{"id":6014,"date":"2025-05-15T02:09:14","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T06:09:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/?p=6014"},"modified":"2025-09-22T11:31:59","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T15:31:59","slug":"colin-powell-the-u-s-army-general-who-grew-up-in-the-bronx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/colin-powell-the-u-s-army-general-who-grew-up-in-the-bronx","title":{"rendered":"Colin Powell \u2014 The U.S. Army General Who Grew Up in the Bronx"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Colin Powell&#8217;s military career and authority made him an influential figure in American diplomacy. And everywhere he was assigned, Powell left behind the same legacy: order, efficiency, respect for people, and the trust of his command. Read on at <a href=\"http:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/\">bronx-yes.com<\/a> to learn about the journey of a man who found his calling where others get lost\u2014in the army, in the system, and in service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a138002312a9\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a138002312a9\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/colin-powell-the-u-s-army-general-who-grew-up-in-the-bronx\/#The_Military_Path\" >The Military Path<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/colin-powell-the-u-s-army-general-who-grew-up-in-the-bronx\/#Rising_to_a_New_Level\" >Rising to a New Level<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/colin-powell-the-u-s-army-general-who-grew-up-in-the-bronx\/#Contribution_to_US_Diplomacy_and_Foreign_Policy_in_the_21st_Century\" >Contribution to U.S. Diplomacy and Foreign Policy in the 21st Century<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/colin-powell-the-u-s-army-general-who-grew-up-in-the-bronx\/#Life_in_Retirement\" >Life in Retirement<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Military_Path\"><\/span>The Military Path<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Colin Luther Powell was born on April 5, 1937, to Jamaican immigrant parents. He spent his childhood in the South Bronx. He wasn&#8217;t a stellar student in school, but he had a knack for discipline and order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At 16, Powell enrolled at the City College of New York. It was there that a casual interest in military uniforms and drill practice led him to the Army Reserve Officers&#8217; Training Corps (ROTC). From that moment on, everything changed\u2014he had found his place. Powell quickly rose to command a company and earned the highest rank in ROTC: cadet colonel. In 1958, he graduated from college with a geology degree and was simultaneously commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bronx-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/05\/ad_4nxfctggmqpr7v2t8ofgor2hvct0u__2hjlsttfqx-natr2kz6xqaovoitubgie1vbjefa28cetavmytnnathqckcmkhw6s6sh4nuqiqjiaits-cqw8_dkhtgwbabmihp6i2ltp4rqgkey7xnkeawsrrz9wxxmjanopq.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Colin&#8217;s military career began at Fort Benning, followed by training at elite Ranger and Airborne schools. His first assignment was in West Germany, where he commanded a platoon in the 3rd Armored Division. His signature style\u2014precise, calm, and decisive\u2014was already evident. He then commanded a company in Massachusetts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1962, the young captain was sent to Vietnam, the first &#8220;hot zone&#8221; in his life. There, he served as an advisor to a South Vietnamese battalion and was awarded the Purple Heart after being wounded. Returning to the U.S., he continued his service and training, and in 1968, he was back in Vietnam, this time as a major. After his second tour, Powell&#8217;s career took off. He earned an MBA in Washington, worked in high-level staff positions, and in 1972, he landed in the White House as a special assistant. He was no longer just an officer\u2014he was beginning to understand how grand politics worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1973, Powell returned to the army, commanding a battalion in South Korea, guarding the demilitarized zone. He later became a policy analyst at the Department of Defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rising_to_a_New_Level\"><\/span>Rising to a New Level<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the second half of the 1970s, Colin Powell gradually transformed into a figure of national importance. He was invited to the Pentagon, worked alongside Secretaries of Defense, and earned the rank of <a href=\"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/lieutenant-general-garrison-holt-davidson-war-strategist-athlete-and-educator\">general<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1987, President Ronald Reagan appointed Powell as his National Security Advisor. He held the position from December 1987 until the end of Reagan&#8217;s presidency in January 1989. During this time, Powell didn&#8217;t just perform his duties\u2014he coordinated key meetings with foreign leaders, essentially shaping U.S. foreign policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The spring of 1989 brought another promotion: Powell received his fourth general&#8217;s star, and a few months later, the new president, George H.W. Bush, chose him to be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (the highest military position in the country). In October 1989, Colin Powell became the first African American, the first ROTC graduate, and the youngest officer in history (at 52 years old) to hold the post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bronx-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/05\/ad_4nxfmktybp2totqmhrxnaqywv-umea5hewhnxxaxtrxnnk_dsi5j-1iurzw6jvadmc622ivsd4gb7ef6fwspi4ixwl9psqnlx8xpsjuugcdwmjb-adzkij0gihqpsr7xqsuy7wc07lwkey7xnkeawsrrz9wxxmjanopq.