Alexander Meigs Haig Jr

Alexander Meigs Haig, Jr. 1924-, American general and public official, U.S. Secretary of State (1981-82), b. Philadelphia, grad. West Point, 1947. He served in Korea (1950-51) and held several staff positions, including military assistant to the Secretary of the Army (1964), before serving in Vietnam (1966-67). As military adviser to Henry Kissinger (1969-73) he became an important member of the National Security Council staff. During the later stages of the Watergate affair he served as President Nixon's civilian chief of staff (1973-74). A four-star general, he served as Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 's forces (1974-79). In 1981 he became President Reagan 's Secretary of State. His sudden resignation (1982) was attributed to disagreements over foreign policy. In 1988, he ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination.

Bibliography: See his memoir Caveat (1984), and How America Changed the World (1992).

Haig, Alexander Meigs (1924– ) US general and public official. He served in the army during the Korean War. During the 1960s, he held appointments as military assistant to the secretary of the army and deputy secretary of defence. After duty in Vietnam, he served as White House chief of staff for President Nixon. He was NATO commander (1974–79) and served as secretary of state (1981–82) under President Reagan.

Haig, Alexander Meigs (1924–) army general and public official, born near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Haig served in both the Korean and Vietnam wars and as Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO forces (1974–79). He held several important government posts during the administration of President Richard M. Nixon, including assistant to the president and White House chief of staff. During that same period he served as military adviser to national security adviser Henry Kissinger (1969–73). Haig was considered knowledgeable about the political-diplomatic aspects of military affairs and played an important role in the Paris Peace Agreements (1973). He retired from the army in 1979 to become president and CEO of United Technologies, a major defense contractor. In 1981 he was appointed secretary of state by President Ronald Reagan, but served only slightly more than a year before resigning in 1982, reportedly over disputes with defense secretary Caspar Weinberger.