I have always had a fascination with Richard Nixon and the Watergate saga. One of the best books I have read on that period of history is Woodward and Bernstein's "The Final Days".
One of the central figures in that book is Gen. Alexander Haig, who had recently become White House Chief of Staff after the resignation of H.R. Haldeman. Haig emerges as a man in the center of the storm, trying desperately to keep the ship afloat. Nixon's mental state, vacillating between righteous indignation over the idea of impeachment and fatigued resignation (pardon the pun) to the idea, and the various external pressures, including the business of running the country and dealing with issues both foreign and domestic, are among the burdens Gen. Haig was forced to bear. By the time I finished the book, I had a new respect for Alexander Haig. Regardless of how you feel about the Nixon White House at that time, you have to respect Haig's dedication and perseverence.
When Gerald Ford asked Henry Kissinger who he should carry over from the Nixon administration, Kissinger replied, "Haig. He has done yeoman duty for this country." How true.
Unfortunately, most of the obituaries seem to be fixated on Haig's verbal blunders, a real shame. While those episodes are noteworthy, they should not be etched on his tombstone.
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