Charles Nesbitt Wilson (June 1, 1933 - February 10, 2010) is a US naval officer and former 12-member United States Democratic Representative from the 2nd congress district of Texas.
Wilson is well known for leading Congress in support of Cyclone Operations, the largest secret Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operation which, under the Carter and Reagan governments, provides military equipment including weapons such as the battered FIM-43 Redeye MANPADS. anti-aircraft missiles and paramilitary officers from their Special Activity Division to the Mujahideen of Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan War. The behind-the-scenes campaign is the subject of Charlie Wilson's War's non-fiction book Charlie Wilson's War: The Greatest Covert Stories of George Hile III's Covert Operation in History and the subsequent Charlie Wilson War , starring Tom Hanks as Wilson.
Video Charlie Wilson (Texas politician)
Wilson was born in the small town of Trinity, Texas, to Charles Edwin Wilson, an accountant for a local timber company, and Wilmuth (nÃÆ' Â © e Nesbitt), a local florist, on June 1, 1933. Wilson had a younger sister, Sharon Wilson Allison , former chairman of Planned Parenthood and president of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, currently living in Waco, Texas.
Growing up, Wilson attended Trinity public school and, after graduating from Trinity High School in 1951, he attended a semester at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, before being appointed to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. While in Annapolis, Wilson earns the second biggest loss in academic history (his roommate, Robert Mullen, gets the greatest loss). Wilson graduated eighth from the bottom of his class in 1956 with a B.S. degree in Engineering, specializing in electronics.
Between 1956 and 1960, Wilson served in the United States Navy, reaching the rank of lieutenant and serving as Officer Gunnery on USS John W. weeks (DD-701). He was assigned to the Pentagon as part of an intelligence unit that evaluated the nuclear power of the Soviet Union.
Maps Charlie Wilson (Texas politician)
Initial political career highlights
From a young age, Wilson paid close attention to national security and foreign matters. Growing during World War II prompted Wilson to love reading military history, including many other articles and literature on war. This caused Wilson to have a lifelong admiration for Winston Churchill. Wilson even took the opportunity as a child to "watch over" Trinity over the Japanese airstrikes from his post in the backyard. Wilson's early patriotism and his strong interest in international affairs prompted him to become politically active in the future.
According to Wilson himself, he first entered the political world as a teenager by running a campaign against his neighbor, the ruling city council, Charles Hazard. When he was thirteen, Wilson's fourteen-year-old dog entered Hazard's yard. The danger of reciprocation by mixing crushed glasses into dog food, causing fatal internal bleeding. After this incident, Wilson got his driving license and drove ninety-six voters to the polls at his family's two-door Chevrolet. When customers leave the car, Wilson tells each of them that he does not want to influence their voices, but that the incumbent Hazard intentionally kills his dog. After Hazard was defeated by a 16 vote difference, Wilson went to his house to tell him that his black constituency chose to defeat him and he "should not poison more dogs." Wilson cites this as "the day [he] fell in love with America."
While Wilson worked at the Pentagon, he volunteered to help in John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1960. As a volunteer in Kennedy's campaign, Wilson took a 30-day sabbatical from the US Navy and put his name in a race for representatives of the state of Texas in the district his home on a Democratic ticket. This action violates Navy regulations, since active duty service members are prohibited from holding public office. When Wilson returned to work, his family and friends went door to door to campaign. In 1961, at the age of 27, he was inducted into an office in Austin, Texas.
Temple-Inland, Inc., a producer of East Texas forest products owned by Arthur Temple, Jr., and son of Temple, Buddy Temple, hired Wilson during his tenure in the Texas legislature, but business interests remained suspicious of Wilson's policies. While serving as a representative of the state of Texas for twelve years, Wilson fought for utility arrangements, fought for Medicaid, parental tax exemptions, Equal Rights Amendments, and attempted to raise the country's minimum wage. He is also one of the few leading Texas politicians to be a pro-choice. All of these policies resulted in Wilson's reputation as "liberal from Lufkin."
Politics congress
In 1972, Wilson was elected to the United States House of Representatives from the 2nd congressional district in Texas, taking office in January. Re-elected eleven times, Wilson really enjoyed his work and always tried to "take care of the people home" until his resignation on 8 October 1996. Despite hawkish on foreign issues, he was liberal on other issues such as women's rights , social security and abortion.
