Personal Events in War on Terror
Personal Events
The War on Terror deeply impacted individuals through military deployments, frontline combat experiences, and high-stakes government service. Many leaders, soldiers, and citizens faced intense personal trials, from wartime trauma and legal controversies to the loss of loved ones. These profound human stories shaped national discourse, highlighting individual sacrifices, ethical dilemmas, and the enduring psychological costs of a global conflict.
Timeline
| Category | |
|---|---|
| Element |
Year
Age
| 1956 |
Law practice in Indiana (Lee Hamilton, Period: 1956–1964)
|
|---|---|
| 1959 |
First election to the Washington State House of Representatives (Slade Gorton, Period: 1958, in office 1959–1969)
Employment at the Cook County State's Attorney's Office (James Thompson, Period: 1959–1964)
|
| 1964 |
Enlistment in the Pennsylvania National Guard (John Lehman, Period: 1964)
Involvement in Escobedo v. Illinois (James Thompson, Period: 1964)
Assumption of office as Northwestern University School of Law faculty (James Thompson, Period: 1964–1969)
|
| 1965 |
Activities on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs (Lee Hamilton, Period: 1965–1999)
First election to the U.S. House of Representatives (Lee Hamilton, Period: 1964 election, January 3, 1965 assumption of office)
|
| 1966 |
Enlistment in the United States Navy (Bob Kerrey, Period: 1966)
Service in the United States Air Force Reserve (John Lehman, Period: 1966–1968)
|
| 1968 |
First election to the New Jersey General Assembly (Thomas Kean, Period: 1967 election, January 1968 assumption of office)
Commencement of activities as a federal prosecutor (Richard Ben-Veniste, Period: 1968–1973)
Transfer to the United States Naval Reserve (John Lehman, Period: 1968)
|
| 1969 |
Assumption of office as Washington State Attorney General (Slade Gorton, Period: 1968 election, in office 1969–1981)
Participation in the National Security Council staff (John Lehman, Period: 1969–1974)
Joining the Illinois Attorney General's Office (James Thompson, Period: 1969–1970)
|
| 1970 |
Law practice in Texas (Philip Zelikow, Period: Late 1970s – early 1980s)
Attracting and supporting the retention of the Seattle Mariners (Slade Gorton, Period: 1970s–1990s)
Joining the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois (James Thompson, Period: 1970–1971)
Prosecution of Alderman Thomas E. Keane in a corruption case (James Thompson, Period: Early 1970s)
Wounds in Vietnam and receipt of the Medal of Honor (Bob Kerrey, Period: March 14, 1969 (wounded), May 14, 1970 (Medal of Honor awarded))
|
| 1971 |
Assumption of office as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois (James Thompson, Period: November 1971 – June 1975)
|
| 1972 |
Assumption of office as Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly (Thomas Kean, Period: 1972–1973)
Management of restaurant and fitness businesses (Bob Kerrey, Period: 1972–1982)
Prosecution of former Governor Otto Kerner in a corruption case (James Thompson, Period: 1972–1973)
Investigation of the 1972 election fraud case (James Thompson, Period: 1972)
|
| 1973 |
Investigation of the Watergate scandal (Richard Ben-Veniste, Period: 1973–1975)
Cooperation in the investigation concerning Vice President Spiro Agnew (James Thompson, Period: 1973)
|
| 1974 |
Participation in Mutual Balanced Force Reduction negotiations (John Lehman, Period: 1974–1975)
|
| 1975 |
Law practice at Miller, Cassidy (Jamie Gorelick, Period: 1975–1993)
Assumption of office as Deputy Director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (John Lehman, Period: 1975–1977)
Announcement of run for Illinois Governor (James Thompson, Period: July 1975)
|
| 1976 |
Special external legal counsel to the Senate Government Operations Committee (Richard Ben-Veniste, Period: 1976–1977)
First victory in the Illinois gubernatorial election (James Thompson, Period: November 1976)
|
| 1977 |
Run for Governor of New Jersey in 1977 (Thomas Kean, Period: 1977)
Management of Abington Corporation (John Lehman, Period: 1977–1981)
Assumption of office as Governor of Illinois (James Thompson, Period: January 10, 1977 – January 14, 1991)
|
| 1978 |
Activities as a U.S. House of Representatives staffer (Timothy Roemer, Period: 1978–1979)
Enactment of the Class X sentencing law (James Thompson, Period: 1978)
|
| 1979 |
Government service at the Department of Energy (Jamie Gorelick, Period: 1979–1980)
|
| 1980 |
Promotion of the Build Illinois project (James Thompson, Period: 1980s)
Implementation of Project Chance (James Thompson, Period: 1980s)
Restructuring of the Chicago public school system (James Thompson, Period: Late 1980s)
|
| 1981 |
First election to the United States Senate (Slade Gorton, Period: 1980 election, in office January 1981 – January 1987)
Promotion of the 600-ship Navy concept (John Lehman, Period: 1981–1987)
Assumption of office as Secretary of the Navy (John Lehman, Period: February 5, 1981)
