From its first patrols on the Ninh Hoa Peninsula in December 1964 to its deactivation on June 30, 1970, Project Delta conducted between 55 and 60 named operations across every corps tactical zone in South Vietnam. Delta was placed under operational control of the 25th Infantry Division, the 1st Cavalry Division, the 101st Airborne Division, the 4th Infantry Division, the 3rd Marine Division, the 5th ARVN Division, and multiple corps and field force commands.
During that time, Delta identified 68 enemy units, captured vast amounts of equipment and supplies, and located major enemy installations and supply routes. Enemy losses attributed to B-52 operations include 338 killed, 25 wounded, and 69 prisoners. Twenty-nine Americans serving with the detachment were killed in action. Roughly 600 soldiers served with the unit across its six-year history.
The operational history of Project Delta can be understood through the commanders who shaped the unit. Each brought a different leadership style to the same unforgiving mission: put small teams of men deep into enemy territory and bring them home alive with the intelligence that would save other lives.
Project Delta was born from the ashes of Operation Leaping Lena, a failed all-Vietnamese reconnaissance program. Richardson organized the unit in early 1964, and by December the first American-led teams were inserting into Viet Cong territory on the Ninh Hoa Peninsula north of Cam Ranh Bay. Fewer than 20 men disrupted an entrenched VC network on that first mission, proving the concept that would define special reconnaissance for the rest of the war. The unit was redesignated Detachment B-52, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in June 1965.
Charlie Beckwith took command in July 1965 and pushed Delta hard. He expanded operations and demanded aggressive patrolling. His tenure ended abruptly with Operation 2-66 in the An Lao Valley during Operation MASHER, one of Delta's worst disasters. Multiple recon teams were compromised, several men were killed, and Beckwith himself was seriously wounded in a C&C helicopter. He would go on to found the Army's 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Delta Force) in 1977, drawing directly on his Project Delta experience.
Four commanders in eight months. After the 2-66 disaster, Delta had to be rebuilt from the ground up. The unit cycled through leadership rapidly as the Army worked to stabilize the detachment, replace lost personnel, and develop new operational procedures that would prevent another catastrophe. By the end of this period, the 281st Assault Helicopter Company was placed in direct support, giving Delta dedicated aviation assets for the first time.
Delta hit its operational stride under this succession of commanders. The unit deployed to Khe Sanh for the first time, pushed into the Central Highlands and War Zone C, and conducted the first major reconnaissance of the A Shau Valley during Operation PIROUS. MAJ Allen arrived as Deputy Commander and S-3 in March 1967, and his influence on planning and operations was felt immediately. This era saw some of the heaviest fighting and aviation losses of the entire war for Delta and the 281st.
Allen took formal command on July 15, 1967 and held it until June 5, 1968, nearly a full year. Jim Morris wrote that Delta "achieved its highest degree of perfection" under Allen. Westmoreland called him "Big 'Un." Allen commanded through the SAMURAI series in Happy Valley, Operation SULTAN in the Plei Trap Valley on the eve of Tet, and then through the Tet Offensive itself, when the 81st Rangers were pulled to defend Saigon and Cholon. Under his command, Delta captured an NVA air station, pioneered innovations in aerial reconnaissance, and operated across all three corps zones.
The post-Tet period saw Delta continue high-tempo operations even as American strategy shifted toward Vietnamization. May took command in June 1968 and Park succeeded him in January 1969. The unit continued reconnaissance and hunter-killer operations across multiple corps zones while the broader war entered a new phase of gradual American withdrawal.
Delta's final chapter. As American forces drew down across Vietnam, the unit continued running patrols into some of the most dangerous territory in the country. On May 23, 1970, MAJ Shane Soldato became the only Delta detachment commander killed in action. MAJ Aiken assumed command and oversaw the unit's deactivation on June 30, 1970. SP4 George "Curt" Green Jr. went MIA on the final operation and has never been found. After six years, roughly 600 men, and 29 Americans killed, Project Delta closed its books.
B-52 Personnel Database, compiled by Sherman (specialforcesbooks.com/B52.htm). Command group roster with dates, ranks, and assignments for all known Detachment B-52 personnel.
281st AHC I Corps Operations History, compiled by Bob Mitchell for the VHPA from official B-52 and 281st After Action Reports. Declassified per Executive Order 12356, Section 3.3, NND946706.
Jim Morris, "Project Delta, Part 1: Introduction," Special Forces Chapter 78 Sentinel.
VVMF Wall of Faces (vvmf.org) for casualty records.
USASOC, "USASOC honors clandestine SF unit from Vietnam War," army.mil, Oct 28, 2008.
Defense Media Network, "Project Delta, Detachment B-52, 5th Special Forces Group."
Operational details compiled from publicly available AARs, VHPA Battle Index, and veteran accounts. The complete B-52 After Action Reports are declassified and held at NARA College Park, MD (Record Group 472) and through Fold3.com.