US Presidential Cabinet Secretary, US Congressman. He served as the tenth United States Secretary of Defense during the Administration of President Richard M. Nixon from 1969 until 1973. A member of the Republican Party, he served Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives from 1953 until 1969. Raised in Wisconsin, his father served as a state senator. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree from Carleton College, he was stationed in the Pacific Theater with the United States Navy during World War II. While on-board the destroyer USS Maddox, he was struck by shrapnel after a Japanese kamikaze plane crashed into the ship's deck and exploded. From this experience, he was awarded a Purple Heart. Upon his return home, Laird entered the political arena, when he succeeded his father in the Wisconsin State Senate after the elder Laird's death. He was elected to the US Congress in 1952 and during his tenure, he earned the reputation as a conservative who spearheaded efforts to reduce taxes, as well as eliminate useless spending within the military. Laird was also known for his anti-Vietmam stance. While serving as Secretary of Defense, he oversaw the Vietnamization program and was instrumental in shifting the military towards becoming all-volunteer. Laird (unlike his predecessor, Robert S. McNamara) placed budgeting in the hands of the military. He was a proponent of the Strategic Arms Limitations Talks (SALT). He left his cabinet position in January 1973, however he returned to serve as a councellor for Domestic Affairs to President Nixon in June of that year. After leaving Washington, he served as a senior counselor for the Reader's Digest Association. During the 1980s, Laird served as an adviser to the Reagan Administration in matters regarding the arms race with the Soviet Union. In 1962, he authored the book "A House Divided" with defense and foreign policy as the subject matter.