Colin Powell has died of COVID-19 related complications

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Colin Powell has died of COVID-19 related complications. 

The first Black secretary of state was 84.

Colin rose through the ranks of the armed forces in a decades-long career that culminated in his service as the 12th chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, the highest-ranking military appointment in the Defense Department.

Powell died Monday at Walter Reed National Medical Center despite being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, family said.

Colin Powel rose from a humble background to one of the most powerful positions in US government.

USA Today captures the situation with the following submissions:

His reputation took a hit, though, in 2003 when Powell told the United Nations Security Council that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction to justify war in Iraq, citing faulty information.

Powell was born in New York City and joined the Army after graduating from the City University of New York. He died Monday at Walter Reed National Medical Center in Maryland. His family said he was fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The four-star general was the first Black Secretary of State in U.S. history, serving from 2001 to 2005 under former President George W. Bush.

Powell was the son of two immigrants from Jamaica, and he was raised in the South Bronx, according to the Office of the Historian.

After graduating from City College of New York, he joined the U.S. army in 1958 where he served for 35 years until his retirement in 1993. He rose the ranks and was promoted to the rank of general in 1989 and later Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by former President George H.W. Bush.

 “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work," Powell once said.

A son of two immigrants from Jamaica, Powell was a four-star general. He was promoted to the rank of general in 1989, and later Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff by former President George H.W. Bush. During his long stint in the military, Powell also served two tours in Vietnam. He also oversaw U.S. diplomacy in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, USA Today reports.

Among early tributes to the deceased is Schwarzenegger’s with the message: Colin Powell lived his life being first but always put himself second - to his country, to his soldiers, to his family. May his selflessness and patriotism inspire all of us, every day.