Colin Powell

First, though, family members, politicians , historians and civil rights advocates are paying tribute to Colin Powell, an American military and political leader who passed away Monday at age 84. Powell had an extraordinary resume dating all the way back to his work in the Reserve Officers Training Corp while he was in college. At that time, Powell had attained the ROTC's highest rank and he continued to advance his military career from there. Powell served in combat during the Vietnam War and became a four-star general in the U.S. Army. During the presidency of Ronald Reagan, Powell became America's first black National Security Advisor. Under President George H.W. Bush, Powell became the first African American chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, the country's highest-ranking military officer.