30:
291:, who granted him immunity. Smith revealed that Chuyen had been killed and identified the Green Berets involved. General Abrams was not a fan of Airborne troops, particularly Special Forces. He quickly ordered all of the officers and men involved including Colonel Rheault arrested and confined to Long Binh Jail. All were charged with premeditated murder.
318:
Project GAMMA was deactivated on 31 March 1970. A list of personnel assigned to
Detachment B57 "GAMMA" is available from Radix Press Houston, Texas. An official Army history of the Green Berets, published after the Vietnam War, does not mention Project GAMMA or Detachment B-57. Although the Pentagon
190:
U.S. politicians in
Washington D.C. had granted Cambodia and Laos “protected status” and US troops were not officially allowed across the border from Vietnam. The North Vietnamese Army (NVA) took advantage of this doctrinal weakness and placed units up to division size immediately across the border.
224:
Historian Shelby
Stanton wrote that by early 1969 Detachment B-57 "had developed into the finest and most productive intelligence-collection operation the United States had in Southeast Asia". Stanton and others attributed this success to the fact that South Vietnamese intelligence were kept in the
266:
Various ways of dealing with Chuyen were discussed within
Detachment B-57, including possibly killing him. While the 5th Special Forces Group's executive officer strongly opposed killing Chuyen, the detachment's commander and operations officer met with the CIA headquarters in Saigon. The soldiers
278:
Sergeant Smith, Chuyen's handler, was not a member of
Special Forces, but an Army intelligence specialist. Smith had failed to follow protocol when onboarding Chuyen. He had failed to require Chuyen to take a polygraph test that might have revealed why Chuyen spoke fluent English, was from North
130:. The teams were highly effective at locating Viet Cong operations in Cambodia, leading to their destruction. When assets began to disappear, they identified a South Vietnamese officer as the mole. On the advice of the CIA, they took extrajudicial steps and murdered him. Seven officers and one
251:
reconnaissance team operating in
Cambodia captured photos showing Chu Van Thai Khac (AKA Thai Khac Chuyen), a South Vietnamese GAMMA agent, meeting with North Vietnamese intelligence officers. Sergeant Alvin Smith, who had been Chuyen's handler, identified Chuyen in the photos.
170:
The teams did not report up the normal military chain of command. Members of
Project GAMMA were military but they were only nominally under the chain of command of the 5th SFG(A). Instead, they received operational orders from the CIA
1089:
306:
which entered the public lexicon as a euphemism for "execute". The CIA issued a statement denying they knew of Chuyen when the soldiers asked them for input and that they strongly urged the Green Berets not to kill him.
225:
dark about the unit's operations including those conducted by the detachment's indigenous agents. The South
Vietnamese intelligence apparatus was a sieve that had been infiltrated by many North Vietnamese agents.
270:
On 20 June 1969, three officers assigned to
Project GAMMA drugged Chuyen, took him out on a boat into Nha Trang Bay, shot him twice in the head, weighed his body down with chains, and dumped his body into the
310:
The Army defense lawyers for the eight soldiers summoned
General Abrams and CIA officials as witnesses. All refused to testify on the grounds of national security. In September 1969 Secretary of the Army
1079:
205:
When Project GAMMA identified a target that was too big for them to hit, B-52 bombers struck those sites in technical violation of the guarantee of security the US gave to those neighboring countries.
202:
commanded a combined force of Green Berets and South Vietnamese commandos who entered “neutral” Cambodia to gather intelligence and destroy Communist infiltration, transportation, and storage sites.
194:
Project Gamma changed that situation. It was responsible for obtaining intelligence targeting the North Vietnamese activities and camps in Cambodia supporting both regular and irregular units of the
221:
staff stated in October 1968 that Project GAMMA was providing 65 percent of the known data on PAVN base camps and strengths in Cambodia as well as 75 percent of the same data on South Vietnam.
240:
In early 1969 some of Detachment B-57's assets (human sources of information) started to disappear. The detachment's leadership concluded that its intelligence staff had been compromised by a
1038:
392:
263:. They also suspected he had been informing the South Vietnamese government, which meant that if they released him, the government might protect Chuyen and that he might walk free.
275:. A cover story claiming that Chuyen had failed to return on a mission that was a test of his loyalty was later approved by the 5th Special Forces Group's commanded by Rheault.
315:
announced that all charges would be dropped against the eight soldiers since the CIA refused to make its personnel available as witnesses, making a fair trial impossible.
288:
182:' senior officers and the officers leading GAMMA. Many of the best and brightest NCOs chose to go to the expanding Special Forces units rather than the conventional army.
1028:
660:
353:
494:
453:
319:
has declassified much of the material about Green Beret operations inside Laos and Cambodia, as of 2007, nothing on Project GAMMA has been made available.
