StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Contribution of Colin Powell to American History - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
This paper 'Contribution of Colin Powell to American History' tells us that Colin Luther Powell is a United States statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army (Ryan np). In 1937, a Jamaican migrated woman gave birth to a wonderful child in Harlem and named the child Colin Luther Powell. …
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER94.5% of users find it useful
Contribution of Colin Powell to American History
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Contribution of Colin Powell to American History"

No: Contribution of Colin Powell to American history Colin Luther Powell is a United States statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army (Ryan np). In 1937, Jamaican migrated woman gave birth to a wonderful child in Harlem and named the child Colin Luther Powell. His parents belonged to Jamaica spiritually and emphasized Colin Powell to attain education and strive for personal achievement. Powell was the resident of South Bronx at his early age. He graduated from the Reverse Officers Training Camp (ROTC) in 1958 and topped the ROTC class and got the highest rank of the Cadet Colonel (Ryan np). He was appointed by the President Kennedy as the military advisor to South Vietnam in 1962. During this era, he polished his leadership skills which were inherent. He is a former secretary of state, national security advisor and chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first African American to serve in any of those positions (Ciment 204). He graduated from a high school without having any definite ambition or direction in life. It was in City College, New York, where he discovered his calling and found his career in Military (Ryan np). This was the beginning of a career that continues to benefit all Americans today. Over the course of his career, he became one of the most popular American figures, representing the possibilities of American dream for millions of people around the world. As Colin Luther Powell said and I quote: “I was born in Harlem, raised in the South Bronx, went to public school, got out of public college, went into the Army, and then I just stuck with it.” Serving in Vietnam His first assignment was at the Fulda Gap (West Germany), where American and allied groups stood as an obstacle on Soviet Union’s most likely invasion route. In 1960s, Powell served two tours of duty at South Vietnam. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army and was dispatched there along with 16000 military advisors by President Kennedy in 1962. He served as South Vietnamese advisor on his first tour, where he was wounded in 1963 by a Vietcong booby trap. In 1968 to 1969, he served as an Army Infantry officer, where he was also wounded badly in a helicopter crash. Despite of his injuries he managed to rescue two of his comrades from the burning helicopter for which he received a Soldier’s medal. For his valor and bravery in Vietnam, he was also awarded two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit. In 1971, he completed his MBA from George Washington University and was awarded the prestigious White House fellowship after being prompted to Major in the succeeding year. During the administration of President Nixon, he was assigned to the office of Management and Budget where he made a lasting impression on Casper Weinberger and Frank Carlucci. Later on, they would consult Powell for advice, when they both served as Secretary of Defense and National Security advisor, respectively, in the Reagan Administration. In 1973, he traveled to South Korea and took command of a battalion and then a year later, he returned as a staff officer to the Pentagon. He completed his military education in 1976 from National War College. He later on took command of the Second Brigade of the 101st Airborne division at Kentucky in the same year. In 1980, he completed his assignments as the Fourth Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado. In 1987, he was in West Germany again serving as the commanding General in Frankfurt when he was called back to Washington to work with Frank Carlucci as a new National Security advisor. Working with National Security Council Frank Carlucci was chosen to be the head of National Security which was, at that time, troubled due to the aftermath of Iran-Contra Scandal. Powell at that time was not unaware of what was going in NSC under Admiral John Poindexter and Oliver North. He had to face the issue of arms sales to Iran while working under Weinberger at the defense department. Being aware of these issues doesn’t make him guilty as he always worked above reproach and had never done anything against the law or without president’s approval. Powell along with Carlucci reduced the possibility of free-lance foreign policy in NSC. In 1987, Carlucci took oath as the Secretary of Defense while Powell was called upon to take the leadership of NSC. During his tenure, Powell spoke out in number of issues which, he felt, were crucial to national security which included economic strength, foreign investment, control of technology exchanges, protection of the environment, defense budget, research and development and education. Chairman of Joint Chief of Staffs In 1991, Colin Powell took over the Army forces Command and was made Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff by President George H. W. Bush. He was the first African American officer to receive the highest distinction in the Department of Defense. He drew various plans for military actions in Panama and Middle East. The General had more influence than any Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff ever since World War II. He was obliged to exercise this power during