I have always been a fan of former United States Secretary of State, General Colin Powell. Today he died due to complications of COVID19.

He WAS fully vaccinated. He was however, immunocompromised due to battling cancer. He suffered from a breakthrough case of COVID-19 and before fake news takes over, this isn’t an issue of the lack of efficacy of the vaccine, this is about the breakthrough COVID-19 variants health officials have been warning us about. I am sure the rabid anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers won’t pay attention to this, or will twist it up, but this is how and why he died. This virus is a killer and doesn’t care who you are, or where you’re from it will take your life anyway.

If you are immunocompromised in any way , this is what you fear. Here we had a literal lion, an amazing human being, and COVID-19 has taken him from his family, and this country.

So for all of you who want to send me articles about how COVID-19 still isn’t real, etc. just stop. It is.

I actually met this amazing human being once upon a time way back when Philadelphia hosted the RNC 2000, or when you still recognized Republicans NOT as a party corrupted and ruined by Donald Trump.

I was a media relations volunteer at the RNC 2000. I was stationed primarily at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. I met all sorts of fascinating people during this time. I met Powell the same day I met Larry King and an ABC network news guy.

Larry King was with his super tall blonde wife (# 7) and was so short and his face was pulled so tight he resembled a praying mantis. The ABC network news guy was just too important to talk to anyone and quite rude. I don’t remember his name. But I believe he’s retired.

But Colin Powell? He was just amazing. He was gracious and pleasant and spoke to us volunteers. Meeting him was a complete fluke, he was at the train station to pick his wife up from the train.

That was a crazy volunteer experience that was very memorable. I got to meet people like Arnold Schwarzenegger and his then wife Maria Shriver. I also helped a then slightly harried young Congressman from Mississippi named Chip Pickering. He had taken a train up from Washington without his wallet. I let him cab fare to get to the convention center or I believe he was a platform speaker of some sort. I remember somebody saying to me “You just lent a stranger money. You’ll never see that again!” Well not only did he pay me back, but his secretary sent me tickets to some of the best parties that week!

But meeting Colin Powell? That was the best.

What I have always liked about Colin Powell is he is the definition of a true patriot, and lived his life that way. In recent years, people have kind of tossed that word around like a verbal potato chip. But Colin Powell lived it. He served his country, not just some political party.

Colin Powell said on January 11, 2011 after the insurrection in Washington, D.C. that he could no longer call himself a Republican. He was quoted in The New York Time as follows:

📌In an interview on CNN, the host, Fareed Zakaria, asked Mr. Powell if Republican Party members “realize that in a sense they caused, that they encouraged at least this wildness to grow and grow,” referring to Mr. Trump’s chaotic governance, which culminated in the violence last week.

Mr. Powell, 83 and a longtime Republican Party member, replied, “They did, and that’s why I can no longer call myself a fellow Republican.”

This country lost someone special today. R.I.P. Colin Powell and God speed.

NPR: PHOTOS: Colin Powell’s life in public service

Updated October 18, 20215:02 PM ET

CNN: Colin Powell, first Black US secretary of state, dies of Covid-19 complications amid cancer battle
By Devan Cole, CNN
Updated 1:33 PM EDT, Mon October 18, 2021

Washington Post: Obituaries
Colin L. Powell, former secretary of state and military leader, dies at 84

By Bradley Graham