- Mervyn Roberts teaches history at
in Killeen Texas, as well as teaching courses on Persian History (Iran/Afghanistan/Central Asia) and American Military History at Texas A&M-Central Texas.
He previously taught Russian and Chinese propaganda at the Joint Special Operations University At MacDill AFB until retirement in 2021.
Merv Roberts possesses a BA in Asian History from the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and MA and PhD degrees from the University of North Texas in Denton. His dissertation, “Let the Dogs Bark-The Psychological War in Vietnam”, was extensively revised for publication as The Psychological War for Vietnam. He has written and given academic presentations on PSYOP and on using GIS in historical research. He has also spoken and written on Iran and the Persian world. His publications include: “Analysis of Radio Propaganda in the 1953 Iran Coup” in the November 2012 issue of Iranian Studies. Merv maintains working level proficiency (2+/3) in Persian Farsi and Dari. Dr. Roberts served in Operation Desert Storm (1991), Operation Continue Hope-Somalia (1993) and two tours, as both PSYOP Team Leader and Detachment NCOIC, with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan (CJSOTF-A).
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS:
Society for Military History
Association for Iranian Studies
Team Member, Australia’s Vietnam War, GIS analysis of intelligence data
Publications and Presentations:
Propaganda and Influence: Russian and Chinese Targeting of America. Pale Rider Press, 2022.
“Robert Manning Gray.” Journal of Air & Space Power History, Winter 2022.
Book Chapter: “The Demise of PSYWAR Against North Vietnam” in Indochina in the Year of the Pig. (Houston: Radix Press, 2018).
“Operation COUNTENANCE: The 1941 Invasion of Iran and the Clash of Propaganda Narratives.” in Iranian Studies. May 2019.
“The Smith-Mundt Act” in Viet Nam Veterans for Factual History magazine, issue 4.
“Analysis of Radio Propaganda in the 1953 Iran Coup.” Iranian Studies. November 2012.
Review of Psychological Operations American Style: The Joint United States Public Affairs Office, Vietnam and Beyond by Robert J. Kodosky: (Plymouth, UK: Lexington Books, 2007) in Special Warfare Magazine, Jan/Feb 2010.
“Measuring Effectiveness of Psychological Operations In Support of Irregular Warfare” in Special Warfare Magazine, Sep/Oct 2009.
Villages of the Moon: Psychological Operations in Southern Afghanistan. (Baltimore: Publish America, 2005).
History of the 345th PSYOP Company, 16 minute documentary, script and video editor.
“The Demise of Effective Propaganda against North Vietnam.” Texas Tech Vietnam War conference, April 2018.
“GIS Operational Analysis of the Tet Offensive.” 1967: The Search for Peace, Texas Tech University, April 2017.
“Myth and Propaganda and the Battle of Ap Bac, 1963,” Texas A&M History Conference, March 2015.
“Visualizing the Vietnam War: Using GIS to Analyze Psychological Operations.” Graduate Student Exhibition, University of North Texas, March 2014.
“United States Psychological Operations in Support of Counterinsurgency: Vietnam, 1960 to 1965.” Vietnam Experience Conference, University of Houston-Victory, June 2013.
“The Texas Colored Infantry, 1880-1906: Common Bonds Undone” Texas Tech Graduate History Conference, February 2013.
“Exciting a Spirit of Disaffection: The Propaganda Campaign against German Auxiliaries in the American Revolution.” Texas A&M History Conference, March 2010.