Gen. Ray Odierno, Former Army Chief and Iraq Commander, Dies at 67
9 Oct 2021
Military.com | By Travis Tritten
Retired Army Gen. Ray Odierno, who rose to be the top U.S. commander in the Iraq War more than a decade ago, has died, according to a press release from the Association of the United States Army. He was 67 years old.
He died of cancer, according to a statement from the family.
The height of Odierno's nearly 40-year military career was serving as Army chief of staff from 2011 to 2015, but the towering New Jersey native was most known for his service in Iraq, which mirrored the entire trajectory of the war itself.
Odierno helped lead the capture of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, who was found hiding in a hole in the ground in 2003, and served as the top commander in the country until the war wound down in 2011.
In total, he spent more than 55 months in Iraq over three tours.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/10/09/gen-ray-odierno-former-army-chief-and-iraq-commander-dies-67.html
