An open letter from the commanders of two 25th Infantry Divisions, South Vietnamese and American

Sheet SP-1454, dated 1965 and printed by JUSPAO, is an open letter from the commanders of the South Vietnamese and U.S. 25th Infantry Divisions, under both units' insignia. It offers a welcome to young people forced to follow the Viet Cong and tells families to call their relatives back before it is too late.

The letter

There are no pictures beyond two badges. The sheet is printed in red and blue, with the insignia of the South Vietnamese 25th Infantry Division on the left and the U.S. 25th Infantry Division on the right, and the rest is a letter in capital letters.

BỨC THƯ NGỎ CỦA

TƯ LỆNH SƯ ĐOÀN 25 BỘ BINH VIỆT-NAM TƯ LỆNH SƯ ĐOÀN 25 BỘ BINH HOA-KỲ

KÍNH GỞI

TOÀN THỂ CÔ BÁC - ANH CHỊ EM

THƯA ĐỒNG BÀO,

[...]

THI HÀNH CHÁNH SÁCH KHOAN HỒNG CỦA CHÍNH PHỦ VIỆT NAM CỘNG HÒA, CHÚNG TÔI SẴN SÀNG CHÀO ĐÓN TOÀN THỂ CÁC ANH CHỊ EM THANH NIÊN BỊ BỌN CỘNG SẢN VIỆT GIAN BẮT BUỘC THEO CHÚNG, NAY MONG MUỐN TRỞ VỀ VỚI CHÍNH NGHĨA.

[...]

SP-1454

The archive gives an English machine translation and labels it unverified ("not verified by a fluent reader"). In that version the letter is addressed to "all uncles and aunts, brothers and sisters." Under "the lenient policy of the government of the Republic of Vietnam," it welcomes "all the young brothers and sisters who were forced by the Communist traitors to follow them," and it asks families to call their children and grandchildren back "to the National Government before it is too late." The archive's description identifies the policy as Chieu Hoi and names the letter's abstract goals as justice, freedom and independence.

Whose name is on it

The maker line reads "25th Infantry Division commanders (Republic of Vietnam and United States), printed by JUSPAO (code SP-1454)." The Joint U.S. Public Affairs Office printed it. FRAME dates it 1965 and codes the audience as enemy civilians and the purpose as "Mobilize or secure compliance." Its source category is "Identified": the senders are named by their commands on the page, though the archive notes that no personal names are printed.

Reading it

FRAME tags glittering generalities and fear appeal. The generalities are the large words about justice and freedom. The fear is in the deadline. The phrase "before it is too late" does not say what happens afterward, and it does not need to: the letter comes in the name of two division commanders.

Two things are to its credit. An American commander put his unit's badge on the page, so a reader knew a foreign army was speaking. And the offer itself, a way home for young people who had been made to follow the Viet Cong, is one a decent government can make to people pressed into an enemy's ranks. The part a reader should weigh is the pressure on families. It asks parents to bring a child back on the army's terms, with an unstated threat hanging over the ones who do not.

The same amnesty is offered on the seven-flag safe-conduct pass and, with a fire-breathing tank, on the Blackhorse leaflet Viet Cong Beware! The Vietnam War messaging hub places the series, and the gallery holds more.