As a new student representative, Wilson achieved the Big Thicket title in Southeast Texas as the National Preserve in 1974. This early achievement made his colleagues respect his political power and Wilson quickly gained appointment to the US House Committee on Designation. During his tenure, Wilson's colleagues regarded him as "the best horseman in Washington" for his ability to negotiate and trade votes with other congressmen to ensure his preferred billing expenses.
Despite not having many, if any, Jewish constituencies, Wilson developed a strong relationship with Israel during his entire congress career. This bond began during Wilson's first year in Washington when the Yom Kippur War took place. From a young age, Wilson always supported the "underdog", and Wilson quickly went to the Israeli defense as a self-proclaimed "Israeli commando". While on the Allocation committee, Wilson increased US aid to Israel up to $ 3 billion per year. Later, Wilson's close ties with Israel enabled him to collaborate with Israeli defense engineers to create and transport human-portable anti-aircraft weapons to Pakistan for use in the Soviet-Afghan War.
As for domestic policy, Wilson endlessly championed the rights of individuals, especially the rights of women and minorities. He continues to vote for pro-election discrimination and fight against African Americans. Women and African Americans are two of the largest constituent bases. Wilson respected his district female voice so much that in 1974 he used the Women's Voters League to pass a Safe Drinking Water Law. In addition to supporting women's rights legislation, Wilson violated the Washington tradition and employed female staff. Although Wilson never had a female chief of staff, his office was filled with women who tirelessly assisted congressmen. "Charlie's Angels," as it is commonly called, tackles constituent issues for Wilson to ensure there are no constituencies lacking in support and help. Wilson's staff quickly attracted the attention of colleagues and the media. Despite the scandalous rumors surrounding Wilson's office, Wilson firmly insists that his staff should be respected and their diligent work for representatives allows them to have the freedom to work independently of Wilson.
Wilson works to improve the lives of Americans, especially the less fortunate. Wilson lobbied against business interests to maintain a minimum wage of $ 3.35 per hour. Wilson also continues to strive to increase Medicare and Medicaid funding for elderly and underprivileged funding and Veterans' Affairs for veterans. His efforts in this regard earned him the reputation of "taking care of the home" and earning funds to open Veterans Affairs Hospital in Lufkin, Texas.
Wilson vigorously supported the Second Amendment and the right of individuals to own firearms. Second Amendment support created tension between Wilson and his sister Sharon Allison, but the brothers reached agreement that Allison would leave Wilson himself on the support of his second amendment, and Wilson would support Allison's pro-choice agenda.
Wilson achieved a measure of success through his horse trading capabilities. Tip O'Neill Council Chairman appointed Wilson to the United States Ethics Committee in 1980 to help protect Representative John Murtha, Jr. from the investigation during the Abscam scandal. In return for Wilson's appointment to this committee, O'Neill also gave him a coveted spot on the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees. Wilson also got a position in the National Defense Parliament subcommittee. This appointment allowed Wilson to channel support money to Somoza in Nicaragua and support the Mujahideen's efforts to expel the Soviets from Afghanistan.
Soviet-Afghan war
In 1980, Wilson read the sending of the Associated Press on a congressional wire depicting refugees fleeing Soviet-occupied Afghanistan. The communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan has taken power during the Saur Revolution and asked the Soviet Union to help suppress the resistance of the Mujahideen. According to biographer George Crile III, Wilson called the United States House Committee staff the Allocation that deals with "black allocations" and called for a doubling of the budget for Afghanistan. Since Wilson had just been appointed the Commerce Agency's Defense Commerce Subcommittee (which was responsible for financing the CIA's operations), his request was continued.
It was not the last time he raised the CIA budget for his Afghan operations. In 1983, he won an additional $ 40 million, $ 17 million allocated for anti-aircraft weapons to shoot down Mil Mi-24 Hind helicopters. The following year, CIA officer Gust Avrakotos immediately approached Wilson - violating CIA policies against lobbying Congress for money - asked Wilson for $ 50 million more. Wilson agrees and assures Congress, saying, "The US has nothing to do with these men's decisions to fight... but we will be condemned by history if we let them fight with stones." Later, Wilson managed to give the unused Pentagon money of 300 million dollars before the end of the fiscal year. Thus, Wilson directly affects the level of US government support for the Afghan Mujahideen. Wilson said that the covert operation was successful because "there is no harmful part or leak." Michael Pillsbury, a senior Pentagon official, used the Wilson funding to provide Stinger missiles to the Afghan resistance in a controversial decision.