Victory in the 1981 New Jersey gubernatorial election (Thomas Kean, Period: November 1981)
|
| 1982 |
Assumption of office as Governor of New Jersey and re-election (Thomas Kean, Period: January 1982 – January 1990, re-elected in 1985)
Victory in the Nebraska gubernatorial election (Bob Kerrey, Period: November 1982)
|
| 1983 |
Activities as Governor of Nebraska (Bob Kerrey, Period: January 1983 – January 1987)
Assumption of office as Chairman of the National Governors Association (James Thompson, Period: August 1983 – July 1984)
|
| 1984 |
Educational activities at the Naval Postgraduate School (Philip Zelikow, Period: 1984–1985)
Chairman of the Washington, D.C. Department of Corrections Advisory Committee (Richard Ben-Veniste, Period: 1984–1986)
|
| 1985 |
Assumption of office as Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (Lee Hamilton, Period: 1985–1987)
Transition to U.S. Diplomat (Philip Zelikow, Period: 1985)
Assumption of office as staff for Senator Dennis DeConcini (Timothy Roemer, Period: 1985–1989)
|
| 1986 |
Defeat in the 1986 Senate election (Slade Gorton, Period: 1986)
|
| 1987 |
Assumption of office as Chairman of the Iran-Contra Investigation Committee (Lee Hamilton, Period: 1987–1988)
Resignation as Secretary of the Navy (John Lehman, Period: April 10, 1987)
|
| 1988 |
Lecturing activities at American University (Timothy Roemer, Period: 1988)
Keynote address at the 1988 Republican National Convention (Thomas Kean, Period: August 1988)
Victory in the United States Senate election (Bob Kerrey, Period: November 1988)
|
| 1989 |
Assumption of office as National Security Council staff (Philip Zelikow, Period: 1989–1991)
Promotion to Captain in the Naval Reserve (John Lehman, Period: 1989)
Assumption of office as Chairman of the President's Intelligence Oversight Board (James Thompson, Period: 1989–1993)
Re-election to the United States Senate (Slade Gorton, Period: 1988 election, in office January 1989 – January 2001)
|
| 1990 |
Assumption of office as President of Drew University (Thomas Kean, Period: 1990–2005)
Efforts on education reform legislation (Timothy Roemer, Period: 1990s–early 2000s)
Efforts on welfare reform and fiscal policy (Timothy Roemer, Period: 1990s)
|
| 1991 |
Research and educational activities at Harvard University (Philip Zelikow, Period: 1991–1998)
Participation in the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (Timothy Roemer, Period: 1991–2003)
Return to Winston & Strawn law firm (James Thompson, Period: 1991)
Retirement as Governor of Illinois (James Thompson, Period: January 14, 1991)
Run for the Democratic presidential nomination (Bob Kerrey, Period: September 1991 – March 1992)
Victory in the U.S. House of Representatives election (Timothy Roemer, Period: November 1990, assumption of office January 3, 1991)
|
| 1992 |
Chairman of the October Surprise Task Force (Lee Hamilton, Period: 1992)
President of the District of Columbia Bar (Jamie Gorelick, Period: 1992–1993)
Founding of J.F. Lehman & Company (John Lehman, Period: 1992)
|
| 1993 |
Assumption of office as Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs (Lee Hamilton, Period: January 1993 – January 1995)
Assumption of office as Chairman and CEO of Winston & Strawn (James Thompson, Period: 1993–2006)
Renaming to the James R. Thompson Center (James Thompson, Period: 1993)
Assumption of office as General Counsel of the Department of Defense (Jamie Gorelick, Period: May 1993 – March 1994)
|
| 1994 |
Assumption of office as United States Deputy Attorney General (Jamie Gorelick, Period: March 17, 1994 – May 1997)
|
| 1995 |
Assumption of office as Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (Bob Kerrey, Period: 1995–1999)
Investigative activities of the Senate Whitewater Committee (Richard Ben-Veniste, Period: May 1995 – June 1996)
|
| 1996 |
Activities in the Republican Senate leadership (Slade Gorton, Period: 1996–2000)
Participation in the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the American Judicial System (James Thompson, Period: 1996–1997)
|
| 1997 |
Formation and management of the New Democrat Coalition (Timothy Roemer, Period: 1997–2001)
Assumption of office as Vice Chairman of Fannie Mae (Jamie Gorelick, Period: May 1997 – 2003)
|
| 1998 |
Assumption of office as Director of the Miller Center at the University of Virginia (Philip Zelikow, Period: 1998–2005)
Participation in the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton (Slade Gorton, Period: 1998–1999)
|
| 1999 |
Assumption of office as Director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Lee Hamilton, Period: 1999–2010)
Retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives (Lee Hamilton, Period: Announced not to run in 1998, retired January 3, 1999)
|
| 2000 |
Defeat in the 2000 Senate election (Slade Gorton, Period: November 7, 2000)
|
| 2001 |
Administration of the National Commission on Federal Election Reform (Philip Zelikow, Period: 2001–2002)
Participation in the National Commission on Federal Election Reform (Slade Gorton, Period: 2001)
