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Subscribe to RSSOne of the most celebrated generals of the 20th century, Norman Schwarzkopf, is being lauded by presidents and military leaders as a true patriot. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, the blunt, bulldog-like commander of U.S.-led coalition forces in the first Persian Gulf War, died Thursday in Florida. He was 78.
Schwarzkopf died from complications of pneumonia after a long illness at his home in Tampa, where he lived in retirement.
Schwarzkopf, a highly decorated Vietnam War veteran who rose quickly through the Army's ranks during the 1970s and '80s, drew up the initial plans for the successful U.S.-led ejection of Saddam Hussein's forces from Kuwait, which Iraq invaded in 1990.
He then became famous for his pointed and inventive language during the almost-daily televised briefings he gave reporters as commander of Operation Desert Storm in 1991, invariably clad in desert camouflage, which he is credited with introducing.
Schwarzkopf described the key maneuver that led to the end of the ground war, a redeployment of forces into Iraq behind Iraqi lines, with a boxing metaphor: He called it a "left hook." And he memorably dismissed one report he disagreed with as "bovine scatology."
In his 1992 autobiography, "It Doesn't Take a Hero," Schwarzkopf related that he meant to send a message in those briefings.
"With those cameras grinding away, I knew I wasn't talking just to friendly audiences, but that Saddam and his bully boys were watching me on CNN in their headquarters," he wrote.
Schwarzkopf said he agreed with President George H.W. Bush's decision not to pursue Hussein all the way to Baghdad. At the February 1991 briefing during which he described the coalition's victorious operations, he made it clear that he could have done so, however, had he been given the order:
"If it had been our intention to take Iraq, if it had been our intention to destroy the country, if it had been our intention to overrun the country, we could have done it unopposed for all intents and purposes from this position at that time."
Consolidated News Pictures / Getty Images file
Click to view scenes from the life of the retired Army general.
Schwarzkopf emerged from the war with the nickname "Stormin' Norman" and a career in television, much of it as a military analyst for NBC News.
The decision to go to war to oust Hussein was the defining moment of Bush's presidency. In a statement from Houston, where he is being treated at Methodist Hospital for complications related to bronchitis, Bush called Schwarzkopf "one of the great military leaders of his generation."
"More than that, he was a good and decent man," Bush said.
In January 2003, Schwarzkopf said on NBC's TODAY that he thought Bush's son, the 43rd president, had made a "very compelling" case for removing Hussein from power.
But by December 2004, he was criticizing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for his handling of the second war, telling MSNBC that war policy was being controlled by civilians in the Defense Department who "showed a total lack of understanding of the culture that we were dealing with" in Iraq.
As a result, he said, "things have gone awry," especially in terms of adequate armored protection for troops on the ground.
Dec. 13, 2004: Norman Schwarzkopf tells MSNBC's Chris Matthews that civilians in the Defense Department were mishandling the war in Iraq.
Obama, Powell hail general
In a statement Thursday night, President Barack Obama called Schwarzkopf "an American original."
"From his decorated service in Vietnam to the historic liberation of Kuwait and his leadership of United States Central Command, General Schwarzkopf stood tall for the country and Army he loved."
Colin Powell, who was Schwarzkopf's boss as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Desert Storm, remembered him Thursday as "a great patriot and a great soldier."
"He was a good friend of mine, a close buddy," Powell said in a statement. "I will miss him."
Schwarzkopf, who had been based in Tampa for many years on the way to leading U.S. Central Command in 1988, was a prominent spokesman for campaigns to promote awareness of prostate cancer, with which he was diagnosed in 1993. He is survived by his wife, Brenda, and their three adult children.
Andrea Mitchell and Courtney Kube of NBC News contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
And..what words of wisdom does the Butcher of Benghazi have to offer> "The General was an original American!"
He just can't say "hero", "leader", or anything honorable. GD Obama.
Tell me something oh wizard..... The US military is in 175 countries and the State Dept is in many more. How do you seriously.... realistically.... pawn off responsibility for every jerk water post on the PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES. Reckon he should be checking time cards and reviewing travel expenses as well?
Having served under the Gerneral during the gulf war he was the only line of communication for my wife while I was there, our hearts go out to his family and wish them all the best in the new year.
Did i ever tell you about the time the General and i had tea at FT. Benning Ga? It was late August 1990 and the heat was on to find a crack unit to drive the enemy out of kuwait. I then suggested that the 197th infantry was just up on Kelly Hill and trained and ready for anything anywhere any time. He gasp and said the mission is yours,and we finnished our tea and later that week our hero's (and our troops) were on their way. To make a long story short, The 197th ruled the Desert and won every battle including Yahtzee. We later deployed back to kelly hill and was given a parade and coupons for a free pizza from Domino's on victory drive. Yes war is hell, but a free Kuwait and Free Pizza is the American model for future was around the globe. Thank you for your service sir and i salute you, and thank you for the free pizza.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your exemplary service.... Just wish my Viet Nam buddies had a chance for a slice. MAYBE.... just MAYBE.... the US public will understand that my swamp buddies still suffer today. I kind of doubt it since the teabaggers want to cut benefits.
