Gen. Colin Powell, the influential former foreign-policy and chairman of the military” target=”_blank”>Joint Chiefs of Staff<, first lady Jill Biden, former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and former Secretary Hillary Clinton were among the guests in attendance. A number of Biden administration officials joined former leading government figures were also there.
Powell’s son Michael K. Powell, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage offered tributes. Powell’s daughter Annemarie Powell Lyons read a passage of Scripture, Micah 6:6-8.
Image 1 of 7
President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, stand during the funeral for former Secretary of State Colin Powell at the Washington National Cathedral, in Washington, Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Image 2 of 7
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden talk with former President Barack Obama before the funeral for former Secretary of State Colin Powell at the Washington National Cathedral, in Washington, Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Image 3 of 7
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive for a funeral service for former Secretary of State Colin Powell at the Washington National Cathedral, Friday, Nov. 5, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Image 4 of 7
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin talks with former President Barack Obama before the funeral for former Secretary of State Colin Powell at the Washington National Cathedral, in Washington, Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Image 5 of 7
Former President George W. Bush greets former CIA director Robert Gates, left, as former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former Joint Chiefs Chairman Peter Pace, right, watch before a funeral for former Secretary of State Colin Powell at the Washington National Cathedral, in Washington, Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Image 6 of 7
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton arrives ahead of a memorial service for former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell at Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Nov. 5, 2021. REUTERS/Tom Brenner (REUTERS/Tom Brenner)
Image 7 of 7
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton talks with Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to the president, left, before the funeral for former Secretary of State Colin Powell at the Washington National Cathedral, in Washington, Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Powell, who played a pivotal policy role during the administration of President george-w-bush” target=”_blank”>George W. Bush,< his family announced. He was fully vaccinated. He had also suffered from Parkinson’s disease and multiple myeloma, according to the family.
REMEMBERING COLIN POWELL UPON HIS DEATH: FORMER PRESIDENT BUSH CALLS HIM ‘A GREAT PUBLIC SERVANT’
Armitage told colorful stories about his 40-year friendship with Powell, highlighting his “sense of humor, his insatiable curiosity and his comfort in his own skin.” And Albright said she “came to view Colin Powell as a figure who almost transcended time, for his virtues were Homeric: honesty, dignity, loyalty, and an unshakable commitment to his calling and word.”
“The example of Colin Powell does not call on us to emulate his resume which is too formidable for mere mortals,” his son Michael eulogized. “It is to emulate his character and his example as a human being. We can strive to do that. We can choose to be good.”
In this image released on May 28, 2021, Gen. Colin Powell on stage during the Capital Concerts’ "National Memorial Day Concert" in Washington, D.C.
(Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Capital Concerts)
Powell, the first Black secretary of state, served in Bush’s Cabinet from 2001-2005, including during the tumultuous years following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The State Department described Powell, a Republican, as being “one of the foremost supporters” of taking “swift military action” against al Qaeda. Powell demanded “immediate” cooperation from Afghanistan and Pakistan in the U.S. effort to hunt down those responsible for the attacks.
By 2003, when the Bush administration’s focus had expanded to Iraq, Powell pushed for United Nations inspectors to investigate the claims that Saddam Hussein was manufacturing weapons of mass destruction. Powell presented intelligence to the U.N. in February 2003 that supported the administration’s claim that Iraq did have weapons of mass destruction and had the capabilities of producing more. In 2004, though, the State Department said some of the intelligence he presented was “found to be erroneous.” Powell, according to the State Department, felt military action should not begin “until a large coalition of allies and a long-term occupation plan were in place.” Despite his advice, the administration moved toward preemptive military action against Iraq.
COLIN POWELL’S ‘13 RULES’: READ THEM HERE
Powell was born on April 5, 1937, in Harlem, New York. His parents were Jamaican immigrants and raised him in the South Bronx.
Image 1 of 2
( )
Image 2 of 2
The west front of Washington’s National Cathedral is photographed from the damaged main tower after an earthquake Aug. 24, 2011. (REUTERS/Jason Reed/File Photo)
He attended City College in New York, where he began his military service by joining the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Powell graduated at the top of his class with the rank of cadet colonel – the highest ranking in the corps.
He served for 35 years in the military, beginning as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Powell was one of the 16,000 military advisers dispatched to South Vietnam by President John F. Kennedy in 1962.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
He was awarded the Purple Heart, and later that year, the Bronze Star. Powell served a second tour of duty in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. He was injured in a helicopter crash. Despite his own injuries, he managed to rescue his fellow soldiers from a burning helicopter and was awarded the Soldier’s Medal.
In total he received 11 military decorations, including the Legion of Merit.
