Colonel Charles Alvin “Chargin’ Charlie” Beckwith (1929-1994) was a legendary U.S. Army Special Operations officer who founded America’s premier counterterrorism unit, Delta Force. Born in Georgia, Beckwith volunteered for Special Forces duty in 1958 and by 1959 had already served as an advisor to the Royal Laotian Army as part of Operation Hotfoot in Laos.
The pivotal moment in Beckwith’s career came in 1962 when he served as an exchange officer with the British 22 Special Air Service Regiment (SAS), commanding 3 Troop, A Squadron. This experience profoundly influenced his vision for American special operations. Inspired by his SAS experiences, Beckwith helped form the modern Green Berets as an SAS-like fighting force and later applied these lessons during Vietnam War operations.
In the mid-1960s, Beckwith returned to Vietnam leading Project Delta, using SAS-inspired tactics for experimental long-range missions. However, his greatest legacy came when on November 19, 1977, he founded Delta Force to address the increasing threat of global terrorism.
Beckwith led Delta Force’s first major mission, Operation Eagle Claw, the 1980 assault to rescue American hostages in Tehran, Iran. The mission was aborted due to helicopter failures during a sandstorm, but his recommendations afterward led to significant improvements in U.S. special operations capabilities.
For his distinguished service, Beckwith received the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, and Purple Heart. After retiring, he wrote about Delta Force and established a consulting firm before passing away in 1994 at age 65.