Here & Now

Former Defense Secretary Mel Laird Dies

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ALSO THIS WEEK, THE PASSING OF ONE OF WISCONSIN’S MOST LEGENDARY POLITICIANS. OVER THE COURSE OF 16 YEARS AS THE STATE’S 7TH DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN, MEL LAIRD BLAZED A TRAIL FOR HEALTH RESEARCH FUNDING FOR WISCONSIN AND THE NATION. HERE’S PART OF AN ARCHIVED PROFILE OF SECRETARY LAIRD BY FORMER WPT PRODUCER ART HACKETT. IT BEGINS WITH THE PUBLIC SERVICE FOR WHICH LAIRD IS BEST REMEMBERED: HIS TERM AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE UNDER PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON.

RICHARD NIXON:

MEL LAIRD BRINGS AN EXTRA DIMENSION TO THIS POSITION THAT IS NEEDED IN THIS TIME.

ART HACKETT:

IN 1969, PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON CHOSE MEL LAIRD AS HIS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE.

RICHARD NIXON:

I THINK HE WILL BRING TO THIS POSITION A HIGH DEGREE OF INTELLIGENCE, OF COOLNESS UNDER FIRE AND ALSO OF THE ABILITY TO MANAGE PEOPLE AS WELL AS WEAPONS.

ART HACKETT:

DAVE OBEY TOOK OVER LAIRD’S SEAT IN CONGRESS.

DAVE OBEY:

WHAT WENT THROUGH MY HEAD IS I WAS PROBABLY A ONE-TERM WONDER WHO PROBABLY WASN’T GOING TO GET RE-ELECTED. BUT IT WAS COMPLICATED. BECAUSE MEL WAS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, THE HOT ISSUE WAS THE VIETNAM WAR. AND I WAS OPPOSED TO THE VIETNAM WAR.

ART HACKETT:

THERE ARE PAINTINGS REFLECTING VIETNAM IN LAIRD’S OFFICE. AMONG OTHER THINGS, LAIRD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR VIETNAMIZATION: PULLING OUT U.S. TROOPS AND LETTING THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE FIGHT THE WAR ON THEIR OWN.

ART HACKETT:

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE HIRED TO GET THE UNITED STATES OUT OF VIETNAM? WAS THAT WHAT NIXON WANTED YOU TO DO?

MEL LAIRD:

HE NEVER GAVE ME ANY INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS GOING TO DEVELOP A PLAN AND THAT THE PLAN WOULD BE TO START WITHDRAWING BASED ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE FORCES.

ART HACKETT:

LAIRD HELPED EASE U.S. TROOPS OUT OF VIETNAM. IN 1974 HE HELPED EASE RICHARD NIXON OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE BECAUSE OF THE WATERGATE SCANDAL.

MEL LAIRD:

I SAID, YOU KNOW, I JUST LEARNED ABOUT THE TAPES. AND I’VE LEARNED THAT YOU WERE IN THE COVER-UP POSITION ALL THE TIME AND KNEW EVERYTHING ABOUT IT. AND I BELIEVE THE SOURCE THAT HAS TOLD ME. I MIGHT HAVE COME OVER HERE TO HELP YOU BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WHITE HOUSE, IF YOU HADN’T LIED TO ME. BUT YOU LIED TO ME UP AT CAMP DAVID. AND I HAVE TO LEAVE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

FORMER WISCONSIN CONGRESSMAN AND U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, MEL LAIRD DIED OF HEART FAILURE ON WEDNESDAY AT A FLORIDA HOSPITAL. HE WAS 94.