Charlie Wilson (Texas politician)

Charlie Wilson
Wilson c. 1995
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas's 2nd district
In office
January 3, 1973 – October 8, 1996
Preceded byJohn Dowdy
Succeeded byJim Turner
Member of the Texas Senate
from the 3rd district
In office
January 10, 1967 – January 3, 1973
Preceded byMartin Dies Jr.
Succeeded byDon Adams
Member of the
Texas House of Representatives
In office
January 8, 1963 – January 10, 1967
Preceded bySteve Burgess
Succeeded byDavid W. Crews
Constituency6th district
In office
January 10, 1961 – January 8, 1963
Preceded byWilliam D. Winston
Succeeded byDavid W. Crews
Constituency18th district
Personal details
Born
Charles Nesbitt Wilson

(1933-06-01)June 1, 1933
Trinity, Texas, U.S.
DiedFebruary 10, 2010(2010-02-10) (aged 76)
Lufkin, Texas, U.S.
Resting placeArlington National Cemetery,
Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
Jerry Carter
(m. 1973; div. 1983)
Barbara Alberstadt
(m. 1999)
Alma materUnited States Naval Academy (BS)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • Naval officer
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Navy
Years of service1956–1960
Rank Lieutenant

Charles Nesbitt Wilson (June 1, 1933 – February 10, 2010) was an American politician and naval officer who was a 12-term Democratic Representative from Texas's 2nd congressional district. Wilson is best known for leading Congress into supporting Operation Cyclone, the largest-ever Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) covert operation, which during the Carter and Reagan administrations supplied military equipment to the Afghan Mujahideen during the Soviet–Afghan War.[1] His behind-the-scenes campaign was the subject of the non-fiction book Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History by George Crile III and the subsequent film Charlie Wilson's War, in which he was portrayed by Tom Hanks.

  1. ^ Spong, John (June 2004). "The Rehabilitation of Charlie Wilson". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 5 July 2023.