During his long career, he received 10 badges and over 15 medals and ribbons for his service. It wasn't long after retiring that he became the Secretary of State under George W. Bush, the first African American to hold the position.
Powell was in Vietnam for two tours, both of which weren't easy. He's stated that he has nightmares about his time over there. His first tour was cut short after he was wounded by stepping on a booby trap which led to infection and difficulty walking.
During his second tour in Vietnam, he was decorated for bravery after he survived a helicopter crash and single-handedly rescued three others, including a division commander, from the burning wreckage.
The 80s were a pretty good time for Powell. He first became senior military assistant to the Secretary of Defense. A few years later, he became Ronald Reagan's National Security Advisor while remaining in the army as a lieutenant general. He was promoted to four-star general after that, becoming only the third person to reach that rank after having started their military career in ROTC.
Later that year, he was selected by George H. W. Bush as the Joint Chief of Staff. Just over ten years later, he would become Secretary of State to the second President Bush, a position he would hold throughout Bush's first term. He was succeeded by the second African American in that position, Condoleezza Rice.
