The design of the card itself is another consideration some people believe that the spade represents the instrument used to dig your grave.Īdditionally, since the Ace has the highest value, your coffin will be buried at the deepest depth possible. In terms of an intimidating sign, it was closely followed by the skull and crossbones. You impersonate an Ace of Spades stamp, you are exposed, and you pass away.Īs a result, the Ace of Spades was associated with death by many, and this association was difficult to overcome. A capital offense punishable by death by hanging was producing counterfeit playing cards. There were obviously a lot of risks involved. People started fabricating their own signatures because the signing process was time-consuming and expensive and increased the cost of the deck by up to 12 times. The Ace of Spades, with its elaborate insignia, was to bear the manufacturer’s signature as proof that the tax had been paid. The cards motivated and encouraged American troops far more than they terrified the enemy.Thoughts and theories abound regarding how the highest-valued card came to represent death, but regardless of where it came from, the association seems to have taken root in the hearts and minds of superstitious people all over the world, including sloturi gratis.īack in the Middle Ages, when blacksmiths produced armor and weapons, they frequently inscribed the Ace of Spades on their creations as a mark of excellence.ĭue to the way they used their products, an unsettling connection was made between the symbol and death. It proclaimed them the biggest and "baddest" varmints in the valley of death. Like wolves, it was a way to mark their territory. troops got a kick out of them and loved the idea of leaving them on bodies. Although the cards were allegedly anti-Communist PSYOP, in fact they were really pro-American PSYOP. So why was the ace of spades so popular that some individuals or units actually ordered them from playing card manufacturers to place on the bodies of dead Viet Cong and NVA? The answer seems to be, because the American troops just loved them. For instance, the Ace of Spades was a death card. The story we heard was that the Vietnamese were inveterate card players-and that was true I saw mamasans playing cards many, many times in any shade that was available-and that some of the common superstitions about certain cards had penetrated Vietnamese culture, by way of the French. I've heard of them but never saw one and never heard of them being used in my AO during my time. I spoke to several combat veterans about the cards. Many units never used the cards and the majority of troops I met never even saw one used in-country. What do we know about the ace of spades in Vietnam? Did it truly terrify the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army regulars and leave them trembling in fear? Did American military units all throughout Vietnam use it? The answers would seem to be a resounding "no." In fact, some intelligence studies indicate that the Vietnamese had no concept that the ace of spades represented death. The symbol is also depicted on various unit crests, special operations privately-made patches, collar insignia, and on flags and painted vignettes on military aircraft and gun trucks. The ace of spades, the so-called "death card" is featured in many movies about the Vietnam War. I googled searh "Vietnam Death Card" and this is what I got: I have no idea what it says on the back, but these cards were popular amog the Troops durring the Vietnam War. While going through the stuff, I found this card inside a G.I sewing kit. It had several sets of jungle fatigues, gear, web belt, canteen, helmet, the works. I didn't really go through it, but I paid $100. Last summer I went to a garage sale, and this guy had a whole duffle bag of Viet Nam era uniforms, equipment, a helmet, odds & ends, etc.
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