A True Hero

Colin Powell's death touched me deeply. He was a true hero in so many ways: in his military service to his country, in his position as secretary of state, in his role as head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  He was the confidante of several presidents and an advisor of many world leaders. He was distinguished and admired in so many areas, yet his support of the war with Iraq was a black mark on his exemplary career. He was not sure if Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, and yet he approved the decision. Later he publicly admitted that was a mistake. 

I admire his openness in acknowledging his error. It took courage and humility to admit that he was wrong about such a critical issue.  

He considered running for president on the Republican ticket when Bill Clinton ran on the Democratic side. He decided against it since he admired Clinton. In recent years he became a Democrat because he no longer believed what the Republicans stood for.

Another thing I admire about Powell is when he was asked what person of all the famous people he had met in his life did he think was the most significant, the most admirable, and he said his wife, Alma.  Even in the face of cancer and Parkinson's disease he told people not to feel sorry for him. Then COVID 19 struck and complications from his weakened immunity caused his death. 

Colin Powell deserves an esteemed place in history for his moral stature and many accomplishments that made our country a stronger and nobler nation.