Senate Resolution No. 1794

BY: Senator CLEARE

CELEBRATING the life of General Colin L. Powell,
former United States Secretary of State, meritorious
military leader and dedicated family man

WHEREAS, There are certain outstanding members of our community who,
through their selfless commitment and dedication, have served to better
the quality of life in our State and Nation, and who have had a
measurable positive impact on the lives of its residents; Colin L.
Powell was one such individual; and

WHEREAS, It is with profound sorrow and deep regret that this
Legislative Body records the passing of Colin L. Powell, noting the
significance of his purposeful life and accomplishments; and

WHEREAS, Colin L. Powell, who in four decades of public life served
as the nation's top soldier, diplomat and national security adviser,
died on Monday, October 18, 2021, at the age of 84, from complications
related to the novel coronavirus; and

WHEREAS, Colin Luther Powell was born in New York's Harlem
neighborhood on April 5, 1937 to Luther and Maud Ariel (McKoy) Powell;
in 1941, the family moved to the South Bronx, where Colin and his older
sister grew up in a multiethnic community of West Indian, Italian and
Jewish immigrants; and

WHEREAS, After graduating from Morris High School in 1954, Colin L.
Powell studied geology at the City College of New York, and excelled in
the Army's Reserve Officers' Training Corps (R.O.T.C.), becoming leader
of the precision drill team and achieving the top rank of cadet colonel;
and

WHEREAS, Colin L. Powell entered active duty service in 1958; from a
young second lieutenant commissioned in the dawn of a newly desegregated
United States Army, he valiantly served two decorated combat tours in
Vietnam; and

WHEREAS, Upon earning an MBA at George Washington University in
1971, Colin L. Powell won a prestigious White House fellowship, ending
in the Office of Management and Budget in the fall of 1972; and

WHEREAS, In 1973, Colin L. Powell went back to the field to command
an infantry battalion in South Korea, then studied for a year at the
National War College; he took charge of a brigade of the 101st Airborne
Division at Fort Campbell, before returning to Washington; and

WHEREAS, For four years, Colin L. Powell held a series of
assignments as military assistant to one high-level Pentagon official
after another; during this time, he received his first general's star
and became the Army's youngest brigadier general; and

WHEREAS, Colin L. Powell rose rapidly through the ranks to become
the youngest and first Black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the most
senior member of the U.S. armed forces and top military advisor to the

President; in this capacity, he was the architect of the invasion of
Panama in 1989 and of the Persian Gulf war in 1991; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, as the Pentagon's top officer, he played a
prominent role in restoring a sense of pride to the nation's
post-Vietnam military and began the reshaping of American forces after
the end of the Cold War; and

WHEREAS, As National Security Adviser to President Ronald Reagan,
Colin L. Powell was instrumental in the negotiation of arms treaties and
an era of cooperation with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev; and

WHEREAS, After retiring from the military in 1993, Colin L. Powell
wrote a best-selling memoir, My American Journey, before returning to
public service in 2001; his selection as President George W. Bush's
Secretary of State transformed him from soldier to statesman and made
him the first Black person to lead the State Department; and

WHEREAS, In his first year as Secretary, Colin L. Powell won the
release of the crew of a U.S. surveillance plane from China, averted the
pullout of U.S. troops from NATO peacekeeping operations in the Balkans,
and facilitated the U.S. withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile
Treaty without provoking a harsh Russian backlash; and

WHEREAS, Eloquent, articulate and a skilled problem solver, Colin L.
Powell had a knack for exuding authority while also putting others at
ease; he was highly respected both at home and abroad, and was the proud
two-time recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his
meritorious contributions to the United States; and

WHEREAS, While he was passionate about many things, above all his
greatest passion was being a loving husband, father, and grandfather;
and

WHEREAS, A truly great American, Colin L. Powell's infinite
selflessness and benevolence will shine on through his family's vivid
and happy memories; his insight, strength and love for his country will
forever serve as a beacon of light and hope to the countless lives he
touched; and

WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Colin L. Powell leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
who were privileged to have known and loved such an amazing man; he will
be deeply missed and truly merits the grateful tribute of this
Legislative Body; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
celebrate the life of General Colin L. Powell, and to express its
deepest condolences to his family; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of General Colin L. Powell.