Operation Voodoo Doll was a covert military operation conducted by the United States during the 1960s, specifically during the Vietnam War. The objective of this operation was to gather intelligence on North Vietnamese forces and disrupt their operations using psychological warfare tactics. The operation was based on the idea that by spreading fear and superstition among the enemy troops, their morale would be significantly weakened. This was done through the use of various psychological warfare techniques, including the distribution of voodoo dolls among North Vietnamese soldiers. The voodoo dolls were designed to resemble the soldiers and were believed to have a mystical power by North Vietnamese troops. The dolls were distributed in areas where the enemy troops were known to gather, such as villages and military bases.
"Queenie's Song" takes you to chichi Santa Fe on a New Year's Day when Terry discovered that some bastard shot his dog. The order of the day is a disorder that spares nothing and no one. Terry sings: "Well I don't predict the world will end/ And I don't presume it won't/ And I don't pretend to give a damn/ If it do or if it don't."
Waiting for the Wake Of the Red Witch Waiting for the Wake Of the Red Witch I listen to this Terry Allen song over and over, surprised at all it evokes, and wondering why, at its end, he needs to repeat that phrase thrice. So, Maybe I ll go To the bottom of the world which can be anyplace you happen to be, since any world you happen to inhabit can drop out from under you anytime.
The dolls were distributed in areas where the enemy troops were known to gather, such as villages and military bases. It was hoped that the belief in the supernatural powers of the dolls would create a sense of fear and paranoia among the enemy soldiers, leading to decreased morale and effectiveness in combat. In addition to the distribution of the voodoo dolls, other psychological warfare tactics were employed, such as the broadcasting of spooky sounds and messages over enemy communication channels.
Letters at 3AM: Wake of the Red Witch
"Been in the dark/ All of my life/ Waiting for the Wake/ Of the Red Witch . / Waiting for the Wake/ Of the Red Witch/ Waiting for the Wake/ Of the Red Witch" – I listen to this Terry Allen song over and over, surprised at all it evokes, and wondering why, at its end, he needs to repeat that phrase thrice.
"Wake of the Red Witch" is a song about movies and Wake of the Red Witch is a 1948 movie that's haunted Allen as it's haunted me, but in the dark all his life he's not waiting for a movie and not waiting to cross the wake of a clipper ship called Red Witch, so . what then?
The album is Bottom of the World, issued earlier this year – an album in which the word "world" appears or is evoked in every song. With a lyricist as cannily specific as Allen, such repetition not only connects the songs but creates a maze. In the spirit of a maze (amaze! – didn't intend the pun, but I like it), one wanders as much as listens.
The opener, "Four Corners," hails back to Terry's classic 1975 Juarez – but, if you've seen Wake of the Red Witch, the film's oceanic imagery and fatal passions sync with the song's. Looking for coordinates to determine where the bottom of the world might be? This song's lyrics are a virtual map, radiating out from funky Four Corners and Cortez, Colorado.
"Queenie's Song" takes you to chichi Santa Fe on a New Year's Day when Terry discovered that some bastard shot his dog. The order of the day is a disorder that spares nothing and no one. Terry sings: "Well I don't predict the world will end/ And I don't presume it won't/ And I don't pretend to give a damn/ If it do or if it don't."
Without getting too cute about it, everything that begins ends. The world and/or our civilization are bound to end sometime. If one or both ends on your watch, or mine, that's no particular tragedy. What makes us so special that the world can't end right here where we're standing?
Which is what "Hold on to the House" is all about: "HOLD ON/ Better HOLD ON . TO THE HOUSE/ Stand in the Den/ Stand in the Bath/ Make your stand in the Living Room/ If you can stand to call it that."
A little but important world is threatened and may end. Still, there's something slapstick about desperation. Not laughable, just absurd – a whole society sold a bill of goods only to have the rug pulled out from under it. Nothing funny about it except for everyone's surprise.
Speaking of surprise: "Do they dream of Hell/ In Heaven/ Are they restless/ With their reward/ . Is there something/ Strange about Heaven/ They just don't want you/ to know?" Smack between Terry's capitalized Heaven and Hell is his lowercase earth, where all the fun is, such as it is.
So, "Maybe I'll go/ To the bottom of the world" – which can be anyplace you happen to be, since any world you happen to inhabit can drop out from under you anytime. Terry makes the bottom of the world sound dangerously attractive, so maybe you'll go. Get into some trouble worth getting into. The song's ending just sort of hangs there: "Maybe I'll go." (Maybe he won't.)
"Angels of the Wind" doesn't live in the same existential territory and perhaps doesn't belong on the album, because it compares "the way that things are/ To the way they should be." But since no one really knows how things should be, it could be that things should be worse – and maybe we're getting off easy. (Even Terry Allen doesn't want to go there.)
In "Emergency Human Blood Courier," nobody gets off easy. Containers of blood head south to bleeding Mexico, "where all systems seem to have failed." But it's not just Mexico. Allen speaks the last line: "It's the story of the world."
"Wake of the Red Witch" is next, but for me it comes last.