424:
191:
These forces were free for much of the war to attack into South Vietnam and return to their bases in Cambodia to refit and rearm without fear of attack.
919:
950:
914:
909:
904:
899:
119:
576:...suggested that he either be isolated or 'terminated with extreme prejudice.' This term is said to be an intelligence euphemism for execution.
1012:
213:
Rheault oversaw five teams and 98 codenamed agents. It was the most successful intelligence net of the war. Project Gamma used members of the
883:
839:
588:
388:
1053:
848:
664:
134:
were arrested and tried. When the CIA refused to answer summons for witnesses for national security reasons, the charges were dropped.
722:
479:
347:
955:
474:
Hersh, Seymour M.,The Price of Power, Kissinger in the Nixon White House, Summit Books, 1983, paper, Cambodia: The Coup p175;
945:
703:
1058:
162:. Members of the detachment operated from nine sites under the cover of civil affairs and psychological operations offices.
643:
Sherman, Stephen; WORK-IN-PROGRESS, Who's Who from Detachment B-57 (Project GAMMA), Radix Press 2006. See reference below.
867:
154:
and it received the designation Project GAMMA on 1 April 1968, in conjunction with other special forces units such as
337:
195:
1048:
565:
545:
960:
929:
924:
832:
491:
449:
287:
Smith became concerned for his safety and sought sanctuary with the CIA in Nha Trang. The CIA alerted the Army's
965:
131:
421:
990:
244:. Rheault had been in command of the 5th Group for only a few weeks when the suspected spy was uncovered.
159:
798:
776:
756:
618:
734:
519:
279:
Vietnam and had family there, and had worked for a number of U.S. outfits and left them all in turmoil.
1084:
825:
312:
302:. Information revealed during pre-trial preparation revealed that the CIA had ordered Chuyen to be
596:
1043:
570:
550:
217:
and the Khmer Kampuchean Krom in its activities inside Cambodia. The top intelligence officer on
59:
1033:
985:
718:
699:
475:
343:
199:
654:
980:
267:
reported that the CIA suggested that "elimination ... might be the best course of action".
241:
229:
218:
179:
498:
428:
272:
126:
from 1967 to 1970. It was responsible for covert intelligence collection operations in
1073:
995:
692:
172:
155:
143:
817:
715:
A Murder in Wartime: The Untold Spy Story that Changed the Course of the Vietnam War
972:
862:
228:
One source claims GAMMA was responsible for intelligence operations against Prince
214:
123:
103:
118:
was the name given in 1968 to Detachment B-57, Company E (Special Operations),
1007:
29:
260:
256:
151:
248:
127:
568:(14 August 1969). "Details of Green Beret Case Are Reported in Saigon".
294:
The trial was covered extensively by the media and became known as the
450:"A Green Beret was the inspiration for Col. Kurtz in 'Apocalypse Now'"
147:
175:
in Saigon and through the agency's satellite office in Nha Trang.
1090:
Special operations units and formations of the United States Army
178:
As a result, there was rivalry and friction between Army General
255:
Chuyen was subsequently arrested and interrogated for ten days.
821:
389:"THE GREEN BERET AFFAIR: PROJECT GAMMA AND A MASSIVE ARMY FAIL"
259:
tests indicated that he was a double agent working with the
1080:
Airborne units and formations of the United States Army
548:(15 August 1969). "Questions in Green Beret Affair".
146:
in June 1967. On 26 February 1968 it was moved from
1021:
938:
892:
876:
855:
99:
89:
81:
73:
65:
55:
47:
39:
20:
691:
589:"Who Killed Thai Khac Chuyen? Not I, Said the CIA"
757:"Army Names Trigger Man in Green Beret Slaying"
422:The "Green Beret Affair": A Brief Introduction
833:
661:United States Army Center of Military History
8:
416:
414:
412:
410:
34:Det B57 "Project GAMMA" Unofficial insignia
840:
826:
818:
85:Detachment, 6 US, 460 Indigenous personnel
28:
492:The Green Beret Affair: A Factual Review
444:
442:
440:
438:
436:
383:
381:
379:
377:
375:
373:
371:
328:
694:Those Gallant Men: On Trial in Vietnam
17:
1039:Special Forces selection and training
884:1st Special Forces Command (Airborne)
667:from the original on 12 February 2014
659:. Vietnam Studies. Washington, D.C.:
7:
799:"Green Beret Inquiry to Reopen Soon"
777:"Green Berets Free of Murder Charge"
456:from the original on 29 January 2022
1054:The Special Warfare Memorial Statue
304:"terminated with extreme prejudice"
158:(Detachment B-52), responsible for
120:5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
656:U.S. Army Special Forces 1961–1971
595:. 5 September 1969. Archived from
95:US Army Special Forces SSI c. 1970
14:
849:United States Army Special Forces
356:from the original on 7 March 2022
520:"7 Green Berets Leave for Home"
395:from the original on 6 May 2021
289:Criminal Investigation Division
1:
653:Kelly, Francis John (1989) .
