Former Secretary of State General Colin Powell Has Died

(KNSI) — Former Secretary of State General Colin Powell has died.

Powell, a four-star general, served as Secretary of State in the Bush administration until he resigned in 2005, shortly after Bush’s re-election. Powell died on Monday, October 18th due to complications from COVID-19 at the age of 84. Powell was fully vaccinated.

Born in New York City, Powell was raised in the Bronx and participated in the ROTC program while at City College of New York and upon graduation in 1958, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

He served a tour during the Vietnam War and was wounded after stepping on a punji stake. The injury did substantial damage to his foot, cutting his tour short. He did return in 1968, serving as assistant chief of staff of operations for the 23rd Infantry. He survived a helicopter crash and rescued three others. His actions earned him a Soldier’s Medal for Bravery.

Powell served as a professional soldier for 35 years, ascending to the rank of General, and was Commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command in 1989.

From 1989 until 1993, he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which is the highest military position in the Department of Defense. He oversaw the invasion of Panama and Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf War.

As Secretary of State, Powell’s main mission became managing relationships between the U.S. and foreign powers to create and secure a coalition in the War on Terror. He came under fire in 2003 for his handling in building a case for the invasion of Iraq. Powell made a pitch before the United Nations Security Council in favor of an invasion, however, reports surfaced he had used old and inaccurate information in his pitch. Powell later said in an interview he had just four days to review data concerning weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. He called his speech a “blot” on his record, calling it “painful” two years after the fact.

Powell later built a coalition to assist in rebuilding post-war Iraq saying the information in his 2004 speech was “wrong” and it was “unlikely” any weapons of mass destruction would be found there.

Powell, often seen as a moderate Republican, was also on the shortlist of potential running mates for Senator John McCain’s bid for president in 2008, but later announced his support for then-candidate Barack Obama. After publicly criticizing Obama for the increasing size of the federal government and budget deficit and his lack of focus on the economy and job creation, Powell again announced his support for Obama in 2012.

In 2016, while not a candidate for that year’s election, Powell received three electoral votes from Washington for the office of President of the United States.

Powell is a two-time recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was also awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, Presidential Citizens Medal, Secretary of State Distinguished Service Medal, and the Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal. Several schools and other institutions have been named in his honor, including the General Colin L. Powell Leadership Academy in Minneapolis.

He leaves behind a wife and three adult children.

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