Background
Casper W. Weinberger was born in San Francisco on August 18, 1917. He was the son of Herman Weinberger, an attorney, and Cerise Carpenter Hampson.
(Reviews the life and battles of General "Stormin'" Norman...)
Reviews the life and battles of General "Stormin'" Norman Schwarzkopf, who commanded American troops in the Persian Gulf War of 1991.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0791074064/?tag=2022091-20
( They are nineteen of the most highly decorated soldiers...)
They are nineteen of the most highly decorated soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines in the United States military, and yet most Americans don't even know their names. In this riveting, intimate account, former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and Wynton C. Hall tell stories of jaw-dropping heroism and hope in Afghanistan and Iraq. Home of the Brave takes readers beyond the bullets and battles and into the hearts and minds of the men and women who are fighting terrorists overseas so that America doesn't have to fight them at home. These are the powerful, true-life stories of the hopes, fears, and triumphs these men and women experienced fighting the War on Terror. But more than that, these are the stories of soldiers who risked everything to save lives and defend freedom. Including: *Lieutenant Colonel Mark Mitchell, the Green Beret leader whose 15-man Special Forces team took 500 Al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners, and posthumously repatriated the body of the first American to die in combat in the War on Terror, CIA agent Johnny "Mike" Spann. *Army National Guard Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester, the first woman ever to be awarded the Silver Star for combat, whose sharp-shooting and bravery played an enormous role in fighting off over fifty Iraqi insurgents while her ten-person squad protected a convoy of supplies on the way to fellow soldiers. *Sergeant Rafael Peralta, a Mexican immigrant, enlisted in the Marines the same day he received his green card. Wounded from enemy fire, Peralta used his body to smother the blast of an enemy grenade and gave his life so that his marine brothers could live. These real-life heroes remind us of American history's most enduring lesson: Ours would not be the land of the free if it were not also the home of the brave.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765313030/?tag=2022091-20
(Recounts events leading up to and surrounding the Korean ...)
Recounts events leading up to and surrounding the Korean Conflict of the early 1950s, as well as its long-lasting consequences, looking particularly at the participation of United States troops.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0791074366/?tag=2022091-20
(Reviews the life and battles of General "Black Jack" Pers...)
Reviews the life and battles of General "Black Jack" Pershing, who had more than thirty years of field experience when he was tapped to lead the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0791074048/?tag=2022091-20
(Reviews the life and battles of General George S. Patton,...)
Reviews the life and battles of General George S. Patton, a West Point graduate who led American troops to key victories both World Wars.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/079107403X/?tag=2022091-20
(The West Point Class of 1950, individually and collective...)
The West Point Class of 1950, individually and collectively, significantly contributed to this Nation's winning the Cold War. Immediately upon graduation in June 1950,one hundred fourteen members of this class fulfilled their commitment to "Duty, Honor, Country" by leading men in combat in the Korean War and giving the ultimate sacrifice -their lives. Forty one men died in this "Forgotten War." Ultimately, over three hundred sixty five of this class served in this war. Later, they again either led men in combat or planned the military's role in Vietnam, Panama and Granada {Indeed, many of this class had also served in the military in World War II.} One member of this class, Lt. Gen. Richard Trefry served as a special assistant to President Bush during Desert Storm. Lt. Gen Dick Leavitt was a U-2 pilot; Maj. Gen Grayson Tate was a key member of the team that developed this Nation's rockets and ballistic missiles. Frank Borman, the astronaut, contributed greatly to this Nation's effort to win the race to the moon. Three members of this class were Chiefs-of-Staff of their respective services -all at the same time: Gen John Wickham, U.S. Army; Gen Charles Gabriel, U.S. Air Force; and Gen. Fidel Ramos, Philippines {later elected President}. Many rose to leadership positions in industry and educational institutions: men such as Robert McBride and Ward Wheaton. This book tells the story of these and many other "Cold War Warriors " of the West Point Class of 1950. People of this Nation, as well as other Nations, need to know about the selfless dedication and substantial contributions these men made to winning the Cold War and in maintaining Freedom throughout the world. The book's Forward is written by former Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger; and endorsed by the 50th Commemoration Committee of South Korea.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0738814776/?tag=2022091-20
(Excerpt from An Account of the Pilgrimage to the Tomb of ...)
Excerpt from An Account of the Pilgrimage to the Tomb of General Grant The party was made up very well for colonization if nothing else. There was Charley, the farmer, to raise the food; Cap, the Mill man, to make their gar ments; Silas, the carpenter, and school teacher, to build their houses and teach the children; and last, but not least, George, the treasurer of the party, a general mechanic and undertaker, to bury them when life's pilgrimage was done. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1334176035/?tag=2022091-20
( Weinberger has had a front row seat to history in the 2...)
Weinberger has had a front row seat to history in the 20th century. His book offers a unique view of our country and some of her leaders of the past 100 years. 12 photos.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0895261669/?tag=2022091-20
( General Douglas A. MacArthur's extraordinary life of le...)
