Senator Jim Webb was born on February 9th, 1946 in St. Joseph, Missouri. Senator Webb attended multiple schools growing up because his father was a career Officer in the United States Air Force. He graduated from high school in Bellevue, Nebraska before attending the University of Southern California on a Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship. In 1964, he was admitted to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he graduated in 1968. He then went on to serve in the United States Marine Corps from 1968 to 1972. He fought in the Vietnam War, and was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple hearts. After his discharge, he attended Georgetown University Law Center, earning his Juris Doctorate in 1975. He has been married three times, most recently to Hong Le Webb. He has five children, and one stepchild. Senator Webb speaks fluent Vietnamese.
From 1977 to 1981, Senator Webb served on the staff of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, representing veterans Pro-Bono during this time. He also taught literature at the United States Naval Academy. From 1984 to 1987, Senator Webb served as the nation's first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, where he sought to reorganize the Marine Corps, which was in shambles after the Vietnam War. In 1987 he served as the Secretary of the Navy, resigning in 1988 after refusing to decrease the size of the Navy. Afterwards, Senator Webb earned his living as an author and a filmmaker, writing articles for the New York Times, USA Today, and The Washington Post. He has authored a total of nine books, won an Emmy, and had a feature film produced.
In 2006, Senator Webb was elected to the United States Senate. His first act as a legislator was to introduce the Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, to expand benefits to military families and put them back on par with what they were after World War II. The act was signed into law on June 30th, 2008. Opposed to the lack of strategy in the Iraq war, Senator Webb supports the withdrawal of troops, but not at the expense of stability in the region. Senator Webb does not plan to seek re-election in 2012. He currently serves on multiple committees: the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, and the Joint Economic Committee. He is the Chairman of the East Asia & Pacific Affairs Subcommittee, part of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He is also the Chairman of the Key Personnel Subcommittee, part of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. |
