Charles Allan "Skeeter" Skelton (May 1, 1928 – January 17, 1988) was an American lawman and firearms writer who was born in Hereford, Texas and died in El Paso, Texas. After serving in the United States Marine Corps from 1945–1946 he began a law enforcement career which included service with the United States Border Patrol, a term as Sheriff of Deaf Smith County, Texas, and investigator with both the US Customs Service and Special Agent in Charge with the Drug Enforcement Administration. After his first nationally published article hit newsstands in September 1959, Skelton began writing part-time for firearms periodicals. In 1974 he retired from the DEA and concentrated full-time on his writing.[1]