Joanne Herring, along with others, played a role in helping Afghan insurgents gain support and military equipment from the United States government. He persuaded Wilson to visit the Pakistani leadership, and after meeting them, he was taken to a Pakistan-based Afghan refugee camp so he could see for himself the atrocities committed by the Soviets against the people of Afghanistan. On that visit, Wilson later said that "the experience that will always be imprinted in my memory, is through the hospitals and see, especially the children with their hands blown off by Soviet-released mines from their helicopters. that determines... and it makes a big difference for the next 10 or 12 years of my life because I leave the hospital determined, as long as I have a breath in my body and become a member in Congress, that I am going to do what I can to make the Soviet paying for what they do! "In 2008, Wilson said he was" involved in Afghanistan because I went there and I saw what the Soviets did and I saw the refugee camp. "
For his efforts, Wilson was presented with the Honorable Partner Reward by the CIA. He became the first civilian to receive the award. However, Wilson's role remains controversial as much of the aid is given to hard-line Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who is accused of serious war crimes and later allied with the Taliban after the US invasion.
The decision of the Soviet Union to withdraw from Afghanistan and declare the invasion was an error that led Wilson to praise the Soviet leadership on the floor of the House of Representatives. He also supported US involvement in the Bosnian War, toured the former Yugoslavia for five days in January 1993; on his return he urged the Clinton administration to lift an arms embargo on Bosnia, remarking, "It's good versus evil and, if we do not want this Americanization, then what do we want Americanization? We have to stand for something."
Wilson's membership made him invest with two Texas businessmen to open the Elan-Washington Club. The club promises to offer an interesting place where professionals can gather and relax from a long day at work. To increase the number of visitors to the club, Wilson distributed membership to his congressional colleagues. In the midst of his membership, Wilson decided that his actions might not be considered ethical by the congress and commented that he was "on the verge of getting out of business."
Throughout his life, Wilson drank a lot, which may be a factor in his divorce with Jerry. While in Washington, Wilson became a functioning alcoholic and suffering from severe depression and insomnia, and his drink increased during his involvement in Afghanistan. Wilson's hatred also caused scandal in 1980 when an eyewitness reported that Lincoln Continental Wilson hit Mazda in a hit-and-run accident at the Key Bridge in Washington, D.C., the night before his first trip to Pakistan. Although he was never punished, this accident described Wilson's negligence with alcohol.
During one of his visits abroad, Wilson was transported to a hospital in Germany where doctors told Wilson that his heart failed because of excessive drinking. Wilson sought second and third opinions at hospitals in Bethesda and Houston and the German doctor's conclusions were confirmed: Wilson had to stop drinking. After this diagnosis Wilson stopped drinking but continued to drink wine for several years. Excessive drinking and associated heart problems forced Wilson to undergo a heart transplant in September 2007. Despite his constant struggle with alcoholism, Wilson finally stopped drinking after marrying Barbara Alberstadt, a former ballerina, in 1999.
In addition to alcohol abuse, Wilson is suspected of using illegal drugs. In 1980, Wilson was accused of using cocaine at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas; However, an investigation by Justice Department prosecutor Rudy Giuliani was dropped for lack of evidence. Liz Wickersham told investigators that he saw Charlie use cocaine only once in the Cayman Islands, but this is outside the jurisdiction of the United States. In "The Charlie Wilson Real Story" Wilson revealed he traveled to Las Vegas in the summer of 1980, and recalled his experience with two strippers in a hot tub.
The girls have cocaine, and the music is loud. That's total happiness. And both have ten long, red nails with unlimited white powder inventory... The FBI spends a million dollars trying to figure out whether, when the nails pass under my nose, am I inhaling or exhaling, and I ain did not tell.
When asked about the use of cocaine in the past in 2007, Wilson reiterated, "Nobody knows the answer and I did not say it."