the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Powell advised President that there were different options including economic and diplomatic sanctions, as well as the use of military force. Altogether they concluded that decisive force was the necessary response. After the tour, he recommended that increasing the number of troops will assure the isolate and destroy strategy (Gerry np). He showed his ability to manage people and bureaucracies. During the planning of the air and land campaigns, he aided the president in making political decisions and kept himself aware of the military plans (Cengage Learning np). He exerted his authority only in major issues. He oversaw bombing mission in Baghdad after it had killed 400 civilians in a bunker. He also convinced President Bush to respond to the Iraq Peace proposal via an ultimatum. He retired from Chairman Joint chiefs of Staff in 1993. Powell’s Major Contribution “America’s promise” The political carrier of Colin Powell began after his retirement from military. However, his real motives and agenda appeared, when he attached himself with Senator Sam Nunn and President Carter (former) and supported the matter of peace making expedition in Haiti, which aimed to finish military rule peacefully and give the powers to the elected government. The discussions brought results and power was given to the democratic government of Haiti. After the retirement, he directed all his ambitions and attention towards America’s youth. Powell along with President’s Bill Clinton attended the president’s Summit for America’s future (A+E television Networks, LLC np). This summit called upon Americans to join their hands and efforts to make youth a national priority and volunteer to improve the lives of Millions of American improvised children. He got the inspiration from that Summit and founded America’s Promise to mobilize the nation to work and provide the children the resources based on five promises. According to the website of America’s Promise, these five promises were: Ongoing relationship with ongoing parents, tutors, mentors and coaches; Safe places with structures activities during non school hours; Marketable skills through effective education; Healthy start and future; Opportunities to give back to them through community service. Powell often emphasized the importance of youth development which is the base of every nation’s strong foundation. Secretary of State In 2000, nearly after seven years, Powell found himself again postulating to serve President George W. Bush who called upon Powell to join Cabinet of Advisors and take the charge of Secretary of State. He agreed and soon took the charge and became the first African-American who held that designation. He later on dealt with the Iraqi Invasion throughout and later on resigned as Secretary of State in November 2004 (Powell & Persico 78-119). Colin Powell spent much of his life dedicated to Americans. As a soldier, he was committed to protect his nation and advance democratic values. He served his country throughout his life. He began his journey in ordinary circumstances and spent much of his life in inspiring youth with his leadership skills (American Academy of Achievements np). He has become a prominent figure in serving as an advisor to several American presidents. Despite various requests from both the parties to join their political circles, he focused all his attention in serving the youth of the nation only. Powell has become an American success story, but his success stems not from any monetary accumulation and conspiracies but, rather, from his services to fellow Americans. The history of America is filled with such dignified man that aimed to work for the people of America and for the better future of the Country; Colin Powell is one of these persons. Nobody can neglect the services of Colin Powell. As long as the history of America remains, the name of Colin Powell is remembered as the person who thought for the change, for the harmony of people, for the rights and for the good of Country. Works Cited American Academy of Achievements. “General Colin L. Powell”. Academy of Achievements. November 11, 2010. Web. April 4, 2012. http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/pow0bio-1 A+E television Networks, LLC. “Colin Powell. Biography”. bio.TRUE STORY. 2012. Web. April 4, 2012. http://www.biography.com/people/colin-powell-9445708?page=4 Butler, Gerry. “Powell, Colin”. BlackPast.org. N.d. Web. April 4, 2012. http://www.blackpast.org/?q=aah/powell-colin-1937 Cengage Learning. “Colin L. Powell”. GALE CENGAGE learning. N.d. Web. April 4, 2012. http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_resources/bhm/bio/powell_c.htm Ciment, James. “Atlas of African-American History” New York: Infobase Publishing, 2007. Print. Powell, Colin.L. and Joseph. E. Persico. “My American Journey”. New York: Random House Publishing Group, 2003. Print. Ryan, Bryan. "Powell, Colin 1937-." Contemporary Black Biography. 1992. Encyclopedia.com. Web. 9th April 2012 http://www.encyclopedia.com. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“How Collin Powell Has Contributed to American History Research Paper”, n.d.)
How Collin Powell Has Contributed to American History Research Paper. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/history/1446843-how-collin-powell-has-contributed-to-american
(How Collin Powell Has Contributed to American History Research Paper)
How Collin Powell Has Contributed to American History Research Paper. https://studentshare.org/history/1446843-how-collin-powell-has-contributed-to-american.
“How Collin Powell Has Contributed to American History Research Paper”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/history/1446843-how-collin-powell-has-contributed-to-american.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Contribution of Colin Powell to American History

