Les Aspin

Leslie Aspin Jr. (July 21, 1938 – May 21, 1995) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as the U.S. representative for Wisconsin's 1st congressional district from 1971 to 1993 and as the 18th United States Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1994.

In Congress, Aspin had a reputation as an intellectual who took a middle-of-the-road position on controversial issues.

He supported the Reagan administration regarding the MX missile and aid to the Nicaraguan Contras, but he opposed the B-2 bomber and the Strategic Defense Initiative.

He attended Yale University, where he was admitted to the Zeta Psi fraternity, and graduated summa cum laude in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts in history.

Aspin then attended the University of Oxford, where he received his Master of Philosophy in economics in 1962 and his Doctor of Philosophy in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1966.

Aspin met his wife, Maureen Shea, in Saigon during the Vietnam War.

Shea, a graduate of Hollins College, was working for a research firm interviewing Vietcong defectors when the two were introduced by a mutual acquaintance.

As an officer in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968, he served as a systems analyst in the Pentagon under Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, serving in the Office of Systems Analysis.

After the project was completed she moved to Wisconsin to work on Aspin's unsuccessful bid for Wisconsin State Treasurer in 1968.

The couple became engaged in October 1968 and married in January 1969 in Shea's hometown of Hillsdale, New York.

Before his election as a Democrat to Congress in 1970, Aspin had been active in Wisconsin politics and had taught economics at Marquette University.

Aspin ran as a peace candidate in 1970, opposing the Vietnam War.

In the Democratic primary he was opposed by Doug La Follette, who was endorsed by the party.

Aspin lost the initial count by a few dozen votes, and initially refused to pay for a recount out of his own pocket.

It was only after his Kenosha County campaign director, Edwin M. Andersen, was able to garner financial support from numerous supporters, however, that the legendarily thrifty Aspin then demanded a recount and won the primary, by a few dozen votes.

In the general election he defeated the incumbent, Henry Schadeberg.

Aspin was elected as a Democrat to the 92nd and to the 11 succeeding Congresses and served from January 3, 1971, until his resignation January 20, 1993.

Aspin began his career in the United States House of Representatives as an outsider but honed his particular interest and expertise in defense matters.

Before and during his tenure in the House, he had opposed the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

In his early years in Congress, he often issued press releases critical of shortcomings he detected in the armed forces.

In 1973, he criticized the Air Force for devising a plan to purchase 200 beagle puppies, tie the dogs' vocal cords, and conduct tests of poisonous gases.

After Aspin began a publicity campaign against the Air Force's plan, an outraged public sent a record number of letters to the Defense Department, surpassing the amount ever sent about any other subject.

In March 1974, Aspin told an audience at Brown University, including future 4-star General Wesley Clark and four West Point cadets: "You, the young officer and cadets sitting there - never in your lifetimes will you see us intervene abroad. We've learned that lesson."

The couple divorced in 1979 and had no children.

Aspin served a brief tenure as a congressional staff member for United States Senator William Proxmire.

By 1985, when Aspin became chairman of the Armed Services Committee, he was recognized as a leading defense authority.

His chairmanship caused controversy among some House Democrats, particularly because he supported the Reagan administration's policies on the MX missile and aid to the Nicaraguan Contras.

Although temporarily removed from his committee chair by his Democratic colleagues in January 1987, Aspin weathered the crisis and regained the chairmanship three weeks later.

He played a major role in convincing the House to support the January 1991 resolution supporting the use of force by President George H. W. Bush against Iraq, after it invaded Kuwait.

As Secretary of Defense, Aspin faced complex social issues, such as the roles of homosexuals in uniform, and of women in combat, as well as major decisions regarding the use of military force in Somalia, Bosnia, and Haiti.

He proposed budget cuts and restructuring of forces as part of the downsizing of the military after the end of the Cold War.

The deaths of U.S. soldiers in Somalia because of inadequate military support led to his resignation.

Aspin was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

He graduated from Shorewood High School.

He again broke with many Democrats in January 1991 when he issued a paper supporting the Bush administration's intention to use military force to drive the Iraqis from Kuwait.

The accuracy of his prediction that the United States could win a quick military victory with light casualties added to his reputation as a military expert.

Aspin served as an adviser to Clinton on defense matters during the 1992 presidential campaign.

Given Clinton's lack of military experience, appointment of a prominent and respected defense expert to head The Pentagon seemed desirable.

Because of his leadership position in the House, Aspin's views on defense issues were well known.

He was skeptical about the Strategic Defense Initiative, and favored a smaller Navy, a cut in U.S. troops in Europe, and further reduction of military personnel strength.