General Douglas A. MacArthur's extraordinary life of leadership spanned three wars and more than six decades inside and outside the military. He defined principles of leadership that were decades ahead of their time: principles reflecting extraordinary wisdom about strategy, motivation, organization, execution, and personal growth. Now, Theodore and Donna Kinni distill 52 powerful leadership lessons from MacArthur's life. On MacArthur's command, millions of American soldiers risked their lives. After winning the peace in World War II, he led 80 million citizens of Japan to embrace the most radical and successful cultural change any nation has ever achieved: the transformation from militaristic emperorship to modern democracy. Those extraordinary achievements arose directly from MacArthur's singular approach to leadership. This book reveals what MacArthur knew about defining victory and setting the right priorities for achieving it; building sleek, fast-response organizations; inspiring subordinates to unprecedented performance; focusing relentlessly on results; transforming organizational culture to value speed, knowledge, and honor; pursuing personal excellence; and winning.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0131470213/?tag=2022091-20
(In this riveting novel by two of Washington's ultimate in...)
In this riveting novel by two of Washington's ultimate insiders, the chain ofcommand is threatened when political power is bought in blood.Secret Service Agent Michael Delaney has devoted his entire career to protecting America's highest ranking elected officials. But when his gun is found next to the bloody corpse of the President of the United States, he becomes the prime suspect in a brutal assassination that stuns the nation. As the vice president assumes control of the shaken government, a series of violent terrorist attacks is launched in cities across America, causing the government to take ever more desperate steps to keep the population safe. Shockingly, the resourceful enemy they are fighting comes not from another country but from within America's borders.Unsure who he can trust, Delaney finds an unexpected ally in Mary Campos, the president's newly appointed terrorism czar. With each passing hour, the potential for catastrophe grows and the web of evidence implicating Delaney in the plot grows more convincing. It will take all his cunning and years of special training to find out who is framing him for the murder of a president. Not only are his reputation and liberty at stake but the liberty of all Americans.Former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and acclaimed writer Peter Schweizer take readers deep inside the U.S. government's secret halls of power. From the Pentagon to Camp David, from the White House Situation Room to the inner sanctums of the FBI, the authors share their intimate knowledge of Washington's behind-the-scenes world to spin an explosive tale of intrigue that is chillingly real and breathtakingly suspenseful.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/074343773X/?tag=2022091-20
(Sure to make major headlines, this is a hard-hitting insi...)
Sure to make major headlines, this is a hard-hitting inside look at the internal power plays surrounding military policy-making in the '80s, by President Reagan's Secretary of Defense. 16-page photo insert.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446514810/?tag=2022091-20
Casper W. Weinberger was born in San Francisco on August 18, 1917. He was the son of Herman Weinberger, an attorney, and Cerise Carpenter Hampson.
After attending public schools in San Francisco, Caspar won a scholarship to Harvard University, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree with honors in 1938 and a law degree in 1941. In his senior year as an undergraduate, he was editor of the Crimson, the Harvard newspaper, and wrote conservative editorials that angered his liberal colleagues. Weinberger enlisted in the army in 1941.
He saw action in New Guinea and was promoted to captain under General Douglas MacArthur. He was honorably discharged in 1945. After the war he returned to California to practice law, serving a two-year clerkship with a U. S. Court of Appeals judge and entering private law practice in 1947. In 1952 he was elected to the first of three two-year terms in the California State Assembly. During his second term Weinberger was voted the most able member of the state legislature in a poll of newspaper correspondents. During his stint in the legislature he also worked as a freelance journalist, writing book reviews. He lost a race for state attorney general in 1958, but remained active in politics while practicing law. He was vice-chairman of the California Republican State Central Committee from 1960 to 1962 and chairman from 1962 to 1964. While in private law practice from 1959 to 1968, he moderated a televised public affairs program and wrote a newspaper column. In 1968 California Governor Ronald Reagan appointed him the state's director of finance. As director, Weinberger carried out Reagan's mandate to reduce state expenditures and budget deficits. "Cap the Knife" In 1970 President Richard Nixon named Weinberger chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. His mandate was to clean house, and within a year 50 lawyers had left the agency. Besides streamlining the organization, Weinberger adopted an aggressive program of consumer protection. In 1971 Nixon named Weinberger deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. In 1972 he succeeded George Shultz as director. At OMB he made unprecedented use of impoundment, forbidding federal agencies to spend authorized funds. He was so effective in cutting public spending, impounding $11. 