Charles Alvin Beckwith

Charles Alvin Beckwith (22 January 1929 – 13 June 1994) was a career United States Army Special Forces officer best remembered for creating Delta Force, the premier counterterrorism and asymmetric warfare unit of the United States Army, based on his experience serving with the British Special Air Service. He served in the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation and the Vietnam War, and attained the rank of colonel before his retirement.

Early life and education

Beckwith was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on 22 January 1929, to Baptist parents Elza Dozier Beckwith (1894–1940) and Clara Eugenia Beckwith (; 1895–1973). He was an all-state football player for his high school team. He later enrolled at the University of Georgia, where he was a member of the Delta chapter of the Sigma Chi fraternity and ROTC.

Beckwith lettered in football for the Bulldogs, and was approached by the Green Bay Packers for the 1950–51 NFL draft, but turned it down in favor of a military career. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army in 1952.

Career

After the Korean War (1950–1953) was over, then-Second Lieutenant Beckwith served as a platoon leader with Charlie Company, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division in South Korea. In 1955, Beckwith was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division as the commander of the combat support company of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

In 1958, after completing Ranger School, Beckwith joined the Special Forces and was assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group. In 1960, then-Captain Beckwith deployed to Laos for two years on Operation Hotfoot..

Beckwith was critically wounded in early 1966, when he took a .50 caliber bullet through the abdomen. His ballistic injury was so severe that medical personnel triaged him as beyond help for the second time in his military career. Once again, Beckwith made a full recovery and went on to overhaul the Florida Phase of the U.S. Army Ranger School. Beckwith transformed this phase from a scripted exercise based upon the Army's World War II experience, into a Vietnam-oriented jungle training regimen.

1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta was then established on 17 November 1977, by Beckwith and Colonel Thomas M. Henry, as a counterterrorism unit based on the model of the British Special Air Service, but with a greater focus on hostage rescue in addition to covert operations and specialized reconnaissance.

Beckwith led Delta Force's first mission, Operation Eagle Claw, the assault on the captured American embassy in Tehran, Iran early in 1980. The mission was aborted due to helicopter failures during a sandstorm and a subsequent crash which led to several deaths. After the 'debacle in the desert,' the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment was formed to provide aviation support to Delta Force and other special operations units. JSOC was also formed, directly based on Beckwith's recommendations during Senate investigations into the mission's failure.

A second daughter, Margaret, married Mike Kazmierski, a West Point graduate. She served as an army captain in the Judge Advocate Generals Corps (JAG). Her son Zackery Aaron Kazmierski graduated from West Point in 2017.

Later life and death

Following his disappointment at the failure of the Iranian operation, Beckwith retired from the Army. He started a consulting firm and wrote a book about Delta Force. In 1994, he died at his home of natural causes.

Beckwith's remains are interred in the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas.

Awards and decorations

Beckwith's awards include:

{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

|colspan="12"|235px

|colspan="6"|22px22px

|22px22px22px22px

|106px

|22px22px

|18px18px

|24px18px18px18px

|18px18px

|106px

|colspan="4"|120px

| colspan="4"|150px 120px

| colspan="4"|125px 105px

| colspan="6"|

| colspan="6"|106px 106px

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

!Badge

|colspan="12"|Combat Infantryman Badge

!1st row

|colspan="4"|Distinguished Service Cross

|colspan="4"|Silver Star

|colspan="4"|Legion of Merit

!2nd row

|colspan="3"|Distinguished Flying Cross

|colspan="3"|Bronze Star

|colspan="3"|Purple Heart

|colspan="3"|Meritorious Service Medal

!3rd row

|colspan="3"|Air Medal

|colspan="3"|Army Commendation Medal

|colspan="3"|National Defense Service Medal

|colspan="3"|Korean Service Medal

!4th row

|colspan="3"|Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal

|colspan="3"|Vietnam Service Medal

|colspan="3"|Army Service Ribbon

|colspan="3"|Vietnamese Gallantry Cross

!5th row

|colspan="3"|United Nations Korea Medal

|colspan="3"|Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal

|colspan="3"|Vietnam Campaign Medal

|colspan="3"|Korean War Service Medal

!Badges

|colspan="4"|United Kingdom SAS Parachutist badge

|colspan="4"|South Vietnamese Parachutist badge

|colspan="4"|Master Parachutist Badge

!Tabs

|colspan="6"|Special Forces Tab

|colspan="6"|Ranger Tab

!Unit awards

|colspan="4"|Presidential Unit Citation

|colspan="4"|Valorous Unit Award

|colspan="4"|Meritorious Unit Commendation

!Unit awards

|colspan="4"|Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation

|colspan="4"|Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation

|colspan="4"|Vietnam Civil Actions Medal Unit Citation

Other decorations

Beckwith also earned 8 Overseas Service Bars, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Special Forces Distinctive unit insignia, Combat Service Identification Badges from the 101st Airborne Division, 82nd Airborne Division, Army Special Forces, and Delta Force.