Love unsettling stories.

Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to redacted, declassified mysteries,

early and ad-free, as well as another twisted tale from Bollin Studios and Wondery called Wartime Stories,

also hosted by me, Early and Ad-Free on Wondry Plus.

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Thank you. Start your free trial today. In August 1963, a crowd of Buddhists gathered in a town square in Huy, a city in South Vietnam.

Their protest was a silent one, but there was a palpable energy

in the air. They were determined not to be beaten. Even though Buddhists comprised over 70%

of South Vietnam's population, the president, Nodindium had instituted a series of repressive

policies against them. Months earlier, during a protest against a ban on Buddhist flags,

nine unarmed protesters were killed by the army.

Since then, the Buddhists had carried out relentless, nonviolent gatherings.

A number of monks had even set themselves on fire in protest of the president.

From a fourth floor balcony across the street, an American was keeping a close eye on the protest below. It didn't bother him that they had assembled, but as an agent of the CIA,

he had orders to disband them. He watched as local police marched in against the protesters. They threw tear gas

canisters into the crowd, sending clouds of vapor billowing up into the square. Many of the protesters

started to cough, but most of them held their ground. The CIA agent knew they were going to need

something stronger to get the protesters to leave.

Then his radio crackled to life. A voice came through, asking for permission to take off.

The agent picked up the receiver and gave the order. Their mission was a go.

A few minutes later, the faint sound of an American carrier plane's engines zoomed overhead.

It had become an awfully common sound over the past few months, and no one paid it much mind,

...