The former American Marine Corps officer, Robert Carl “Bud” McFarlane, who served as President Ronald Reagan’s National Security Advisor, has died at age 84.
Who was Robert McFarlane and what role did he play?
Robert McFarlane was assigned to the White House Office of Legislative Affairs before being named Military Assistant to Henry Kissinger at the National Security Council at the end of his service.
From 1973 to 1976, McFarlane was in charge of intelligence interactions with the People’s Republic of China, providing extensive intelligence briefings to China during the Sino-Soviet split.
He also accompanied Kissinger to China on his travels.
McFarlane also engaged with other issues of foreign policy, such as the Middle East, Soviet Union ties, and armaments control.
While a Lieutenant Colonel, McFarlane was selected by President Gerald Ford as his Special Assistant for National Security Affairs and received the Navy Distinguished Service Medal in 1976.
He finished his Marine Corps tenure as the 12th Marine Regiment’s Operations Officer on Okinawa and retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1979.
McFarlane was appointed to the National Defense University after leaving the White House, where he co-authored a book on crisis management while also getting a diploma from the National War College.
How did Robert McFarlane die?
President Ronald Reagan’s former national security adviser, Robert C. “Bud” McFarlane, died May 12 at a hospital in Lansing, Mich.
According to his son, Scott McFarlane, the cause was a worsening of a prior lung problem.
Mr. McFarlane, who lived in Washington, was hospitalized in Michigan while visiting family.
How much was Robert McFarlane worth?
According to sources, Robert C. “Bud” McFarlane has a net worth o approximately 1.5 million dollars.
McFarlane was the only individual in the Reagan White House to freely accept legal guilt in the Iran-contra controversy.