Assumption of office as President of The New School (Bob Kerrey, Period: 2001–2010)
Joint Congressional Inquiry into the September 11 terrorist attacks (Timothy Roemer, Period: 2001–2002)
Retirement from the United States Senate (Bob Kerrey, Period: January 2001)
|
| 2002 |
Participation in the 9/11 Commission (Richard Ben-Veniste, Period: 2002–2004)
Participation in the 9/11 Commission (Jamie Gorelick, Period: 2002–2004)
Involvement in the Homeland Security Act legislation (Timothy Roemer, Period: 2002)
Assumption of office as 9/11 Commission Member (Timothy Roemer, Period: 2002–2004)
Assumption of office as 9/11 Commission Member (James Thompson, Period: 2002–2004)
Assumption of office as Vice Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (Lee Hamilton, Period: December 2002 – August 2004)
Appointment as Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (Thomas Kean, Period: December 15, 2002)
|
| 2003 |
Assumption of office as Executive Director of the 9/11 Commission (Philip Zelikow, Period: January 2003 – 2004)
Participation in the 9/11 Commission (Slade Gorton, Period: Appointed in 2002, active 2003–2004)
Participation in the 9/11 Commission (Bob Kerrey, Period: 2003–2004)
Participation in the 9/11 Commission (John Lehman, Period: 2003–2004)
Assumption of office as President of the Center for National Policy (Timothy Roemer, Period: 2003–2009)
Legal defense of former Governor George Ryan (James Thompson, Period: Circa 2003–2006)
Retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives (Timothy Roemer, Period: January 3, 2003)
Joining WilmerHale (Jamie Gorelick, Period: July 2003 –)
|
| 2004 |
Publication of the 9/11 Commission Report (Thomas Kean, Period: July 22, 2004)
|
| 2005 |
Co-Chair of the 9/11 Public Discourse Project (Lee Hamilton, Period: 2005–2006)
Assumption of office as Counselor to the United States Department of State (Philip Zelikow, Period: February 2005 – January 2007)
|
| 2006 |
Co-Chair of the Iraq Study Group (Lee Hamilton, Period: March–December 2006)
Publication of "Without Precedent" (Thomas Kean, Period: August 15, 2006)
|
| 2007 |
Participation in the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission (James Thompson, Period: 2007–2020)
|
| 2008 |
Advising John McCain's presidential campaign (John Lehman, Period: 2008)
Participation in the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism (Timothy Roemer, Period: Circa 2008–2010)
|
| 2009 |
Publication of the book "The Emperor’s New Clothes" (Richard Ben-Veniste, Period: 2009)
Promotion of the U.S.-India Counterterrorism Cooperation Initiative (Timothy Roemer, Period: 2009–2011)
Assumption of office as United States Ambassador to India (Timothy Roemer, Period: Appointed July 2009, presented credentials August 11, 2009)
|
| 2010 |
Activities at APCO Worldwide (Timothy Roemer, Period: 2010s onwards)
Policy activities at Issue One (Timothy Roemer, Period: 2010s onwards)
|
| 2011 |
Assumption of office as Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia (Philip Zelikow, Period: 2011–2014)
Participation in the Washington State Redistricting Commission (Slade Gorton, Period: 2011)
Resignation as Ambassador to India (Timothy Roemer, Period: July 1, 2011)
|
| 2012 |
Participation in the National Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property (Slade Gorton, Period: Circa 2012–2013)
Re-run for the United States Senate election in 2012 (Bob Kerrey, Period: 2012)
Advising Mitt Romney's presidential campaign (John Lehman, Period: 2012)
Assumption of office as Amazon Board Member (Jamie Gorelick, Period: February 2012 –)
|
| 2013 |
Joining a lobbying firm (Bob Kerrey, Period: 2013 onwards)
|
| 2014 |
Markle Foundation "Rework America" Project (Philip Zelikow, Period: 2014–2015)
|
| 2015 |
Receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (Lee Hamilton, Period: November 24, 2015)
|
| 2017 |
Activities as a CNN legal analyst (Richard Ben-Veniste, Period: 2017 onwards)
|
| 2020 |
Election as a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy (Philip Zelikow, Period: 2020)
Death (James Thompson, Period: August 14, 2020)
Death (Slade Gorton, Period: August 19, 2020)
Naming of the USS John F. Lehman (John Lehman, Period: October 13, 2020)
|
| 2021 |
Activities of the COVID Crisis Group (Philip Zelikow, Period: 2021–2023)
Assumption of office as Acting President of the Carnegie Corporation (Thomas Kean, Period: April 2021 – January 2023)
|
| 2022 |
Co-Chairman of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (Jamie Gorelick, Period: March 2022 –)
|
| 2025 |
Resignation as Chair of the Regulatory and Government Affairs Department at WilmerHale (Jamie Gorelick, Period: 2025–2026)
|
| 2026 |
Death (Lee Hamilton, Period: February 3, 2026)
|
Map
| Category | |
|---|---|
| Element |
United States
World
Related Links
| Group | List |
|---|---|
| Related Wars and Disasters | |
| Personal Events |
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