Mourners gathered Friday to celebrate the life of former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who was remembered by his son as a "great lion with a big heart."
Powell's son Michael delivered emotional remarks at the former secretary of state's funeral in Washington, D.C, remembering his late father's "endless passion for people."
"Colin Powell was a great leader because he was a great follower," he said. "He knew you could not ask your troops to do anything you were not willing to do yourself."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Michael Powell went on to reflect that his father's example "does not call on us to emulate his resume" but to "emulate his character and his example as a human being," adding, "To honor his legacy, I hope we do more than consign him to the history books. I hope we recommit ourselves to being a nation where we are still making his kind."
Former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage also delivered remarks during the service, at one point telling an amusing story about a memorable encounter between Powell and a foreign minister from Sweden. The Swedish foreign minister knew about Powell's "affection for ABBA," Armitage recounted, and presented him with a full CD set of the band's songs.
"Colin immediately went down on one knee and sang the entire 'Mamma Mia' to a very amused foreign minister from Sweden, and to a gobsmacked U.S. delegation who had never seen anything like it," Armitage said.
Other speakers at the service, which was attended by President Biden and former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, included former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who remembered Powell as "one of the gentlest and most decent people any of us will ever meet."
-
Trump reignites Jan. 6 furor by awarding military honors to killed rioterIN THE SPOTLIGHT With military funeral honors for Ashli Babbitt, the president makes good on campaign promises designed to animate his political base while relitigating history
-
'Is it OK to be happy when the world is falling apart?'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Will online age checks doom internet freedom?Today's Big Question Or do they protect children from harm?
-
Trump crypto token launch earns family billionsSpeed Read The World Liberty Financial token is now the Trump family's 'most valuable asset'
-
RFK Jr. names new CDC head as staff revoltSpeed Read Kennedy installed his deputy, Jim O'Neill, as acting CDC director
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich throwerSpeed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
White House fires new CDC head amid agency exodusSpeed Read CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted after butting heads with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccines
-
DOGE put Social Security data at risk, official saysSpeed Read DOGE workers made the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judgesSpeed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges
-
Trump expands National Guard role in policingSpeed Read The president wants the Guard to take on a larger role in domestic law enforcement
-
Trump says he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa CookSpeed Read The move is likely part of Trump's push to get the central bank to cut interest rates