African american racial status in the 21st century

Racism has been a curse for the american society from its birth in 1751.... It has stained the nation's identity with the African-american's blood for years until the Civil War in **** and the 13th Amendment.... Racism has been a curse for the american society from its birth in 1751.... It has stained the nation's identity with the African-american's blood for years until the Civil War in **** and the 13th Amendment.... Racism was so much deep rooted in an american's heart that the enactments of anti-slavery laws and the relevant amendments in the US Constitution were merely to redirect a racial mind to find alternatives for white superiority over the Black....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Civil Right Movement

Condoleezza Rice and colin powell became Secretary of State and many large cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, New York have had mayors from African American community.... The segregation episodes that their children faced in the schools have been now buried deep into history books.... Their contribution in the US mainstreams reached to its pinnacle when an African american reached to the highest office of US in 2009.... The law has given them equal rights and opportunities in all walks of life; this certainly proves that the status of African american has improved significantly since the end of the Civil Rights Movement....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

American Patriots by Gail Buckley

The soldiers took part in Revolutions, the World War I, the Indian Wars and other such crucial conflicts that took place in american history.... From Crispus Attucks to colin powell, the book completely tracks all sorts of exploitation meted out to the soldiers of the black race.... It especially deals with the contribution of black servicemen and women to a great extent.... Gail Buckley authored two books The Hornes: An American Family, Knopf, 1986 which deals with the history of the author's famous family members....
5 Pages (1250 words) Book Report/Review

The Truth About Iraq May Be Elusive

When the leaders of a country intentionally mislead its citizens, it is a cause for concern.... When the deception leads a country into war and lives are put at risk it is cause for a thorough investigation.... ... ... ... When the leaders of a country intentionally mislead its citizens, it is a cause for concern....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay

African-Americans in Historic Perspective

The paper "African-Americans in Historic Perspective" states that in order to understand the issue of inclusion of African-Americans in american history one needs to briefly look at their present social construct and then trace back their development in history.... While the philosophy of what can safely be called rewriting american history is that it does not necessarily have to be a narrative of extraordinary people and events but the ordinary people and ordinary events were as much important....
23 Pages (5750 words) Essay

Should Gays be Allowed to Serve in the Military

For the sake of this particular argument, the american challenges and the views fronted by various people become beneficial in analyzing whether gays should be allowed to serve in the military The “don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue policy is one the policies in the USA that cannot be overlooked in such a debate.... The main reason cited for this move was that, homosexuality destabilizes good order and it is against the good morals of the larger american society....
8 Pages (2000 words) Research Paper

American History: Whose Past Is It

The author of this paper looks into the process of setting standards for the history subjects for students Kindergarten through Grade 12 and the notion of inclusion (and exclusion) in the American story with particular reference to the African-Americans.... In 1994, the National history Standards were caught up in a controversy which engulfed the entire nation.... Under criticism was the social history and that too for representing African-Americans in the American story who had erstwhile been excluded at the cost of underplaying or excluding the 'white' descendants of European origin....
20 Pages (5000 words) Research Paper

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

These themes are 1) the nature of solidarity; 2) what it is to be a leader; and 3) the concept of history.... The first book captures a critical moment when a radical African american leader rose up in opposition against white domination, while the second book deals with the start of a new era as Barack Obama takes up the presidency.... The book was put together out of tape recordings and interviews made by African american writer Alex Haley before the sudden death of Malcolm X in 1965....
14 Pages (3500 words) Book Report/Review
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us