Chuck Pfarrer

American writer (born 1957)

Charles Patrick Pfarrer III (born April 13, 1957) is an American writer, film producer, and former Navy SEAL. As an author, he has penned published screenplays, novels, comic books, and non fiction works. His works deal with themes pertaining to the military. Pfarrer has worked on films including Navy SEALs, Darkman, and Hard Target.

Pfarrer was born April 13, 1957, in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Charles Patrick Pfarrer, Jr., a career naval officer, and Joan Marie Pfarrer, a registered nurse. He graduated from Staunton Military Academy in 1975, and studied Clinical Psychology at California State University, Northridge and the University of Bath in the United Kingdom.

Pfarrer entered active duty with the United States Navy in October 1980 and completed Officer Candidate School in Newport, R. I in 1981. After his commission as an Ensign in the U. S. Navy, he reported to Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. After six months of training, Pfarrer graduated with BUD/S class 114 in September 1981. Following SEAL Tactical Training (STT) and completion of six month probationary period, he received the 1130 designator as a Naval Special Warfare Officer, entitled to wear the Special Warfare insignia and spent the next five years as a Navy SEAL. His initial assignment was to Underwater Demolition Team TWENTY ONE (UDT 21) at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia. Pfarrer deployed numerous times as a military advisor in Central America, trained NATO forces in Europe and the Mediterranean, and completed a combat deployment in 1983 to Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War when UDT 21 was redesignated as SEAL Team FOUR. As SEAL Assistant Platoon commander assigned to the Multi National Peacekeeping Force, he witnessed the 1983 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut. In September 1984, Pfarrer reported to SEAL Team SIX in Training Support Center Hampton Roads to begin an eight month specialized selection and training course to become a counterterrorist operator. Pfarrer ended his naval service in June 1986 as Assault Element Commander at the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU).

While still in the Navy, Pfarrer sold a spec script that he wrote in college. His film credits include writing, acting and production work in Navy SEALs, Darkman, Barb Wire and Hard Target. Pfarrer's other screenwriting credits include The Jackal, Virus and Red Planet. He became a member of the Western branch of the Writers Guild of America. He is an uncredited writer on the films Sudden Impact and Arlington Road, and wrote early drafts for Shooter and The Green Hornet. He is the author and creator of six graphic novels for Dark Horse Comics, and wrote and produced two interactive full motion videos, Flash Traffic and Silent Steel, both for Tsunami Media. Pfarrer's screenplay, Crash Site, was in development as a feature film by ALCON media. It was to be directed by Academy Award winning director Charlie Gibson and produced by John Bladecchhi and Alcon co chiefs Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove.

His first published novel, Killing Che, was released in 2007. Pfarrer's second novel, a work of nautical fiction, was published by the United States Naval Institute Press in April 2016. Based on the epic American short story of the same name by Edward Everett Hale, Philip Nolan, The Man Without a Country is a novelization of Hale's story, and tells of Nolan's court martial and his life as a prisoner on an American ship.

Pfarrer was active in the 2004 effort to recall Writers Guild of America president Charles Holland, who had falsely claimed to be a wounded combat veteran, intelligence officer and Green Beret. Holland later resigned. Pfarrer's best selling autobiography, Warrior Soul, The Memoir of a Navy SEAL, was published in 2003. Pfarrer is the author of the 2011 book SEAL Target Geronimo: The Inside Story of the Mission to Kill Osama bin Laden, a New York Times best seller, which was controversial because he gave a different account of the raid than had the government. He has written op eds for The New York Times and the Knight Ridder syndicate. He has appeared as an author and counter terrorism expert on CSPAN 2, NPR, the Arabic network Al Hurra, IPR, Voice of America, Fox News, ABC, America Tonight and The Australian Broadcast Company.

Year TitleDir. Notes1983Sudden ImpactClint EastwoodUncredited;with Joseph Stinson, Charles B. Pierce & Earl E. Smith1990Navy SEALsLewis Teaguewith Gary GoldmanDarkmanSam Raimiwith Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, Joshua Goldin & Daniel Goldin1993Hard TargetJohn Woo1996Barb WireDavid Hoganwith Ilene Chaiken
Nominated Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay1997The JackalMichael Caton Jones1999Arlington RoadMark PellingtonUncredited;with Ehren KrugerVirusJohn Brunowith Dennis Feldman2000Red PlanetAntony Hoffmanwith Jonathan Lemkin2003Second NatureBen BoltUncredited;with E. Max Frye2007ShooterAntoine FuquaEarly draft2011The Green HornetMichel Gondry

Year Title GenrePublisher1992VirusComic bookDark Horse ComicsThe Thing from Another World2004Warrior Soul: The Memoir of a Navy SEALNon fictionMemoirPresidio Press2007Killing CheHistorical fictionEspionage fictionRandom House2011SEAL Target Geronimo: The Inside Story of the Mission to Kill Osama bin LadenNon fictionSt. Martin's Press2016Philip Nolan: The Man Without a CountryHistorical fictionNautical fictionU. S. Naval Institute

U. S. military decorationsNavy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal Combat Action Ribbon Joint Meritorious Unit AwardArmed Forces Expeditionary MedalNavy Unit CommendationNavy Expeditionary MedalNavy Sea Service Deployment RibbonNavy and Marine Corps Overseas Service RibbonNavy Rifle Marksmanship BadgeNavy Pistol Marksmanship BadgeU. S. badges, patches and tabs Naval Special Warfare insignia Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia Army Parachutist Badge Military Freefall Parachutist Badge