In Memory of Wil “Squeak” Charette

The United States Army Parachute Team, THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS, recently lost
one of our Founding Fathers – Wilfred J.A. Charette (“Squeak”) born 14
November 1936, passed away 9 May 2010 at his home in Tampa, FL. Wil is
survived by his beloved wife Amy Charette of Tampa, FL. He was a
devoted and loving father of Wilfred J.A. Charette, Jr, of Gainesville,
VA; Joseph Anthony Charette of Nashville, TN; beloved brother of Carol
Moran of Cumberland, R.I., and loving uncle of Steven, Jill, Jane and
Ellen Moran all of Rhode Island. Wil Charette, a native of Rhode Island served 11 years of military
service followed by service with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
from 1964 until his retirement on 29 November 1996. His first CIA
assignment was as a paramilitary Staff Officer at CIA Headquarters and
its domestic training facilities. He then served in Laos and Thailand
as a Paramilitary Case Officer, Chief of Operations, and Chief of a
Laotian irregular paramilitary unit for 8 years. Mr. Charette was then assigned to Ethiopia and Ghana from 1974-1979. In
late 1979 Mr. Charette was posted to Swaziland, as Chief of Station
(COS) until 1982 when he was assigned to Kampala, Uganda, as COS.
Following a two-year tour in Uganda, Mr. Charette attended the US Naval
War College in Newport, RI, where he received a Master’s Degree in
National Security and Strategic Studies. In 1985, he was appointed
Chief, CIA Counter Terrorist Center, Foreign Liaison Training and
Terrorist Incident Response Team (IRT). From 1992-1994, Mr. Charette
served as the Agency’s Deputy Chief, Office of Field Deployment. His last U.S. Government assignment was that of DCI Representative at
U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Tampa, Florida. Mr.
Charette, in post retirement, continued to serve the intelligence
community as a senior advisor to SOCCENT at MacDill AFB. Mr. Charette
served on the board of directors and co-founded the Special Operation
Memorial Foundation, MacDill AFB.

Mr. Charette had extensive military experience, having served
domestically and overseas with the 508th Airborne Regimental Combat Team
(ARCT), the 101st Airborne Division, the 1st Calvary Division, and
Special Forces. Mr. Charette is a Charter Member of the US Army
Parachute Team (Golden Knights). He was the first Non-Commissioned
Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of the Special Forces Training Group High
Altitude Low Opening (HALO) Committee, which included Fulton Recovery
Systems (SKYHOOK) Operations. In 1961, he was selected to train the 22nd Special Air Service
Regiment’s military free fall cadre at Hereford, England. Mr. Charette
was a member of the Joint Army/USAF HALO Test Team in the early 1960′s
that established much of the HALO training and operations doctrine still
in use today. He also participated in the record breaking 43,500 foot jump to
establish a world record “FAI Class G-II-C, group of nine with delayed
fall”. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his participation
in the HALO Test Program and his subsequent use of HALO insertion
techniques. He is the author of the United States Parachute Association
(USPA) Publication, “Jumping in the Troposphere”, and is the recipient
of the USPA Golden Wings representing 1,000 free fall parachute jumps.
Mr. Charette’s last military assignment was with the 5th Special Forces
Group.

During his stellar and distinguished career, Mr. Charette received the
following awards and commendations: - (CIA) Donovan Award for Excellence
- Career Intelligence Medal for Exceptional Achievement
- Two Director of Central Intelligence awards for exceptional
service under conditions of hazard and hardship
- Promoted into the Senior Intelligence Service (SIS-1989)
- (DOD) Distinguished Flying Cross
- Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service Wil (Squeak) Charette will be remembered for his commitment to service,
to his country and to his family. He will always be remembered as a
patriot and the epitome of what it means to be a true American hero. In
the words of his brothers and sisters in the clandestine service “he was
a legendary warrior…A legend in own time. The things he survived,
his mentoring, his leadership, and his unwavering patriotism is and will
forever be a flame that goes on burning, we will never forget him. He
was our Commander…our General.”

LINK:
https://sites.google.com/site/wilsqueakcharettememorial/pictures