Former Wisconsin congressman and defense secretary Melvin R. Laird, a major figure who oversaw the drawdown of American troops in Vietnam and the end of the nation draft, died Wednesday at 94.
Bob Williams, a friend and former campaign aide to Laird, confirmed that the former House member had died and said he had kept a clear mind and concern for the nation into his final days. Williams said Laird had been thinking recently about ways to ensure that either President-elect Donald Trump or his losing opponent, Hillary Clinton, picked a capable secretary of defense to lead the nation's military.
"Oh my, yes, he took that so seriously because of the power you had and the power to influence the president," Williams said of the defense secretary job.
Laird served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and received the Purple Heart. Back in Wisconsin, he represented the 7th District now held by Rep. Sean Duffy for nine consecutive terms.
A skeptic of American wars in Asia and the Middle East, Laird presided over the withdrawal of a massive troop presence from Vietnam. A strong advocate of an all-volunteer Army, Laird ended the draft in this country and it has never returned.
In an authorized biography by Dale Van Atta published last year, "With Honor: Melvin Laird In War, Peace and Politics," Laird is lauded for attributes — bipartisanship and pragmatism — that are often perceived as lacking in Washington today.
