Dignitaries from across the worlds of politics, diplomacy, and military service paid tribute to the nation’s first Black secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Washington National CathedralBy Aaron ParsleyNovember 05, 2021 12:24
Colin Powell | CREDIT: BACHRACH/GETTY IMAGES
Gen. Colin Powell was honored Friday during a private funeral at the Washington National Cathedral, where the family of the nation’s first Black secretary of state was joined by military and political leaders, including President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
Powell’s wife of 58 years, Alma Powell, and children Linda Powell, Annemarie Powell Lyons, and Michael Powell were also joined by former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush and former First Ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, and Sec. Hillary Clinton, who sat front row at the service to pay tribute to the general, who died in Oct. 18 from complications of COVID-19 at 84.
Though Powell’s family said at the time of his death that he was fully vaccinated against COVID-19, it’s been widely reported that he had Parkinson’s and had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer that suppresses the immune system.
Powell’s son Michael, his daughter Annemarie, his Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who served in President Bill Clinton‘s administration, all spoke during the funeral for the admired four-star general who broke barriers as the first Black secretary of state and 12th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The color guard flew an American flag and the flag of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the service, which was led by Episcopal Bishop Michael Curry.
Mourners heard music by a choir and an organ player throughout the event, including the patriotic song “American the Beautiful,” the stirring hymn “Amazing Grace” and “Dancing Queen” by Powell favorite
Coronavirus safety protocols, including the use of masks, were in place for Friday’s service at the Washington National Cathedral, where state funerals for four presidents — Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush — have been held. The church has also hosted prayer services for newly sworn-in presidents following their inaugurations.
In 1989, Powell was promoted to a four-star general and became chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under George H.W. Bush, putting him on the national stage and in charge of the 1990 Gulf War. He continued his role as chairman of the Clinton Administration.
Powell became the 65th Secretary of State in January 2001, serving in that role for the second Bush Administration until January 2005. His tenure at State become controversial due in part to his role in the Iraq War and the U.S. effort to oust Saddam Hussein.
Speaking to the United Nations in a 2003 speech, Powell laid out the Bush administration’s rationale for the invasion of Iraq, saying there was “no doubt” that Hussein had hidden chemical and biological weapons in Iraq. Intelligence would later confirm that such a weapons program was nonexistent. Speaking to Frontline in 2006, Powell later called that speech “a great intelligence failure.”
