The Ace of Spades Was Used By the 101st Airborne Before It Became the âDeath Cardâ
Jun 16, 2022 Rosemary Giles, Guest Author
Photo Credit: Christopher Jensen / Getty Images
Keep WatchingĂ
Symbols during wartime are important and, more than that, they are powerful. Winston Churchill famously used the âV for Victoryâ symbol during World War II, which was adopted by the United Kingdom as a way to stick it to their enemies. Likewise, Uncle Sam became a powerful symbol for US military enlistment.
The ace of spades became one of these very symbols when it was used by US troops during the Vietnam War. Although the symbol was popularized during the conflict, it wasnât the first time card suits were used in wartime with a bigger meaning behind them.
The Screaming Eagles and D-Day
The first time the ace of spades took on a larger symbolic meaning was during the Second World War. Prior to that, it had only been used as part of the British Armyâs regimental insignia during World War I.
In the lead up to the D-Day landings, the 101st Airborne Division adopted the use of card suits, as well as other shapes, to identify their different regiments. These symbols were used to help identify troops who had been separated from their units after gliding or parachuting into Normandy, and were painted on the sides of their helmets, rather than a physical playing card stuck to the headgear.
Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower smiles while speaking with the 101st Airborne Division â âThe Screaming Eaglesâ â as they prepare for the D-Day invasion, June 1944. (Photo Credit: Hulton Archive / Getty Images)
Four of the âScreaming Eagleâ units were given a card suit for their helmet symbol. Hearts were used for the 502nd Infantry Regiment, diamonds for the 501st and clubs for the 327th Glider Infantry. The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment were given spades and, for them, the suit became a symbol of good luck.
Today, the cards are still used to commemorate the 101st Airborneâs legacy and success during the Second World War.
The death card
The ace of spades was used during the Second World War as a symbol of luck, but it took on a completely different meaning during the Vietnam War. US troops used the card during the war, as they believed it was a source of superstition for Viet Cong soldiers. They often carried them tucked in their helmets as a symbolic way of showing that where they went, so, too, did death.
This myth that the Viet Cong were scared of the ace of spades stemmed from when the French occupied the region. When they told fortunes with a deck of cards, the suit predicted death and ill-fortune. Because of this, US forces would leave the ace of spades on the bodies of the North Vietnamese they killed, to try and frighten other Viet Cong soldiers.
Deck of cards, with the ace of spades on top. (Photo Credit: nick@ / Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.0)
Some troops would leave the ace of spades over those they killed, making it the last thing they saw. Although the cards werenât actually a symbol of fear for the Viet Cong like some believed, they did become a powerful symbol for those who used them. Having an image like the ace of spades boosted morale amongst the Americans.