In addition to his "Angels" in the office, Wilson always has a female companion when he is not on the floor of the house. Wilson's main motivator for being on the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees is so he always has a place to date. Also, after his second trip to Pakistan, Wilson always brought a female friend with him. At one point he even brought Carol Shannon to entertain her host with her belly dance skills. Bringing women to Pakistan created tension between Wilson and the CIA in 1987 when the agency refused to finance the cost of her girls' travel. In response, Wilson cuts agency funding next year. According to Joanne Herring socialite, Wilson cares about dating and enjoys romantic and caring. Although she is a sexy sexist, chauvinistic redneck, she attracts many women over the years.
Wilson has been said to have lived as a "big party," and lives with a mantra that he can "take his job seriously without taking himself seriously."
![The Rehabilitation of Charlie Wilson â€]()
src: www.texasmonthly.com
Retirement
Wilson retired from Congress in October 1996 and became a lobbyist for Pakistan before retiring to Lufkin. He donated his congressional letters to Stephen F. Austin State University. In 1999, he married Barbara Alberstadt, his second wife. Wilson received a heart transplant in 2007, and continued following the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where he expressed concern about events in the region. In July 2009, the Board of the University of Texas Bupati System established the Charles N. Wilson Chair in Pakistani Studies, which encouraged research into Pakistan's geopolitical interests, as well as its culture, history, and lords.
src: www.biography.com
Death
Wilson died on February 10, 2010, at the Lufkin Memorial Hospital in Lufkin, Texas, after collapsing the previous day. He suffered from cardiopulmonary attacks. He was declared dead at 12:16 pm. Central Time. "America has lost an extraordinary patriot whose lives show that courageous and resolute people can change the course of history," said Robert Gates, then Secretary of Defense of the United States.
Wilson received a graveside service with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on February 23, 2010.
A six-piece jazz band punctuated every speech with Charlie's favorite song "As Time Goes By", "My Way", and to honor his years as a naval intelligence officer "Anchors Aweigh" and "Navy Hymn".
"He will be passed from the Golan Heights to the Khyber Pass, from Caspian to Suez and the congress hall, to his courtesy, and a willingness to listen and help and not to posture," said John Wing, who works closely with Wilson. on global issues, both forming dynamic forces in Afghanistan, as well as other regions.
The front row of Temple Theater schools is packed with people like Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, former US Representative Martin Frost, former Lieutenant Governor Ben Barnes and Houston gas titan Oscar Wyatt and wife Lynn.
After Sunday services, his widow, Barbara, welcomes a small group of her late husband's friends to their home on a golf course in Lufkin. In addition to the American eagle statue in the living room, the words of Abdur Rahman Khan, the emir of Afghanistan from 1880 to 1901, were plastered on brass: "My spirit will remain in Afghanistan even though my soul will go to God. for you, my son and my successor are: Do not Believe in Russia. "
src: www.nydailynews.com
In popular culture
Wilson's successful efforts to increase the funding of the anti-Soviet Afghan war are revealed in Charlie Wilson's War: The Greatest Covert Streak of Covert Operation in History (2003), by George Crile III. In the 2007 film adaptation of Charlie Wilson's War, actor Tom Hanks plays Wilson. The film describes her as a politically improper sweeper and loves a beautiful woman.
Wilson was a key figure in the Ghost War: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion until September 10, 2001 by Steve Coll.
On December 27, 2007, The History Channel broadcast The True Story of Charlie Wilson , a two-hour documentary about Afghanistan's war effort and personal life.
src: i2.wp.com
See also
- Custom Activity Division
- Michael G. Vickers
- Gust Avrakotos
src: 4.bp.blogspot.com
References
src: www.theragblog.com
External links
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- Biography at the Directory of Congressional Biographies of the United States
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Electoral Commission
- Charles Wilson Congressional Papers at East Texas Research Center at Stephen F. Austin State University
- Charlie Wilson's War at IMDb.
- Charlie Wilson at Discover the Mausoleum
- Appearance in C-SPAN
Source of the article : Wikipedia
The girls have cocaine, and the music is loud. That's total happiness. And both have ten long, red nails with unlimited white powder inventory... The FBI spends a million dollars trying to figure out whether, when the nails pass under my nose, am I inhaling or exhaling, and I ain did not tell.
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