1029:History of US Special Forces
690:Berry, John Stevens (1984).
1059:America's Response Monument
868:First Special Service Force
509:Stanton (1988), pp. 197–198
336:Stanton, Shelby L. (2003).
142:Detachment B-57 arrived in
1106:
1049:Special Forces Association
735:"Beret Case is Dizzy Mess"
236:Death of Chu Van Thai Khac
247:In the spring of 1969, a
27:
939:Inactivated Groups/Units
196:People's Army of Vietnam
132:non-commissioned officer
51:United States of America
991:Reconnaissance Projects
856:Historical predecessors
761:The Evening Independent
739:Spokane Daily Chronicle
339:Vietnam Order of Battle
717:. St. Martin's Press.
160:special reconnaissance
497:12 April 2013 at the
427:28 April 2019 at the
166:Operational authority
713:Stein, Jeff (1993).
619:"Green Berets Freed"
524:The Spokesman-Review
93:5th SFGA RVN 1968–70
783:. 30 September 1969
763:. 27 September 1969
599:on 14 December 2008
342:. Stackpole Books.
209:Operational success
186:Mission and purpose
1044:Special Forces Tab
698:. Presidio Press.
571:The New York Times
551:The New York Times
420:Seals, Bob (2007)
298:Green Beret Affair
60:United States Army
1067:
1066:
1034:De oppresso liber
986:Green Light Teams
781:Rome News-Tribune
663:. CMH Pub 90-23.
490:McIntosh, Terry
200:Robert B. Rheault
110:
109:
69:Covert Operations
1097:
981:8240th Army Unit
842:
835:
828:
819:
814:
812:
810:
805:. 18 August 1969
792:
790:
788:
772:
770:
768:
750:
748:
746:
741:. 18 August 1969
728:
709:
697:
677:
676:
674:
672:
650:
644:
641:
635:
634:
632:
630:
625:. 19 August 1969
615:
609:
608:
606:
604:
585:
579:
578:
562:
556:
555:
542:
536:
535:
533:
531:
526:. 1 October 1969
516:
510:
507:
501:
488:
482:
472:
466:
465:
463:
461:
446:
431:
418:
405:
404:
402:
400:
385:
366:
365:
363:
361:
333:
300:
299:
230:Norodom Sihanouk
198:(PAVN). Colonel
180:Creighton Abrams
122:(5th SFG(A)) in
32:
18:
1105:
1104:
1100:
1099:
1098:
1096:
1095:
1094:
1070:
1069:
1068:
1063:
1017:
934:
888:
872:
851:
846:
808:
806:
797:
786:
784:
775:
766:
764:
755:
744:
742:
733:
725:
712:
706:
689:
686:
681:
680:
670:
668:
652:
651:
647:
642:
638:
628:
626:
617:
616:
612:
602:
600:
587:
586:
582:
564:
563:
559:
544:
543:
539:
529:
527:
518:
517:
513:
508:
504:
499:Wayback Machine
489:
485:
473:
469:
459:
457:
448:
447:
434:
429:Wayback Machine
419:
408:
398:
396:
387:
386:
369:
359:
357:
350:
335:
334:
330:
325:
297:
296:
285:
273:South China Sea
238:
219:General Abrams'
211:
188:
168:
140:
113:
94:
35:
22:
12:
11:
5:
1103:
1101:
1093:
1092:
1087:
1082:
1072:
1071:
1065:
1064:
1062:
1061:
1056:
1051:
1046:
1041:
1036:
1031:
1025:
1023:
1019:
1018:
1016:
1015:
1010:
1005:
1004:
1003:
998:
988:
983:
977:
976:
969:
968:
963:
958:
953:
948:
942:
940:
936:
935:
933:
932:
927:
922:
917:
912:
907:
902:
896:
894:
890:
889:
887:
886:
880:
878:
874:
873:
871:
870:
865:
859:
857:
853:
852:
847:
845:
844:
837:
830:
822:
816:
815:
794:
793:
773:
752:
751:
730:
729:
724:978-0312929190
723:
710:
704:
685:
684:External links
682:
679:
678:
645:
636:
610:
580:
566:Smith, Terence
557:
546:Smith, Terence
537:
511:
502:
483:
467:
432:
406:
367:
348:
327:
326:
324:
321:
284:
283:Soldiers tried
281:
237:
234:
210:
207:
187:
184:
167:
164:
139:
136:
111:
108:
107:
101:
97:
96:
91:
87:
86:
83:
79:
78:
75:
71:
70:
67:
63:
62:
57:
53:
52:
49:
45:
44:
41:
37:
36:
33:
25:
24:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1102:
1091:
1088:
1086:
1083:
1081:
1078:
1077:
1075:
1060:
1057:
1055:
1052:
1050:
1047:
1045:
1042:
1040:
1037:
1035:
1032:
1030:
1027:
1026:
1024:
1020:
1014:
1011:
1009:
1006:
1002:
1001:Project GAMMA
999:
997:
996:Project DELTA
994:
993:
992:
989:
987:
984:
982:
979:
978:
974:
971:
970:
967:
964:
962:
959:
957:
954:
952:
949:
947:
944:
943:
941:
937:
931:
928:
926:
923:
921:
918:
916:
913:
911:
908:
906:
903:
901:
898:
897:
895:
893:Active Groups
891:
885:
882:
881:
879:
875:
869:
866:
864:
861:
860:
858:
854:
850:
843:
838:
836:
831:
829:
824:
823:
820:
804:
800:
796:
795:
782:
778:
774:
762:
758:
754:
753:
740:
736:
732:
731:
726:
720:
716:
711:
707:
701:
696:
695:
688:
687:
683:
666:
662:
658:
657:
649:
646:
640:
637:
624:
620:
614:
611:
598:
594:
590:
584:
581:
577:
573:
572:
567:
561:
558:
553:
552:
547:
541:
538:
525:
521:
515:
512:
506:
503:
500:
496:
493:
487:
484:
481:
480:0-671-44760-2
477:
471:
468:
455:
451:
445:
443:
441:
439:
437:
433:
430:
426:
423:
417:
415:
413:
411:
407:
394:
390:
384:
382:
380:
378:
376:
374:
372:
368:
355:
351:
349:0-8117-0071-2
345:
341:
340:
332:
329:
322:
320:
316:
314:
313:Stanley Resor
308:
305:
301:
292:
290:
282:
280:
276:
274:
268:
264:
262:
258:
253:
250:
245:
243:
235:
233:
231:
226:
222:
220:
216:
208:
206:
203:
201:
197:
192:
185:
183:
181:
176:
174:
173:Station Chief
165:
163:
161:
157:
156:Project DELTA
153:
149:
145:
144:South Vietnam
137:
135:
133:
129:
125:
121:
117:
116:Project GAMMA
112:Military unit
105:
102:
98:
92:
88:
84:
80:
76:
72:
68:
64:
61:
58:
54:
50:
46:
42:
38:
31:
26:
21:PROJECT GAMMA
19:
16:
1000:
973:Detachment A
863:Alamo Scouts
807:. Retrieved
802:
785:. Retrieved
780:
765:. Retrieved
760:
743:. Retrieved
738:
714:
693:
669:. Retrieved
655:
648:
639:
627:. Retrieved
622:
613:
601:. Retrieved
597:the original
592:
583:
575:
569:
560:
549:
540:
528:. Retrieved
523:
514:
505:
486:
470:
458:. Retrieved
397:. Retrieved
358:. Retrieved
338:
331:
317:
309:
303:
295:
293:
286:
277:
269:
265:
254:
246:
239:
227:
223:
212:
204:
193:
189:
177:
169:
141:
115:
114:
90:Part of
77:Intelligence
15:
1085:Vietnam War
215:Khmer Serei
104:Vietnam War
100:Engagements
1074:Categories
1013:Blue Light
1008:MIKE Force
975:, 10th SFG
705:0891411860
323:References
106:(Cambodia)
261:Viet Cong
257:Polygraph
152:Nha Trang
43:1968–1970
1022:See also
966:16th SFG
961:12th SFG
956:11th SFG
930:20th SFG
925:19th SFG
920:10th SFG
767:20 April
665:Archived
495:Archived
454:Archived
425:Archived
393:Archived
354:Archived
249:MACV-SOG
128:Cambodia
951:8th SFG
946:6th SFG
915:7th SFG
910:5th SFG
900:1st SFG
877:Command
809:15 June
803:The Age
787:15 June
745:15 June
629:15 June
623:The Age
603:15 June
530:15 June
460:7 March
399:7 March
360:13 June
138:History
124:Vietnam
48:Country
23:US Army
905:3d SFG
721:
702:
671:8 July
478:
346:
148:Saigon
56:Branch
40:Active
811:2009
789:2009
769:2015
747:2009
719:ISBN
700:ISBN
673:2010
631:2009
605:2009
593:TIME
532:2009
476:ISBN
462:2022
401:2022
362:2009
344:ISBN
242:mole
82:Size
74:Role
66:Type
150:to
1076::
801:.
779:.
759:.
737:.
621:.
591:.
574:.
522:.
452:.
435:^
409:^
391:.
370:^
352:.
232:.
841:e
834:t
827:v
813:.
791:.
771:.
749:.
727:.
708:.
675:.
633:.
607:.
554:.
534:.
464:.
403:.
364:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
