Colin Luther Powell was born to Jamaican immigrants in Harlem, New York and raised in the South Bronx. He eventually graduated from Morris High School without any clear plan for the rest of his life. He found his calling in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and soon became commander of his unit. The ROTC gave his life structure and direction.
After his graduation from the ROTC he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and met his wife while stationed in Massachusetts, they married in 1962. That same year, he was one of 16,000 advisers sent to South Vietnam by JFK. The year after, Powell was wounded by a punji-stick booby trap while patrolling a border. For this first tour, he was awarded a Purple Heart (a military decoration for being wounded or killed while serving) and, a year later, a Bronze Star (a decoration given for heroic achievement/service, or meritorious achievement/service in a combat zone).
On his second tour in Vietnam, Powell was injured in a helicopter crash but was still able to rescue his comrades from the burning helicopter. For this, he was awarded the Soldier's Medal (a decoration for distinguishing oneself with an act of heroism not involving conflict with an enemy) and has received 11 in all, including the Legion of Merit (a decoration for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services/achievements).
After, he attended and graduated from George Washington University and won a White House fellowship in 1972 where he was assigned to the Office of Management and Budget under the Nixon administration. He made a lasting impression on the secretary of defense and national security adviser and would often offer them counsel. He served a tour in Korea as a battalion commander and then worked for the Pentagon. He was promoted to brigadier general in 1976 and commanded the 2nd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division. Under Carter, he was an assistant to the deputy secretary of defense and secretary of energy. Then, he assisted in the transition from Carter to Reagan as major general and then a senior military aide to the Secretary of Defense and helped coordinate the invasion of Granada and bombing of Libya.
In 1987, under Reagan, Powell became national security adviser and helped coordinate technical and policy advisers during summit meetings with Gorbachev. When the Iran-Contra Affair hit, he was not implicated for any wrongdoing. Under George H. W. Bush, Powell was promoted to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military position in the Department of Defense, and was also the first African-American officer to receive this distinction. During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm (actions taken against Iraq and Saddam Hussein) and developed the "Powell Doctrine," an approach to military conflicts that advocates overwhelming force to maximize success and minimize casualties. In 2000, he was appointed secretary of state and, at the time, obtained the highest rank in civilian government ever held by an African American.
Though it's evident that Powell's life was full of great accomplishments, it was not without problems. He, for example, came under fire for his role in building a case for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He appeared before the UN to present evidence that Iraq had concealed an ongoing weapons development program but later testified before Congress that the sources he used were "wrong" and it was unlikely Saddam had stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. Under Clinton, he publicly disagreed with his stance on admitting gay people into the military though eventually adopted "don't ask, don't tell."
In present day, he, along with his wife, are co-chairs of America's Promise, a nonprofit they started dedicated to fostering character and competence in young people.
Sources:
https://www.biography.com/people/colin-powell-9445708
https://www.cnn.com/2013/08/20/us/colin-powell-fast-facts/index.html
I thought that it was really cool that you had a connection to someone who played such an integral role in politics. I thought how it was especially interesting how each president put him in a different role and how he was able to adapt to those changes. One question I had was why we don't hear about him more when he clearly plays a very important role?
ReplyDeleteI have a question of why he changed what he said about Iraq, why did he say that his sources were wrong? Was he just not careful and look at the evidence or?
ReplyDeleteOoh nice vlog on Powell! I kept seeing him too and was wondering about his background. It's interesting to see how he has this nonprofit today to help America's youth, considering his past career. Does he have any political/military position today or is he fully retired?
ReplyDeleteI liked this post! It's cool to see how such an influential black man created such an influential military strategy.
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting post. After seeing him come up over and over in the documentaries, I was wanting to learn more about him. I like that you included his achievements along with the negative parts of his carrier. You gave a well balanced summary of his life.
ReplyDeleteWow! I never realized the extent of his role as Secretary of State. I would be interested to learn why he continued to serve under presidents whose opinions and policies he disagreed with, considering he went from quite a right administration to a very liberal one. My parents also know of him, and it's cool to see the lasting legacies left by politicians who aren't presidents. Can't wait to run myself one day.
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