Presidential Advisor. He served as the National Security Advisor to President Ronald W. Reagan from October 17, 1983 to December 14, 1985. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1959 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. In the Marines, he served as a field artillery officer. He also served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. During his military service, he also taught and served in the White House under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. He retired from the Marines in 1979 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1979, he was appointed to the staff of the United States Senate Armed Services Committee by Sen. John Tower and worked there for two years before being appointed Counselor at the Department of State by newly elected President Ronald Reagan. He would go on in the Reagan Administration to serve as Deputy National Security Advisor and Special Representative in the Middle East before being named to be National Security Advisor in 1983. During his tenure in this position, he was a strong supporter of the Strategic Defense Initiative or "Star Wars." It was also during his tenure that the Iran-Contra affair, which became a major political scandal when it was revealed in 1986, was in full force. He resigned in December of 1985 and was replaced by John Poindexter. In 1988, he plead guilty to four misdemeanor counts of withholding information from Congress as part of the Iran-Contra cover-up and was sentenced to two years' probation and a $20,000 fine. He was later pardoned by President George H. W. Bush on Christmas Eve in 1992. He would serve on a number of boards and became a consultant in issues involving national security.
Presidential Advisor. He served as the National Security Advisor to President Ronald W. Reagan from October 17, 1983 to December 14, 1985. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1959 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. In the Marines, he served as a field artillery officer. He also served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. During his military service, he also taught and served in the White House under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. He retired from the Marines in 1979 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1979, he was appointed to the staff of the United States Senate Armed Services Committee by Sen. John Tower and worked there for two years before being appointed Counselor at the Department of State by newly elected President Ronald Reagan. He would go on in the Reagan Administration to serve as Deputy National Security Advisor and Special Representative in the Middle East before being named to be National Security Advisor in 1983. During his tenure in this position, he was a strong supporter of the Strategic Defense Initiative or "Star Wars." It was also during his tenure that the Iran-Contra affair, which became a major political scandal when it was revealed in 1986, was in full force. He resigned in December of 1985 and was replaced by John Poindexter. In 1988, he plead guilty to four misdemeanor counts of withholding information from Congress as part of the Iran-Contra cover-up and was sentenced to two years' probation and a $20,000 fine. He was later pardoned by President George H. W. Bush on Christmas Eve in 1992. He would serve on a number of boards and became a consultant in issues involving national security.
Bio by: Mr. Badger Hawkeye
Family Members
Advertisement
See more McFarlane memorials in:
Advertisement