2 billion in 1972, that he was labeled "Cap the Knife, " a nickname that stuck throughout his career. In 1973 Weinberger became secretary of health, education and welfare. He again cut costs and attempted to transfer control of many social programs to state and local governments. He frequently clashed with Congress and lost most of the fights, but his policies of social cuts would become dominant in the 1980 and 1990 under Presidents Reagan, Bush, and Clinton. Weinberger returned to the private sector in 1975. He followed his former boss, Shultz, to join the Bechtel Corporation, a San Francisco-based international construction and engineering firm with close ties to the U. S. government. For the next six years he served as its general counsel, vice president, and director, making over $500, 000 a year. Secretary of Defense When Reagan became president in 1981 he named Weinberger secretary of defense. Immediately, Weinberger started warning of an increased threat from the Soviet Union and a need to upgrade the U. S. military. He presided over an unprecedented peacetime military spending program. He resurrected the B-1 bomber program, which had been scuttled by President Jimmy Carter. He pushed for more ships, fighter planes, and tanks. Fighting for an increased arsenal of nuclear weapons, he became the leading advocate of the Strategic Defense Initiative, an enormously expensive space-based anti-missile system known popularly as Star Wars. Weinberger's reputation for cutting costs was replaced by a reputation for giving the military everything it wanted, contributing greatly to massive budget deficits which worried the nation and Congress. Critics charged that "Weinberger has often let hardware dictate strategy, with a resulting surfeit of gold-plated weapons systems, " noted William R. Doerner in Time (February 11, 1985). "He became known around the Pentagon as Mr. Yes, " according to Fortune (July 21, 1986). Supporters credited Weinberger with upgrading the quality of America's military personnel, as well as their pay and other personal benefits, and with modernizing the nation's defense system. Despite his enthusiasm for the arms buildup, Weinberger was somewhat cautious about the use of U. S. military force overseas. He supported the U. S. invasion of the Caribbean nation of Grenada and air strikes against Libya, but opposed sending Marines as peacekeeping forces to Lebanon. Citing his wife's battle with cancer, Weinberger resigned from the cabinet late in 1987. In his book Fighting for Peace: Seven Critical Years in the Pentagon Weinberger glossed over his role in the Iran-contra affair, the secret and illegal shipment of arms from the U. S. backed Nicaraguan rebels, the contras, to the regime of Iran in November 1985 in exchange for the release of hostages. Weinberger initially had opposed the deal, but became involved in an attempt to keep it quiet. In 1992 Lawrence Walsh, the independent prosecutor investigating the Iran-contra affair, brought a five-count felony indictment against Weinberger, charging him with obstructing justice by concealing more than 1, 700 pages of personal notes about the arms-for-hostages swap and with perjury for lying to Congress and hiding his knowledge of the deal. Later that year a federal judge dismissed the obstruction of justice charge, and on Christmas Eve in 1992 President George Bush, who was about to leave office, pardoned Weinberger, who was awaiting trial in January, and other officials involved in the scandal. Out of government, Weinberger continued to sound warnings about what he believed was a lack of military preparedness. His strong criticism of military cuts under President Bill Clinton fueled his 1996 book, The Next War, co-written with Peter Schweitzer, which detailed five fictional scenarios of nuclear blackmail and other disasters for the United States in the future. "As the nation weakens [its] military. .. the numbers of people who feel safe in attacking or seeking revenge or in using terrorism increases exponentially, " Weinberger told journalist Stephen Goode in Insight on the News (October 28, 1996).
(Recounts events leading up to and surrounding the Korean ...)
(Reviews the life and battles of General "Black Jack" Pers...)
(Sure to make major headlines, this is a hard-hitting insi...)
( They are nineteen of the most highly decorated soldiers...)
(In this riveting novel by two of Washington's ultimate in...)
(Excerpt from An Account of the Pilgrimage to the Tomb of ...)
(Reviews the life and battles of General "Stormin'" Norman...)
(The West Point Class of 1950, individually and collective...)
( Weinberger has had a front row seat to history in the 2...)
(Reviews the life and battles of General George S. Patton,...)
(Book by Bracale, Emily, Weinberger Jr., Caspar W.)
( General Douglas A. MacArthur's extraordinary life of le...)
Quotations:
"Sanctions and negotiations can be very ineffective, and indeed foolish, unless the people you are talking with and negotiating with and trying to reach agreements with are people who can be trusted to keep their word. "
"It took the Gulf War to demonstrate that America did want more than one friend in the Mideast, and also was willing to take and make major risks to prevent a small Muslim country, Kuwait, from being overrun and in effect stolen by Iraq. "
"I think women are too valuable to be in combat. "
"Here rests the soul of our nation - here also should be our conscience. "
Quotes from others about the person
Lawrence J. Korb in Washington Monthly noted, "Most memoirs are somewhat self-serving, but Weinberger carries his to the extreme. .. Throughout the book, he simply dismisses the problems that plagued his tenure in office and undermined support for national defense. "
Weinberger's hero was British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and he quoted Churchill frequently. One of his favorite Churchill quotes, framed on the wall of Weinberger's office, was, "Never give in; never give in; never, never, never, never in nothing great or small, large or petty-never give in. "
He met his future wife Jane, a nurse, aboard a troop ship carrying them to the Pacific theater, and they married in 1942. The couple had a daughter, Arlin, and a son, Caspar.