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Max ClelandAmerican politician
Date of Birth: 24.08.1942
Country:  USA |
Content:
Early Life and Military Service
Max Cleland: A Georgia Democrat and Vietnam War HeroMax Cleland was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 24, 1942. He grew up in Lithonia and attended Stetson University, where he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha, the largest men's fraternity in North America. Cleland later earned a master's degree from Emory University.
During the Vietnam War, Cleland served in the United States Army, rising to the rank of captain. He earned the Silver Star and Bronze Star for his valor in combat, including during the Battle of Khe Sanh on April 4, 1968. At the age of 25, Cleland suffered severe injuries that resulted in the amputation of both legs below the knee and his right arm below the elbow.
Political Career
State Senator, Veterans Administration Head, and Secretary of StateFrom 1971 to 1975, Cleland served as a member of the Georgia State Senate, where he focused on veterans' issues. He then served as Administrator of Veterans Affairs under President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981. Subsequently, he served as Georgia Secretary of State for 14 years, from 1982 to 1996, working closely with future Senate colleague Zell Miller.
U.S. Senator
In 1996, Cleland ran for the United States Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Sam Nunn. He won a narrow victory over Republican Guy Millner but lost to liberal John Kasich.
As a senator, Cleland was one of 29 Democrats who supported the resolution authorizing the Iraq War. He later stated that he felt pressured into the decision and that he believed a "sense of foreboding" from the Bush administration. He later described his vote as "my worst vote."
Cleland lost his seat in the 2002 election to Saxby Chambliss. Chambliss's campaign used questionable tactics, including comparing Cleland to Osama bin Laden, in a strategy that raised doubts about his patriotism.
Post-Senate Career
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, Export-Import Bank, ABMC Secretary
After criticizing aspects of the Department of Homeland Security and losing his Senate seat, Cleland initially accepted an appointment to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, but he resigned after joining the board of directors of the Export-Import Bank.
During Massachusetts Senator John Kerry's presidential campaign, Cleland made frequent campaign appearances, becoming a key surrogate, in part as a symbol of Vietnam War sacrifice. He famously wheeled his wheelchair into President George W. Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch, where he accused the president of manipulating a group of veterans to run television ads against Kerry.
In 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Cleland as Ambassador-at-Large for the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), which honors the service of the U.S. armed forces.
