Content note: Drawing of a grave and ghost figures with a list of named dead, aimed at the enemy soldiers who received the leaflet. This object is shown as it was published. Why
Tử-thần đang tìm kiếm thêm nhiều mạng sống (The Shadow of Death Is Seeking More Lives), Chieu Hoi leaflet ATF-074-71
Two-sided leaflet addressed to soldiers of D445. One side says many comrades were killed by Republic of Vietnam forces despite being told they had other assignments, that supplies are harder to find, and urges rallying 'before the shadow of death comes to you'. The other side lists eight named dead beside a drawing of a seated soldier by a grave with ghost figures. The tell: named dead and spectral figures stage the reader's own death as the alternative to rallying.
- Date
- January 25, 1971
- Period
- Cold War
- Made by
- 1st Psychological Operations Unit, 1st Australian Task Force (Nui Dat), for the South Vietnamese Chieu Hoi programme
- Region
- Oceania
- Country
- Australia
- Medium
- Leaflet
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Gorton Government
- Leader
- John Gorton
- Audience
- Enemy forces
- Theme
- War and the military
- Event
- Vietnam War
- Techniques
- Fear appeal
- Source
- Unidentified Source blurred: contractors, cutouts, buried disclosure
- Source
- Australian War Memorial (Official Records, 1st Psychological Operations Unit leaflets), retrieved October 2, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain per holder (AWM: 'Copyright expired. Permission for reproduction not required'; issued 1971)
1st Psychological Operations Unit, 1st Australian Task Force, 1971; Australian War Memorial RC03362 (ATF-074-71).
Text on the object
[Side 1] TỬ-THẦN ĐANG TÌM KIẾM THÊM NHIỀU MẠNG SỐNG CỦA CÁC CHIẾN SĨ THUỘC D445. Gần đây có nhiều đồng-đội gan dạ của các bạn đã bị Quân-Lực Việt-Nam Cộng-Hòa giết chết. Người ta nói với các bạn rằng những người này được giao phó những nhiệm-vụ khác. Điều này Không đúng. Sự thật là họ đã chết rồi. Càng ngày các bạn càng gặp Khó Khăn trong việc tìm Kiếm thực-phẩm và đồ tiếp liệu. Các bạn phải chịu nhiều cực Khổ để mong đạt được chiến-thắng nhưng nỗ-lực của các bạn đã bị Quân-Lực Việt-Nam Cộng-Hòa dập tan. [Chieu Hoi emblem] HÃY RA CHIÊU-HỒI TRƯỚC KHI TỬ-THẦN ĐẾN VỚI CÁC BẠN. 074-71 [Side 2] TỬ-THẦN ĐANG TIẾP TỤC CƯỚP LẤY THÊM NHIỀU MẠNG SỐNG CỦA CÁC ĐỒNG-CHÍ CỦA CÁC BẠN. Nguyễn Văn Minh, Nguyễn Văn Thái, Nguyễn Văn Mười, Nguyễn Thanh Long, Trần Văn Tố, Huỳnh Văn Tài, Dương Văn Sung, Phạm Văn Thuần [drawing: a seated man with head in hand beside a gravestone, two ghost figures] Tử-thần đang rình mò các bạn. 074-71
[Side 1] THE SHADOW OF DEATH IS SEEKING MORE LIVES OF THE FIGHTERS OF D445. Recently many brave comrades of yours were killed by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. You were told these people were assigned other duties. This is Not true. The truth is they are dead. Every day you have more Difficulty finding food and supplies. You endure much Hardship hoping to achieve victory but your efforts have been crushed by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. [Chieu Hoi emblem] RALLY BEFORE THE SHADOW OF DEATH COMES TO YOU. 074-71 [Side 2] THE SHADOW OF DEATH CONTINUES TO SEIZE MORE LIVES OF YOUR COMRADES. Nguyễn Văn Minh, Nguyễn Văn Thái, Nguyễn Văn Mười, Nguyễn Thanh Long, Trần Văn Tố, Huỳnh Văn Tài, Dương Văn Sung, Phạm Văn Thuần [drawing: a seated man with head in hand beside a gravestone, two ghost figures] The shadow of death is lying in wait for you. 074-71
Both sides read from the AWM scans. The AWM identification strips ('AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL' and the accession number) at the foot of each scan are part of the scan and are omitted. The hosted image places the two sides of the leaflet one above the other (or side by side), joined by FRAME from AWM's two scans of the same object. Translation is FRAME's own literal rendering, machine-assisted and not verified by a fluent reader; AWM's English translation was consulted.