I remember following the news and seeing Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopfl, such a larger-than-life representataive of the United States of America. He was such a great leader, created a strong presence for his followers and managed to provide our country with some sense of security during a very uncertain time of war. I've always admired General Schwarzkopf and have often wondered the outcome had he been elected President of the USA. Maybe it was due to ignorance of my youth but there will always be a part of me that thinks Stormin' Norman could fight a war against the devil himself and win. RIP Sir, salute. My condolences to his friends and family.
MamaBear* great post I totally agree with you. I wish he ran and was elected President of the Unites States, things would have been a lot different today and all for the better. We need a Commander and Chief who has served in the military( not someone who watches it on T.V.), that is something we should strive for in the next election. Strong Military background, those are the only ones to understand what sacrifice and love of country is all about. Putting our country first and back our service members providing them what ever they need, secure our nation and their safety. Strong military is not a luxury it is a necessity. Financial support is a must.
YES! Totally agree!!! Our youth and nation as a whole needs strong leadership and especially our military right now. The last few years have taken a huge toll on our service members and everyone in this country. General Schwarzkopf or General Colin Powell would have set the stage back in the day.....
Mama Bear
You think he was larger than life on television? he was HUGE in person! I was a 23 year old 5'2female combat medic, when i met him he asked me where I was from, i told him Pueblo Colorado. he said "that's where you get those little government books from" I WAS FLOORED! how many people (let alone a general) would know and remember about those stupid books.
Marylin
the really great military leaders don't want to be in politics, they believe in action not sitting around discussing them- get in,sit down hang on and shut up. get your job done so we can go home.
101doc - What an honor it must have been to actually meet such an amazing man!!! He will definitely be remembered as one of the greatest leaders of our time and hopefully his legacy will be accurately depicted in history books for our future generations. YES, I agree with your statement regarding great military leaders not wanting to be in politics but would rather get the job done and play a more active role in resolving issues and I respect and understand that philosophy. A true American legend....
Just imagine if the Republicans had selected the General instead of Dumbya.... Is there any doubt that America would be safer and better today?
Know him...and he wanted his legacy sinply to be "A Good American" He was all that and much more.
Thank you Norman for your many contributions to America
General Schwarzkopf and General Powell were an awesome team and true American legends.
i, Jefrey Alan Castillo, never GOTthe opPORtunITY to \shake-THE - HAND OF sir STORMIN" norman ScWaRtZKOFF, BUT just THE same, his VISUAL MEDia profile, ON the c(ABLE) n(EWS) n(ETWORK), baDAbUm5 THISisOcEaNa seemingly*
I would have respected him if he had told Junior to keep out of Iraq. He and Powell were enablers to the biggest foreign policy disaster in the history of the country. Add Petraeus into the mix, and you have our troika of celebrity generals. Tools, all of them.
Sorry slick, that honor goes to the UN for not allowing us to finish the job to get Saddam out of power. We ended up with 12 years of paying for inforcing the NO Fly Zone and then Bush Jr. trying to clean up Sr.'s and the UN's mess they left.
Gods speed to a long deserved rest General, A true patriot, a man of few misleading words. the team of he and General Powell was a once in a lifetime match of pure genius. Cheney and his "purely political money motivated cronies" should have been told to stand down be quiet and let the no bull---t, no fluff military minds Gen. S and Gen. P stand and direct the honorable and humane victory. But Bush didn't have the intelligence nor the heart to make such a defining decision that involved going against the lobbyist that were.Shame.
Rest in Peace, Hero and Statesman your heart never veered from protecting our country and fighting men and women that served under you. The world is in your gratitude.
I was on the ground in the PGW at the staging area in Saudi Arabia, King Khalid Military City (KKMC), just south of the Iraq border. I was a tank commander in the 1st of the 69th Armor Regiment, brought in from Germany to serve with the Third Army as part of that "left hook". Our mission was to be a replacement platoon in the event any of the front line platoons were destroyed or became combat ineffective due to loss of men and/or machines. This was not my first barbecue; I served twelve months, five days, four hours, and twenty-seven minutes in Viet-Nam as well. I only mention that by way of introduction so that you will know that I know of what I speak. My platoon was never called to perform its mission, but we caught some hell from the SCUD missiles that were shot down by the Patriot missile defense forces, which intercepted them on their way to Riyadh.
No soldier delights in war, because we know that we may be the ones who buy victory with our blood. I never had any doubts that my crew would do their duty, and I never doubted the General. My faith was well placed. I did, however, doubt the wisdom of the United Nations mandate that prevented us from completing the task. Even I, a plain and simple foot soldier, could see that we would eventually be called upon to finish the task at some point in the future. When I returned to my base in Germany, I said as much to my spouse and two children. I waited expectantly and trained hard for the day we would have to go back to Iraq.That day never came for me as I retired in nineteen ninety-eight.
