George Crile

George Crile was an accomplished American journalist and author, best known for his work with CBS News and as the author of "Charlie Wilson's War." Born in 1945 in San Diego, Crile was the son of a distinguished surgeon, George Crile, and the stepson of Helga Sandburg, the daughter of poet Carl Sandburg. These influences may have played a significant role in shaping Crile's interest in creative writing.

Crile began his career as a journalist working for various columnists and publications, including Jack Anderson and Drew Pearson, and reporting for "The Gary Post - Register." He also worked as a Pentagon Reporter for "Knight - Ridder" and edited "Harper's Magazine" between 1973 and 1976. Crile joined CBS News in 1976 and was instrumental in the production of "The CIA's Secret Army," a documentary about the CIA's activities trying to overthrow the Cuban government after the Bay of Pigs invasion. The documentary won the Blue Ribbon at the American Film Festival, and Crile went on to win Edward R Murrow, Peabody, and Emmy Awards for his work.

Crile spent much of his career working on the CBS program "60 Minutes" and took on formidable topics, many in foreign countries. He was known for his boldness and earned a reputation for tackling controversial and difficult subjects. However, his work also drew criticism, most notably for his 1982 documentary "The Uncounted Enemy: A Vietnam Deception." The documentary attempted to build a case that General William C. Westmoreland and his military colleagues deliberately underestimated enemy troop numbers in the Vietnam War. The charge was that the military had deliberately underestimated enemy numbers in order to encourage Americans to believe the war was going favorably. The documentary engendered a bitter dispute, and General Westmoreland sued for libel, asking for $120 million in damages. The case was settled out of court, with CBS issuing a statement that it never intended to assert that General Westmoreland was unpatriotic or disloyal. Crile later wondered how General Westmoreland could see the network's statement as an apology, suggesting that the general had decided to "declare victory and leave."