The United States is no stranger to Psychological Warfare. Countless myths and legends have risen from shadow programs like MK Ultra or the Montauk Project, though hard evidence of them being employed on the battlefield is generally scarce. One fascinating exception is Operation Wandering Soul.
As war raged in Vietnam, the unconventional nature of the conflict required a broad-scale evolution of tactics to combat the Viet Cong. One of the most bizarre gambits devised to this end was Operation Wandering Soul. Authored by the 6th Psychological Operations Battalion (6th PSYOP), the intent was to exploit regional cultural superstitions to erode the morale of enemy soldiers. Specifically, the belief that their soul would be doomed to wander in a restless hell should they be killed away from home and their bodies not returned for proper burial.
The execution of this plan was both creepy and absurd. An audio tape was created, filled with unsettling sound effects, mournful spirits, and the urgent pleas of the recently dead, urging their comrades to desert their units and flee before they suffer the same fate. It was called “Ghost Tape #10”, played over the loudspeakers around military bases, and blasted out of helicopters flying over the jungle at night. A sample of the dialog reads, “My friends, I have come back to let you know that I am dead … I am dead! Don’t end up like me. Go home, friends, before it’s too late!”
The efficacy of Wandering Soul is debatable. However, it is credited to have frightened off as many as one hundred and fifty soldiers in a single engagement, when it was used in conjunction with a rumors that a tiger was attacking Viet Cong soldiers. The 6th PSYOP added tiger growls to the existing recording for added authenticity. I can only imagine what a North Vietnamese soldier would think, hearing this echoing through the darkness; take a listen.
Jason Roberts is a Seattle-based author noted for his acclaimed western horror series The Dead Wind Trilogy as well as other works of cosmic horror infused with historical fiction. His web-based series, Dark Distractions, examines paranormal mysteries, unexplained phenomena, and all things strange.
