to Viet-Nam or after I departed in February 1970. Rather than repeat history, interested readers can read the outstanding history created by POVA Historian Herb Friedman by visiting this link:
https://www.psywarrior.com/1stMISOBn.html
Even better from an historical (and also anthropological) perspective, is the excellent work done by POVA Life Member Dr. William Yaworksy, a veteran of the 1st PSYOP Battalion (A) with specific experience during the Battalion's deployments into Honduras, Panama, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Not generally known is that several 1st Battalion soldiers parachuted into Panama with US Rangers and Navy SEALS, thereby earning their combat jump stars on their airborne wings.
Dr. Yaworksky's excellent reporting is both anthropological and historical based on his own participation and experience. Rather than insert these here, interested readers are strongly recommended to visit the publications in which they appear by using the following links:
On targeting Peru's Maoist Shining Path guerrilla movement:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01402390902987087
On 1st POB experience supporting Operation Just Cause (Panama):
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09592318.2012.661611
A review of US Army PSYOP in Latin America 1987-89:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09592318.2012.661611
These articles are outstanding analyses of real world PSYOP engagement in multiple different environments; in many ways, they illustrate the very real nature of "combat PSYOP" in deployment with US maneuver forces.
For serious students of PSYOP and history, Dr. Yaworksky's writings based on his own history as a Psywarrior are invaluable.
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7th PSYOP Battalion Viet-Nam Combat Psywarrior Earned Bronze Star w/V
While many Viet-Nam veteran Psywarriors will agree that the concept "combat PSYOP" was a major part of our experience, not many know about the combat hazard which many faced in that long war. This is the story of a 7th PSYOP Battalion soldier and his unique efforts to encourage entrapped enemy soldiers to surrender. It is an amazing story.
SFC Heyword L. Rourk's story was shared in December 1967 in the Battalion's "Credibilis" newspaper. During his military career, he earned the Bronze Star w/"V" device, the Purple Heart, and the Air Medal. What is not mentioned in the article is that Rourk was an Airborne-qualified Infantryman, a Ranger, and a Special Forces soldier.
Excerpted from "Credibilis" published on 10 December 1967; the print is a bit small, but it is worth reading.
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Passing of Australian POVA Life Member
We regret to advise that our Australian Life Member Derrill deHeer has passed away. Here is the note we received regarding his passing:
The University of NSW Canberra has released a statement advising of the passing of Derrill de Heer! Derrill is known to many within the US PSYOP fratenity, and his work(s) on Australian PSYOPS and the Operation Wandering Souls will be known to many of you! Our thoughts are with his family & friends.
Derrill was a guest speaker at POVA's Cleveland Reunion, and was well received by all in attendance.
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**POVA CONTACT INFORMATION **
POVA TRUSTEES
POVA’s Website.....www.usapova.org
Ed Rouse’s Psywarrior Website.....www.psywarrior.com
COL-Ret. Larry Dietz PSYOP Blog.....www.psyopregiment.blogspot.com
Howard Patrick’s Blog.....www.howardpatrick.weebly.com/blog
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Errors, etc
Please contact Chad Spawr with information on any errors that may be included above.
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