DISPATCH #001 - 29 JUL 2026

For more than a decade I've been writing a book about one of the smallest and least remembered groups of men to serve in Vietnam — the U.S. Army Deep Sea Divers.

Many people — myself included — might rightfully assume that my book, The Delta Divers of Vietnam, was the destination.

It wasn't.

As I was writing the last chapters, the book quietly morphed into a full-blown project.

My research included hours of interviews, sorting through hundreds of photographs, watching countless hours of video, digging through records, and revisiting memories I'd carried for decades. As I got near to wrapping up the book, it became obvious that one book couldn't possibly hold everything. New discoveries kept appearing. Veterans I had never heard of reached out. Photographs that hadn't been seen in decades surfaced.

Instead of reaching an ending, I found myself standing at the beginning of something much larger.

The Delta Divers Project.

I'll be eighty years old this August.

After carrying these stories for nearly fifty-eight years, I've reached a point where I know it's time to finish what I started — not simply to publish a book, but to leave behind something that will continue long after I'm no longer writing it.

For me, this project is also a way of wrapping up one of the most important chapters of my life. There is something deeply satisfying about taking years of notes, research, photographs, friendships, and memories, and giving them a permanent home where they can continue to grow.

The Delta Divers Project is built around three cornerstones.

Discovery. This has become my favorite part of the project. We're still finding new information about Army Divers in Vietnam. Every month brings another photograph, another document, another veteran, or another story that changes what we thought we knew. This isn't finished history. It's living history, and you're joining while it's still unfolding.

Mission. We'll explore the missions of the Army Divers, past and present, while also following the progress of this project — the book, documentary efforts, museum work, interviews, and everything happening behind the scenes.

Legacy. My hope is that these stories won't disappear. They'll remain available for families, historians, military divers, and anyone interested in understanding a remarkable group of soldiers whose work was almost entirely out of sight.

Think of this project as an ongoing expedition rather than a traditional website.

Every week you'll receive a Dispatch. Sometimes it'll be a story from Vietnam. Sometimes it'll be an update on the project. Sometimes it'll be a new discovery or a conversation with someone connected to this history.

You'll also find SITREPs, Briefings, historical features, photographs, research notes, and, eventually, resources that simply don't fit inside a printed book.

The site will continue to evolve.

That's by design.

Not everyone will come to The Delta Divers Project for the same reason. Some will be drawn by the history itself. Others will want to learn more about military diving or the Vietnam War. Some may simply be trying to understand the experiences of a father, grandfather, or friend who served there. Whatever brought you here, we welcome you.

My hope is that you'll do more than read an occasional article or watch the project from a distance. I hope you'll follow the journey as it unfolds. This isn't a finished history placed on a shelf; it's one that's still being uncovered, one discovery leading to the next. In many ways, that's what has kept me going all these years.

I'm glad you're here at the beginning of the project.

I believe the most interesting discoveries are still ahead of us.

— Jackson Quigley
Founder & Director
The Delta Divers Project