Leaflet Bombs and Flying Loudspeakers: The Barbarization of the Sky and Psychological Warfare During the Korean War

This show is the fifth show in a series focused on looking at the Korean War by looking at how the Sky was used in that war. We have discussed strafing and aerial bombardment by the USAF in the North and South. But also dropped from planes were millions of pieces of paper carried in “leaflet bombs”. Airplanes were also outfitted with loudspeakers. These “messages” carried by airplanes were part of the Psychological Warfare (PsyWar) campaign during the Korean War, the topic of today’s show. In an article titled ‘Air Force Psychological Warfare in Korea’, the author describes the broadest intentions of psychological warfare as “the bolstering of friendly morale and the destruction of enemy morale.” This includes not only “conventional" PsyWar (leaflets and loudspeakers), but also the Airforce itself. Joining us to discuss this topic special guest retired SGM Herb Friedman, author of numerous articles on PsyWar found at psywarrior.com, including several on the Korean War.