Charles Nesbitt "Charlie" Wilson
Trinity, Trinity County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Born in Trinity on June 1, 1933, Charles Nesbitt "Charlie" Wilson served as a United States naval officer, a state legislator and a United States Representative from Texas' Second Congressional District. Growing up, Wilson attended Trinity public schools. Upon graduation from Trinity High School in 1951, he spent one semester at Sam Houston State University before being appointed to the United States Naval Academy, earning a B.S. degree in engineering. Wilson served in the Navy from 1956 to 1960, earning the rank of lieutenant and gunnery officer on navy destroyer USS John W. Weeks. He was assigned to the Pentagon as part of an intelligence unit evaluating the Soviet Union's nuclear forces. After volunteering for John F. Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign, Wilson pursued a career in politics. He won his home district in 1961, becoming a state representative and later a state senator. In 1973, Wilson was elected to the United States House of Representative and secured reelection 11 times. Wilson is perhaps best known for leading Congress in supporting Operation Cyclone, the largest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) covert operation, which under the Carter and Reagan administrations supplied military equipment, including anti-aircraft weapons and paramilitary officers, from their Special Activities Division to the Afghan Mujahadeen during the Soviet-Afghan War. On domestic issues, Wilson continuously championed for individuals' rights, especially minorities and women. He also tirelessly sought to increase Medicare and Medicaid funding for the elderly and underprivileged. In 1974, Wilson and Bob Eckhardt proposed a bill in Congress making the Big Thicket a national preserve. Wilson retired from Congress in October 1996, but became a lobbyist for Pakistan. He died on February 10, 2010, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. (2017)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in Trinity in 1933, Charlie Wilson graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served as a naval officer before entering Texas politics, winning his first legislative seat in 1961 and election to the U.S. House in 1973. Over a dozen terms in Congress he is best remembered for leading support for a major covert program aiding Afghan fighters during the Soviet-Afghan War. He also championed the rights of minorities and women and helped make the Big Thicket a national preserve.
Why it matters
Wilson's career shows how a single determined lawmaker from small-town Texas could shape both Cold War foreign policy and the protection of America's wild landscapes.
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Related people
- · Charlie Wilson
- · Bob Eckhardt
Related events
- · Soviet-Afghan War
- · Creation of the Big Thicket National Preserve
Themes & tags
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