Caspar Weinberger launched a legal career after serving in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He entered California politics as an Assemblyman in 1954 and for the next 15 years became a trusted follower of two future presidents. In 1973, he was named President Nixon’s Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. He later served nearly seven years as Secretary of Defense for President Reagan. He was instrumental in the defense buildup that ultimately caused the fall of the Soviet Union, actions that laid the foundation for a modern military that quickly won Desert Storm and toppled Saddam Hussein’s government. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Reagan and an honorary British Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II.
