Case file · Folklore / legend
Operation Wandering Soul
US forces in Vietnam broadcast eerie recordings of 'ghosts' of dead Viet Cong fighters, exploiting the belief that the unburied dead wander in torment, to encourage desertions.
1969 CE · 10.30, 105.90 · status: official
The account
The most famous recording, 'Ghost Tape Number Ten', was played from helicopters and jungle loudspeakers. US engineers spent weeks producing the sounds and altered voices.
The sceptical view
Its effectiveness was doubtful; troops on both sides often recognised the tapes as propaganda.