Lewis H. 'Bucky' Burruss, a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, was hand-selected by Colonel Charles Beckwith in 1977 as one of the initial cadre of officers for the newly formed 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Delta Force), the Army's premier counter-terrorism unit. Drawing on his extensive experience in special operations, including service in Vietnam with the 5th Special Forces Group where he honed skills in unconventional warfare, Burruss served as Delta Force's first Operations Officer (S-3). He played a critical role in designing and executing the grueling selection process that identified the unit's inaugural operators in 1978. Burruss's military expertise extended to recruiting top talent, including Lt. Col. William G. Boykin, bolstering Delta Force's early operational capabilities. Throughout his career, he contributed to advancing U.S. special operations doctrine amid rising global terrorism threats in the late 1970s. After retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, details of his post-military activities remain less documented in public sources.