Little verifiable documentation of the 14th Psychological Warfare Battalion exists on the web. What does exist was found on sites listed below and in a personal copy of the Ryukyuan Review dated 1962...I would appreciate any additional information from others..........................................TIM YOHO
Based on information from above sources the 14th Battalion had four name changes as listed below. I was a member of the Psychological Warfare Battalion.
The 14th Psychological Operations Battalion was originally constituted on 24 December 1943 in the Army of the United States as the 4th Mobile Radio Broadcasting Company. It activated 29 December 1943 at Camp Ritchie , MD. Following the end of World War II, the unit inactivated on 25 November 1945 in Luxembourg .
Redesignated on 19 November 1954 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 14th Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet Battalion, the unit was allotted to the Regular Army. It activated on 20 January 1955 at Fort Shafter , HI .
It was reorganized and redesignated on 25 March 1961 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 14th Psychological Warfare Battalion.
It was again reorganized and redesignated on 20 October 1965 as Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 14th Psychological Operations Battalion before inactivating on 30 June 1974 at Fort Bragg , NC . ..A major part of this reorganization was the consolidation of the 14th into the 7th PsyOp Group. The 7th Group was formed at the same time as the reorganization. The role of the 14th Bn in this consolidation is not clear.
Redesignated on 30 October 1975 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 14th Psychological Operations Battalion, it was concurrently withdrawn from the Regular Army, allotted to the Army Reserve, and activated at Mountain View, CA.
A personal copy of Ryukyuan Review Aug 1962 states the 14th Psychological Warfare Battalion was celebrating its 3rd anniversary in 1962. This would indicate the reorganization date was 1958 and not 1961 as reported above. The discrepancy may be related to preliminary reorganization of the unit.
Personal communication with Jack Giza of the 14th Radio Broadcasting and Leaflet Bn (predecessor of 14th PsyWar) indicated that the 14 RB&L were moving their unit and equipment to Okinawa in 1958. The 14th PsyWar evidently was in place on Okinawa in 58 but it wasn't until 1961 that the name was officially changed.
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Specific Articles From the Paper can be reviewed from list Below: ( May need to click on picture expander.)
The PsyOps Order of Battle For Vietnam indicates the 14th PsyWar Battalion became the 14th PsyOp Battalion and the B&VA component became the 7th PsyOp Group in 1965. That history (cited below) states the 7th Group was located in the Machinato Service Area on Okinawa. .This was also the location of 14th PsyWar Headquarters Company building where I served from 1961 to 1962.
Although elements of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) prepared some white propaganda leaflets, much of the white printed propaganda of the Vietnam War was produced under MACV by two U.S. Army Psychological Operations (PSYOP) Groups. For Army organizational purposes (probably beginning in the early 1960s), South Vietnam was divided into four Corps Tactical Zones. Ranging from the north to the south, I Corps was in the north abutting North Vietnam, in the foothills and coastal regions east of the Annamite Mountains; II Corps was in the country's least populated region, encompassing the rugged central highlands and central plateau; III Corps was on the densely populated alluvial plain surrounding Saigon; IV Corps was the heavily populated and agriculturally productive Mekong Delta.
The original military psychological operations unit assigned to Vietnam was the 1st PSYOP Detachment (Provisional), which arrived in 1965. In late 1965, a small unit of the Okinawa-based 7th PSYOP Group arrived in Saigon.
The 7th PSYOP Group was constituted 19 August 1965 in the regular Army and activated 20 October 1965 and assigned to the Ryukyu Islands, located in the Machinato Service Area. It was attached to IX Corps for operation and Training. The 7th PSYOP Group was the successor to the U. S. Army Broadcasting and Visual Activity, Pacific, (USABVAPAC) which was disbanded 20 October 1965. The 7th assumed all missions and functions previously administered by USABVAPAC and transferred members and equipment.
The 7th PSYOP Group was tasked with support activities in Okinawa, Vietnam, Taiwan, Korea and Japan. The group consisted of the 14th PSYOP Battalion, the 15th PSYOP Detachment, the Japan Detachment, the Korea detachment, the Taiwan Detachment, and the Vietnam Detachment. In Vietnam the Group worked in support of the Commander, United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (COMUSMACV). During 1965 The Okinawa printing plant produced 125 million leaflets for MACV and the Vietnam Detachment produced another 62 million on its web-fed press in Saigon. The Detachment maintained liasison with the Joint United States Public Affairs Office and the Military Assistance Command Political Warfare Directrorate. In September two members journeyed to Vietnam to plan and conduct the first high altitude leaflet and toy bundle dissemination over North Vietnam. They returned again in December to assist in a Christmas toy drop over North Vietnam.
In 1967 the unit was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for their support of military operations. Besides the units mentioned earlier, the 7th PSYOP Group added a Radio Detachment (Provisional) Vietnam. The unit now had 41 linguists who were proficient in 11 different languages. During 1967 they printed 7 billion propaganda leaflets for Vietnam and Korea. Their printing capability was enhanced by using the U. S. Army Printing and Production Center in Japan, and the Regional Service Center in Manila.
The small detachment's Vietnam HQs were bombed by the VC in December of 1966 and they moved to 8 Vinh Vien Street. Later they moved to 16 Pham Ngu Lao in the Cholon section of Saigon. They coordinated the activities of four loudspeaker teams, supervised two leaflet dissemination courses, and assisted members who were on temporary duty (TDY) with MACVSOG. Their motto was "Credibility Through Communication."
