They jumped into Normandy or ran into enemy fire. Here are the heroes and leaders we lost in 2021.
By Jessica Edwards
Dec 30, 2021
Sgt. Gary Beikirch passed away on Dec. 26. (Office of the Surgeon General of the United States Army)
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell and two-time Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld were among the thousands of men and women, including Medal of Honor recipients and World War II veterans, who served the United States and died in 2021.
Below is a list of notable leaders chosen by Military Times editors who died during the calendar year.
Colin Powell
Gen. Colin Powell, then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, bows his head after laying a wreath at the annual Memorial Day observance at the Vietnam Memorial Monday May 27, 1991 in Washington. (Ron Edmonds/AP)
Gen. Colin Powell was a trailblazing soldier and diplomat. He was the first African-American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State. He died Oct. 18 of complications related to COVID-19, according to his family. He was 84.
Powell, a son of Jamaican immigrants, rose through the ranks to become a four-star general in the Army, in what many said was the embodiment of the American Dream. He was remembered as a beloved colleague, family man, and a fearless leader during his funeral at Washington National Cathedral.
Raymond Odierno
https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2021/12/30/they-jumped-into-normandy-or-ran-into-enemy-fire-here-are-the-heroes-and-leaders-we-lost-in-2021/