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>From day one, Powell was immersed in a complex and tangled political world. In October 1989, a coup attempt in Panama coincided with Powell&#8217;s official swearing-in ceremony at the Pentagon. Two months later, after an American officer was killed by Panamanian soldiers, President Bush ordered an intervention. Operation &#8220;Just Cause&#8221; involved over 27,000 troops, a lightning-fast offensive, and the collapse of Manuel Noriega&#8217;s regime. Everything happened quickly, decisively, and under Powell&#8217;s full control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the biggest challenge was still ahead\u2014the Persian Gulf. In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait, and the U.S. began to build up its forces in the region. Powell, as always, acted strategically: diplomatic pressure, economic sanctions, and at the same time, powerful preparation for war. Operation &#8220;Desert Shield&#8221; turned into &#8220;Desert Storm&#8221;\u2014the largest military campaign since Vietnam. Thanks to Powell&#8217;s meticulous planning, the war was short and ended in victory. His caution, clear-headedness, and strategic vision made him a national hero. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal\u2014the nation&#8217;s highest civilian honors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Colin Powell didn&#8217;t just serve\u2014he shaped policy. His name commanded respect, and his vision inspired trust. Powell himself put it simply:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI don&#8217;t like war. I don&#8217;t want to be a warrior. But remember one other thing that&#8217;s well known about me, and that is that we go to war, and I will do everything I can to knock someone off their feet and win it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Powell&#8217;s tenure coincided with momentous events\u2014the end of the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the collapse of the USSR. In such a volatile world, Powell played a key role in updating American military strategy. Instead of global confrontation with the Soviet Union, he focused on regional conflicts, humanitarian crises, and containing local threats. He proposed the concept of a &#8220;Base Force&#8221;\u2014a military powerful enough to maintain superpower status but reduced by a quarter. Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney and President Bush supported the plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, Powell\u2019s tenure was defined by more than just combat. Under his leadership, U.S. troops participated in humanitarian missions\u2014in Somalia, where they rescued victims of famine, and in Bosnia, a country gripped by ethnic warfare. Powell was always cautious: he didn&#8217;t support U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts without a clear strategy, political will, and necessary resources. His principle was clear\u2014if we go to war, we go to win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Contribution_to_US_Diplomacy_and_Foreign_Policy_in_the_21st_Century\"><\/span>Contribution to U.S. Diplomacy and Foreign Policy in the 21st Century<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On January 20, 2001, Colin Powell officially took office as the U.S. Secretary of State in the George W. Bush administration. At the beginning of his term, he focused on strengthening diplomatic alliances, restoring America&#8217;s international standing, and reforming the State Department&#8217;s internal structure. His priorities included supporting missile defense systems, advancing the peace process in the Middle East, and implementing sanctions instead of direct military intervention in regions like Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the events of September 11 abruptly shifted the focus of U.S. foreign policy. After the attacks, Powell became a key figure in the administration&#8217;s diplomatic and military efforts. He advocated for swift action against al-Qaeda and insisted on cooperation with Afghanistan and Pakistan to find those responsible for the attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bronx-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/05\/ad_4nxerdrc7w1dmhlkyzlocq58-i4ddjs7kuxk8z7hvgeof0rclwyfxdvyge3uzsngm74qsj83fifqzkjuleoyiemfraso78ctsthf3cuwpp0tzrz0uezzedqzjvj_ox4oxceryxnrkqgkey7xnkeawsrrz9wxxmjanopq.