"The Gift" isn't something you want. "Turn on the news/ CNN/ At the end/ Of the world." A Wall Street guy puts his little boy to bed then hangs himself with the dog's leash. This is "a gift from Daddy/ He lost all he had and he/ Gave it to you." Just a little capitalist ditty.
Or you could get larger and say: These days, in this society, a great failure is our inheritance, and we shall do with that failure what we can.
"Sidekick Anthem" supplies an antidote: "Turn your back on the bastards/ The liars and kiss-asses too/ Just give me a call and tell 'em to screw it all/ And I'll be leaving with you."
The song presumes a place to go – perhaps at the bottom of the world. That, exactly, is Bottom of the World's optimism, manifested as fierce zest: "If you got to break out/ And you want me to/ I'm just a call away." There's still somewhere to go, if you can find it, imagine it, make it – got the stuff for that? Also: You may not have to go alone.
"Covenant (for Jo Harvey)" ups that ante. There's somewhere to go, there's something to find. "It's everywhere/ It's in the wind/ Just open up/ And let it in." The storm has come, "but some light shines through the pounding rain . Going to find you/ When you're lost, Babe." I'm willing to believe that. Willing to try that myself. And I wish us all the best of luck.
But let us not forget "Wake of the Red Witch" and Wake of the Red Witch.
In the song, Terry invokes a scene from The Searchers, then declares flatly: "John Wayne's Dead." (On the lyric sheet the line reads like a billboard.) Next verse, Jesus "hangs/ A naked cameo in space . In the biblical epic/ The Robe." Again: "John Wayne's Dead." After a chorus, there is Sands of Iwo Jima: A sniper kills Staff Sergeant Stryker (Wayne). In the picture (not the song), Stryker's squad leaves him lying facedown on volcanic sand. "John Wayne's Dead."
Then the spooky out-chorus: "Been in the dark/ All of my life/ Waiting for the Wake/ Of the Red Witch" . it's a line that walks the listener off the plank, where there's nothing to fall into but oneself.
Terry tells you nothing about the movie, so I will: Wake of the Red Witch – either you love that picture or it makes you sick.
It's a movie of no in-betweens, right to the casting: Stars John Wayne and Gail Russell are utter opposites. Wayne was fierce, large, and certain. As David Thomson wrote, "He moved . with huge confidence and daring." Russell was petite, a soul burning with beauty and frailty. In The Uninvited, her most respected picture, Ray Milland speaks of "that look in her eyes – that terrible happiness." Exactly Gail Russell's look.
In Wake of the Red Witch, a terrible, terrifying happiness is what John Wayne's Capt. Ralls and Gail Russell's Angelique discover – a hopeless happiness that fears nothing, not even death. You wait 40 minutes before Russell appears, yet she's the story's heart from the start. Her spirit permeates the film, makes it glow. Wayne's character knows better than to risk all for mere gold, but to risk for Angelique, for her very soul – that makes sense. In a civilization at the point of collapse (like ours), maybe it's all that makes sense.
As for Angelique – Gail Russell's wild vulnerability embodies risks already taken, risks that leave you no way out and no way back.
What do we wait for in the dark when we're "waiting for the Wake of the Red Witch"? Something so precious we don't care if there's no way out and no way back?
Yes. Exactly that. That's what awaits us at the bottom of the world.
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Set one end of the stick about half-way down on the bristles.
This further added to the atmosphere of fear and uncertainty among North Vietnamese troops. While the exact effects of Operation Voodoo Doll are difficult to measure, it is believed that the psychological warfare tactics used during the operation did have some impact on enemy morale. However, it is important to note that the overall success of the operation is still a topic of debate among military historians and experts. Operation Voodoo Doll serves as an example of the lengths that the United States military was willing to go to disrupt enemy operations during the Vietnam War. It also highlights the importance of psychological warfare as a tool in modern warfare, and the ongoing research and innovations in this field..
Reviews for "Operation Voodoo Doll: The Human Cost of Espionage"
1. Emily - 2 stars - I was really looking forward to reading "Operation Voodoo Doll" as someone who enjoys mysteries and detective novels. However, I found the plot to be lackluster and predictable. The characters were one-dimensional and the dialogue felt forced and unnatural. Overall, I was left feeling disappointed and unimpressed by this book.
2. Robert - 1 star - I couldn't even finish "Operation Voodoo Doll". The writing was disjointed and poorly executed, making it difficult to follow the storyline. The author seemed to rely on cliches and tired tropes rather than creating unique and memorable characters or a captivating plot. I regret wasting my time and money on this book.
3. Samantha - 1 star - "Operation Voodoo Doll" was a complete letdown. The pacing was off, with long stretches of boring and unnecessary information while the action scenes felt rushed and poorly developed. The author failed to create a believable and engaging world, leaving me feeling disconnected from the story. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a satisfying read.
4. Michael - 2 stars - While "Operation Voodoo Doll" had an intriguing premise, the execution fell short. The writing style was overly simplistic, making it difficult to fully immerse oneself in the story. Additionally, the resolution of the mystery felt forced and convenient, lacking the depth and complexity that I typically enjoy in this genre. Overall, I was underwhelmed with this book and would not consider it a standout in the detective fiction category.