After I returned "stateside" in 1993, I spent the next three years training recruits at Fort Knox to operate the tank weapons systems and to prepare them for what I knew would come. In my welcoming speech before each new class, I confided in them that I was not there to train them to merely be a driver, a loader, or a gunner as part of a tank crew, but that I and my team of instructors were dedicated to training men who would be our replacements in the future conflicts that our nation would be involved in. I swore to my fellow soldiers that I would strive to give them all of the training and tools that they would require to survive and prevail. In my time there, I was involved in training twelve recruit platoons numbering fifty men each. I am certain that some of the troops I trained later saw action in Iraq.
Before going to Germany and then on to Iraq, I served with the First of the Thirty-fourth Armor Regiment at Fort Riley. While there, I was a Tank Commander, and my second-in-command on the tank was my Gunner, a Sergeant Thompson. As I was leaving Fort Riley, I was approached by Sgt. Thompson and he confided in me that although he did not always agree with my methods and didn't particularly consider me a friend (actually he stated that he didn't like me), if he had to go to war he would prefer to be assigned to my crew because he felt that I would get him back alive. That may seem like a back-handed compliment, but I accepted it as the highest form of respect. Such were my sentiments for the General.
I never met General Norman Schwarzkopf or had any conversation with him, only saw him in passing. Enlisted men and non-commissioned officers are often leery of generals, because it is a general's miscalculations that can get them killed unnecessarily. Thus, like Sgt. Thompson, I didn't want to be his friend; only to complete the mission and get home safely. In that respect, I would have again followed him into any battle, in the certainty that, even should I have to make the ultimate sacrifice, it would not be in vain.
My respects and my condolences to the General's family . I am sorry for your trouble.
DAMN,,,, this is near poetic....
Grunts don't really care about the stars on you lapels or the stars you make in the media. They just want to see their wives and children one more time. They are ready to defend their country, no matter what. (Not sure why that takes 4-6 tours these days, or why they are using reservists)
Thing is.... we are losing American boys on the battlefield these days in a war we can't win and I have absolutely NO confidence in our leaders. Whether it comes from congress or our military. WHAT THE FUG ARE YOU THINKING? Bring our boys home.... even the reservists that are in their 30's and on their 5th or 6th tour of duty. Imagine what this is doing to the families right here in the US of A?
Thank you General, I served under your command in Desert Storm and you made sure that we stomped the IRAQI ARMY, US ARMY 82-92 Desert Storm Vet 1/41 Inf 2AD(fwd).
America is quickly losing the last of it's true old warriors, the men who've dedicated decades to defensing their nation. His passing, as well as those like him, will be remembered by those of us who served after.
Semper Fi, General.
Rest in peace General (Norman) Schwarzkopf:(
Rest in peace, General (Norman) Schwarzkopf:(
Awwwwh no...
I am a true believer that he would have been a good President.
Even though we are distantly related, my heart is very sadden...
JHSchwarzkopf
What a bunch of morons!! Murder is not honorable. War bad. Peace good.
suck it frank! Why don't you crawl back under that manhole cover you crawled out of.
Awwww poor frank. You just can't bring yourself to say something nice about a person who dedicated his life to protect the freedoms that allow you sit at your computer and fill the internet full of more $hit.
Well, Jay, maybe if the General had f***k'd his neighbor/assistant like the last clown in charge, those folks would have praised him more. But Norman did it right. This latest crew: all pretenders!
America lost a TRUE leader. RIP General. I was proud to serve under you in ODS. Thank you.
Dear Friends:
My Deepest Condolences Commander and to your family! A great man in the American History!
God Rest Your Soul! Amen.
Bring them home safe to those who are in Command and Leadership today! Congressional Leaders also!
Amen.
RIP "stormin Norman"
It was an honor to serve with the General in 90-91, we had a mission to free Kuwait and we did. I just returned from Operation New Dawn, we sure could have used his leadership from 2003 - 2011.
3 Silver Stars in Vietnam a true hero.
This has to be a load of BOVINE SCATOLOGY.....
DANG,,,, How I loved that quote and how the media had to scramble to understand just what he had said... Not just a military man.... but probably a farm boy as well. Made me all warm and fuzzy to know a REAL soldier was in charge. Despite what the media portrays.... I LOVED the burning highway out of Kuwait. Mess with the bull and you get the horns....
Kind of a shame that Dumbya didn't have a general like STORMIN NORMAN.... Would have told him to go FUG himself..... Not gonna let American boys die for Haliburton.... Think about it.....
Flags should be at half staff for a TRUE American hero.... You think this media driven "Fiscal Cliff" was important? How about a middle eastern PSYCHO in control of the world's oil supply? Too bad we don't have a Stormin Norman running the House Republicans.
I don't think I am exaggerating when I say that Norman was an Eisenhower of our time. Name anyone you want.... Patton,,,, Bradley,,,, or even .... that dude that let our boys die on the bataan death march and wanted to invade CHINA....