Colin Powell Case
Colin Powell
General Colin L. Powell was a professional soldier for 35 years. During that time he held many different command and staff positions. His last assignment, from October 1, 1989, to September 30, 1993, was as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military position in the Department of Defense. During this time he oversaw 28 military and political crises, including Operation Desert Storm in the victorious 1991 Persian Gulf War. In 2001 He became the 65th United States Secretary of State, Powell was the first African-American U.S. secretary of state, under President George W. Bush.
Colin Powell was born April 5, 1937 to Luther and Maud Powell. Luther and Maud were Jamaicans who immigrated to the United States. Born in Harlem, Colin would later move to the Bronx. While living in the Bronx, Colin attended public schools eventually graduating from Morris High as part of the class of 1954. After graduating from Morris High, Colin went on to attend the City College in New York. It was at the City College of New York that Colin had his introduction to the military. Without any direction in life, Colin decided to join the Reserve Officers Training Course or ROTC. He was soon promoted to unit commander. This was Colin Powells calling.
Colin graduated from City College of New York in 1958 and quickly joined the army as a 2nd lieutenant. He met Alma Vivian Johnson while stationed at Fort Devens, MA. The two dated for four years and were married in 1962. The couple would eventually produce three children: Michael, Linda and Annemarie.
Immediately following his marriage to Alma, Colin was sent to Vietnam. A year later, in 1963, Powell was wounded. In his first tour of duty, Powell received purple heart and a bronze star. While on his second Vietnam tour of duty from 1968 to 1969, the 31-year-old Army major was given the assignment of investigating the My Lai massacre. In this incident, more than 300 civilians were killed by U.S. Army forces. Colin Powells report seemed to refute the allegations of wrongdoing and stated, “Relations between American soldiers and the Vietnamese people are excellent.” Also during this tour in Vietnam, Powell was injured in a helicopter crash. Despite his injury, he managed to rescue his comrades from the burning helicopter, for which he was awarded the Soldiers Medal. In all, Powell has received 11 military decorations, including the Legion of Merit.
All in total, Colin Powell received eleven military accommodations. After Vietnam, Colin Powell went to attend George Washington University in Foggy Bottom in Northwest DC. While in DC, he won a coveted White House fellowship. He was assigned to the OMB (Office of Management and Budget). It was while at the OMB that Powell met Frank Carlucci