[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 74 (Tuesday, June 14, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                    COL. CHARLES BECKWITH REMEMBERED

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
February 11, 1994, and June 10, 1994, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. 
Hutto] is recognized during morning business for the 3 minutes.
  Mr. HUTTO. Madam Speaker, yesterday, June 13, Col. Charles Beckwith 
died at home in Austin, TX. Many will not remember Colonel Beckwith for 
his 30 years of dedicated Army service or for the many successes, most 
of which the public will never know of, as a commander of the Army's 
elite anti-terrorist Delta Force. Many will only remember Colonel 
Beckwith as the commander of the ill-fated mission to rescue 52 
American hostages from Iran in 1980.
  It is true the mission code-named ``Eagle Claw,'' or as some will 
remember, ``Desert One,'' was not one of the Army's or our Special 
Forces finer hours. However, Madam Speaker, there was a very 
significant victory achieved by Colonel Beckwith and the other valiant 
members of the rescue effort.
  The failure of this mission was, in my view, preordained. Some of the 
official conclusions investigators established as causes for the 
failure was that the Army, Air Force, Marine personnel participating in 
the operation had not trained together prior to the actual mission and 
that the operation lacked a clear chain of command.
  The failures experienced at Desert One was a wake-up call for the 
American public and, indeed, for Congress. Led by the efforts of the 
late Representative Dan Daniel of Virginia, and many other interested 
Members of Congress, the entire structure of Special Operations has 
been changed. Command and control, funding, and other necessary 
adjustments have been accomplished. The whole approach to joint 
operations has been changed due to the establishment of the U.S. 
Special Operations Command through the Goldwater-Nichols Act.
  Colonel Beckwith's victory at Desert One was to dramatically 
illustrate to the American public that changes were needed. Those 
needed changes have been made and the successes of our Special 
Operations Forces since that time are a tribute to Colonel Beckwith.
  I join with all my colleagues in offering our condolences to Colonel 
Beckwith's wife Katherine and his entire family. Colonel Beckwith was 
truly a great American and soldier. We shall miss him.

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