Mr. Melvin Laird

• Name: Mr. Melvin Laird
• Date of Birth: 22 Sep 1922
• Passed Away On: 16 Nov 2016
• Religion: Christian
• Location: Florida
• Address: Fort Myers, Florida

An American politician and a longtime Wisconsin congressman Melvin Robert "Bom" Laird died on 16th November 2016 at a hospital in Florida. He was 94. As a sceretary of defence under President Richard Nixon he is credited for formulatinga policy that saw the withdrawl of U.S. soldiers from the Vietnam War. He was one of the the last surviving member of the 83rd Congress.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Melvin Laird attended high school in Marshfield, Wisconsin and graduated from Carleton College in Minnesota in May 1944. After serving United States Navy in the Pacific Laird entered the Wisconsin State Senate at age 23, succeeding his deceased father.Laird was a US congressman from Wisconsin from 1953 until 1969 when he was appointed Secretary of Defense under President Richard Nixon. He crafted and supported "Vietnamization", a program that aimed to train and equip South Vietnam’s forces to provide for themselves while steadily withdrawing American troops from a war that had lost the support of the U.S. public. He remaied in office till 1973 and ensured signing of a Vietnam settlement in Paris which agreed to cease-fire with complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Vietnam.

Children: David M. Laird, John Laird, Allison Laird, Kimberly Laird

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