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When the White House&#8217;s attention shifted to Iraq, Powell supported the need for UN inspectors to verify suspicions of weapons of mass destruction under Saddam Hussein. On February 5, 2003, he spoke before the UN Security Council, making a case for armed intervention based on intelligence provided to him. It was later revealed that some of this information was false, which Powell himself would later call a &#8220;blot&#8221; on his record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the focus on Afghanistan and Iraq, Powell worked on a wide range of foreign policy issues. He helped improve U.S. relations with Russia and China, especially after the U.S. withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and the signing of the Moscow Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions in 2002. Powell also actively worked to curb the nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea and welcomed Libya&#8217;s voluntary renunciation of weapons of mass destruction in 2003.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Powell&#8217;s term as Secretary of State ended amid controversy over his role in the lead-up to the Iraq War. While his contributions to modernizing U.S. diplomacy and his peace initiatives were significant, the intelligence failure and his role in legitimizing the war cast a shadow over his reputation. Powell himself later stated:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cI understood the consequences of that failure and&#8230; I deeply regret that the information\u2014some of the information, not all of it\u2014was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>After his term ended, he retired from public service, remaining one of the most famous figures in early 21st-century American politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Life_in_Retirement\"><\/span>Life in Retirement<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Immediately after retiring, Colin Powell published his autobiography, which became a bestseller, and began to speak actively in public. After leaving his official government post, Powell focused on work in the nonprofit sector, serving on the boards of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Eisenhower Fellowships, and the Colin Powell Center at the City <a href=\"https:\/\/bronx1.one\/en\/eternal\/albert-einstein-college-of-medicine-in-new-york-5348\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">College<\/a> of New York. Even after his official career ended, Powell remained a public figure sought after for comment on important issues, including the conditions of prisoners at Guantanamo, the repeal of the &#8220;Don&#8217;t Ask, Don&#8217;t Tell&#8221; policy, and the actions of presidential administrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>General Colin Powell died on October 18, 2021, at the age of 84, from complications related to COVID-19 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.bronx-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2025\/05\/ad_4nxdiwromnbooofyaeokhaqkiidmcj62ux-sxw1ymwt9t-rptsbg9dnnpbjxk5jrczxgcbz4_g6fyuzzqgpwv8yumdewnjxxnexhzirs_xjwfiie7rw7mjtnkc6xc4_avs7a_s_pgkey7xnkeawsrrz9wxxmjanopq.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>He dedicated 63 years of his life to serving his country, earning respect both in the military and on the diplomatic front. After his death, he was called the most popular American general of the 20th century after Dwight D. Eisenhower. When asked by journalist Bob Woodward whom he considered the best person in his life, Powell didn&#8217;t hesitate to name his wife, Alma, with whom he was married for 58 years:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cShe put up with a lot. She was taking care of the kids while I was\u2026 running around. She was always there for me, and she would tell me, &#8216;That&#8217;s not the best idea.&#8217; And she was usually right.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Colin Powell&#8217;s military career and authority made him an influential figure in American diplomacy. And everywhere he was assigned, Powell left behind the same legacy: order, efficiency, respect for people, and the trust of his command. Read on at bronx-yes.com to learn about the journey of a man who found his calling where others get [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":408,"featured_media":5056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[498],"tags":[2113,2105,2091,2106,2095,2110,2104,2109,2103,2111,2112,2108,2102,2107,2101],"motype":[491],"moformat":[93],"moimportance":[101,104],"class_list":{"0":"post-6014","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-military-history","8":"tag-american-history","9":"tag-bronx-native","10":"tag-cold-war","11":"tag-colin-powell","12":"tag-diplomacy","13":"tag-george-w-bush","14":"tag-joint-chiefs-of-staff","15":"tag-military-career","16":"tag-military-strategy","17":"tag-persian-gulf-war","18":"tag-political-history","19":"tag-rotc","20":"tag-secretary-of-state","21":"tag-u-s-army","22":"tag-vietnam-war","23":"motype-eternal","24":"moformat-longrid-korotka","25":"moimportance-golovna-novyna","26":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6014","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/408"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6014"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6014\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6015,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6014\/revisions\/6015"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6014"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=6014"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=6014"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bronx-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=6014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}