( CNN ) -- Former Democratic Rep. Charles Wilson of Texas , whose support for anti-Soviet forces in Afghanistan inspired the 2007 movie `` Charlie Wilson 's War , '' died Wednesday at age 76 . The 12-term congressman , who served the state 's second congressional district , had been in a meeting Wednesday morning with a friend when he complained of difficulty breathing , said Yana Ogletree , a spokeswoman for Memorial Medical Center in Lufkin . The two men were heading to the hospital when they passed an emergency medical services vehicle on the side of the road and stopped for help , she said . Paramedics took Wilson to the hospital emergency room , where he was pronounced dead , she said . Wilson , who had undergone a heart transplant at Methodist Hospital in Houston in September 2007 , moved back to Lufkin when he retired from Congress in 1997 after having served since 1973 , she said . `` I had the unforgettable experience of knowing Congressman Wilson when I was at CIA and he was working tirelessly on behalf of the Afghan resistance fighting the Soviets , '' said Defense Secretary Robert Gates in a written statement . `` As the world now knows , his efforts and exploits helped repel an invader , liberate a people and bring the Cold War to a close . After the Soviets left , Charlie kept fighting for the Afghan people and warned against abandoning that traumatized country to its fate -- a warning we should have heeded then , and should remember today . '' `` Charlie Wilson led a life that was oversized even by Hollywood 's standards , '' said Texas Gov . Rick Perry in a statement . `` Congressman Wilson was fiercely devoted to serving his country and his fellow Texans . '' `` Charlie was a man of courage and conviction who worked hard , loved his country , and lived life to the fullest , '' said House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey , D-Wisconsin . `` We will miss him . '' Tom Hanks portrayed the flamboyant congressman in the 2007 movie `` Charlie Wilson 's War , '' based on the book by George Crile . The book and the film told the story of Wilson 's efforts to get weapons to Mujahedeen fighters after Soviets invaded Afghanistan . `` Hanks did a great job , '' Wilson said in 2008 . Wilson also praised the other actors . `` They were too close to the truth , '' he said . The U.S . Naval Academy grad and Navy veteran was elected to Congress in 1972 -- a Democrat bucking the national Nixon landslide -- and quickly became known for his high-living escapades , which earned him the nickname `` Good Time Charlie , '' and shrewd accumulation of political chits . His savvy came in handy in the early 1980s , when Wilson , a staunch anti-Communist , decided to help Afghan rebels in their war against the invading Soviet Union . Over several years , working behind the scenes , his efforts to raise funds through his defense subcommittee , to establish a bond with a CIA agent named Gust Avrakotos ( played by Philip Seymour Hoffman in the film ) and to negotiate support from Middle Eastern countries helped the Afghans take the upper hand and eventually forced the Soviets out of the country . Asked what led to the Soviet departure , Pakistani leader Gen. Muhammad Zia ul-Haq was blunt : `` Charlie did it , '' he told CBS News ' `` 60 Minutes . '' Some people criticized the film because it did n't do much to highlight what happened in Afghanistan after the Soviets left : the Taliban 's takeover of the country and al Qaeda 's use of the nation as a base . Wilson was asked in 2008 about the consequences of helping the Mujahedeen fighters . `` I do n't think there was a serious blowback , '' Wilson said . `` I think there was the point that [ author ] George Crile made in the [ book 's ] epilogue , that the Muslims saw that they took down one superpower and then the radical ones thought they could take down another one . But they 're wrong . '' Wilson is survived by his wife , Barbara Alberstadt Wilson , a sister , a niece and a nephew . Funeral arrangements are pending . CNN 's Todd Leopold contributed to this report .
Congress complained of difficulty breathing while in meeting , hospital says . 12-term congressman died at Texas , Texas , hospital . several years movie depicted his efforts to arm Democrat Mujahedeen . He served Texas ' 2nd Congressional District .