- On View
- Military History Gallery
- Museum Maps
- Objects in this Location
- Manufactured by
- Unidentified
- Worn by
- General Powell, Colin L., American, 1937 - 2021
- Subject of
- United States Army, American, founded 1775
- Date
- 1989-1993
- Medium
- cotton and synthetic fiber blend cloth with metal fastener
- Dimensions
- H x W x D (flat): 1 5/8 × 36 1/2 × 3/4 in. (4.1 × 92.7 × 1.9 cm)
- Caption
- Colin Luther Powell was born in Harlem, New York, on April 5, 1937. He graduated from Community College of New York in 1958 and earned his commission through the ROTC as a second lieutenant in the Regular Army. After a distinguished and highly decorated military career, Powell was promoted to four-star general in 1989. That same year he became the first African American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), serving under President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton. General Powell retired from the Army in 1993 after 35 years of service. In 2001 he became the first African American Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush before resigning in 2004. General Powell died on October 18, 2021, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. After a funeral service at Washington National Cathedral in D.C., General Powell was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
- Description
- A US Army green service uniform belt worn by Colin L. Powell as General and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The belt is made from black canvas cotton and synthetic fiber blend fabric. There is a brass metal flat clip on one end and a brass metal flip buckle on the other end. The text "US" is engraved on the back of the buckle.
- Place used
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Clothing-Historical
- Topic
- Clothing and dress
- Local and regional
- Military
- Persian Gulf War, 1991
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret)
- Object number
- 2016.14.5
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.