Creatures, Myths & Legends

US military once spooked Cold War insurgents with vampire folklore

By T.K. Randall
May 5, 2026 ·  1 comment

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) During the Cold War, the United States employed a number of clandestine techniques to contain communism around the world - including some that tried to weaponize local folklore.

In the 1950s, during the Hukbalahap rebellion in the Philippines, the US military attempted to intimidate and weaken the morale of the insurgents by convincing them that a terrifying vampiric creature of local legend was on the loose.

Known as the aswang, this hideous vampire-like beast was said to suck the blood of its victims.To make the insurgents believe that it was hunting them, American forces took the dead body of one of their comrades, added fang-like puncture wounds to the neck, drained it of blood and then placed it in a prominent location where the others were guaranteed to come across it.

According to declassified reports, the tactic actually worked - with the insurgents opting to abandon the area after discovering the body.

While it is unclear exactly how many times the US forces used these types of tricks, this particular incident shows just how effective psychological warfare can actually be.

It also emphasizes the importance of cultural awareness in such operations.

Source: Military.com | Comments (1)

Tags: Vampire