Caspar Weinberger
Caspar Willard Weinberger was born on the 18th of August 1917, in San Francisco. His father Herman worked as an attorney while his mother Cerise taught music. The family home held no specific religious denomination despite his maternal grandparents being of Christian descent from Wisconsin. His paternal grandparents had left Judaism over a religious dispute while living in Bohemia. He later became an active Episcopalian and often expressed his faith in God. Weinberger stated that his mother's Episcopal religion was "an enormous influence and comfort all my life".
Weinberger attended Harvard University where he graduated in 1938 with a Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude. He then entered Harvard Law School and received a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1941. After graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Army as a private. He was sent to the Army's Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning Georgia where he was commissioned a second lieutenant. During World War II he served with the 41st Infantry Division in the Pacific. By the war's end he was a captain on the intelligence staff of General Douglas MacArthur.
In 1952 Weinberger entered the race for California's 21st State Assembly district in the San Francisco Bay area. He won and was reelected in 1954 and 1956. As chairman of the Assembly Government Organization Committee he was responsible for the creation of the California Department of Water Resources. He also unsuccessfully opposed the construction of the Embarcadero Freeway saying it would ruin the view of the Bay. In 1970 he moved to Washington to become chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. While serving in the Office of Management and Budget from 1970 to 1973 he earned the nickname "Cap the Knife" for his cost-cutting ability.
Weinberger took the lead in implementing a rollback strategy against Soviet communism during his tenure as Secretary of Defense from 1981 to 1987. He shared Ronald Reagan's conviction that the Soviet Union posed a serious threat to the United States. Belying his nickname Cap the Knife at the Pentagon Weinberger became a vigorous advocate of Reagan's plan to increase the Department of Defense budget. Readiness sustainability and modernization became the watchwords of the defense program. Major defense programs he championed included the B-1B bomber and the "600-ship Navy". He was a strong advocate of the controversial Strategic Defense Initiative which proposed a space- and ground-based missile defense shield.
On the 17th of June 1992 Weinberger was indicted on five felony charges related to the Iran-Contra affair including accusations that he had lied to Congress and obstructed Government investigations. Prosecutors brought an additional indictment just four days before the 1992 presidential election citing a Weinberger diary entry contradicting a claim made by President George H. W. Bush. On the 11th of December 1992 Judge Thomas F. Hogan threw out this indictment because it violated the five-year statute of limitations. Before Weinberger could be tried on the original charges he received a pardon on the 24th of December 1992 from Bush who had been Reagan's vice president during the scandal.
After leaving office in November 1987 Weinberger joined Forbes Inc. as publisher of Forbes magazine. He was named chairman in 1993. Over the next decade he wrote frequently on defense and national security issues. In 1990 he wrote Fighting for Peace an account of his Pentagon years. In 1996 Weinberger co-authored a book entitled The Next War which raised questions about the adequacy of US military capabilities following the end of the Cold War. He died from complications of pneumonia at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor Maine on the 28th of March 2006 aged 88.
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Common questions
When and where was Caspar Weinberger born?
Caspar Willard Weinberger was born on the 18th of August 1917, in San Francisco. His father Herman worked as an attorney while his mother Cerise taught music.
What military service did Caspar Weinberger perform during World War II?
During World War II he served with the 41st Infantry Division in the Pacific. By the war's end he was a captain on the intelligence staff of General Douglas MacArthur.
How long did Caspar Weinberger serve as Secretary of Defense?
Caspar Weinberger took the lead in implementing a rollback strategy against Soviet communism during his tenure as Secretary of Defense from 1981 to 1987. He shared Ronald Reagan's conviction that the Soviet Union posed a serious threat to the United States.
Why was Caspar Weinberger indicted in 1992?
On the 17th of June 1992 Weinberger was indicted on five felony charges related to the Iran-Contra affair including accusations that he had lied to Congress and obstructed Government investigations. Prosecutors brought an additional indictment just four days before the 1992 presidential election citing a Weinberger diary entry contradicting a claim made by President George H. W. Bush.
When did Caspar Weinberger die and where did it happen?
He died from complications of pneumonia at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor Maine on the 28th of March 2006 aged 88.