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General Raymond T. Odierno, a native of New Jersey and former Army Chief of Staff, who successfully led the “wave” that changed both the tide of the battle and the perception of the American public in the Iraq war, died Friday at the age of 67.
“The general died after a courageous battle with cancer; his death was unrelated to COVID, ”his family said in a statement. No further details were given.
The United States Army Association reported that the general has a long record and has made several tours abroad.
“During more than 37 years of service in the military, he commanded units at all levels, from platoon to theater, and served in Germany, Albania, Kuwait, Iraq and across the United States.” , indicates the report.
Odierno, who reached the rank of four-star general, completed three tours of service in Iraq and it was under his command that elements of the 4th Infantry Division captured Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein on December 13, 2003.
“Caught like a rat,” said Odierno, in one of the iconic moments of US military conflicts after 9/11.
“He was in the bottom of a hole with no way to retaliate,” Odierno, then a major general, told world media as images were broadcast around the world of the once feared ex-dictator being pulled from his hiding place by American troops. .
Odierno was born September 8, 1954 in Rockaway Township, NJ, the son of a WWII Army sergeant and a working mother. A star high school athlete, the towering 6-foot-5 Odierno played both baseball and football at the United States Military Academy. He graduated from West Point in 1976.
Odierno was accused by the Bush administration in 2007 of having ordered the so-called controversial “surge” of the Iraq war.
The rapid deployment of tens of thousands of additional troops has proven to be successful in quelling violence in Iraq and reducing American casualties and has raised Odierno’s profile in military and world affairs.
He gained new international notoriety in 2008, after replacing General David Petraeus as commander of the multinational force in Iraq.
Odierno was known in military circles for his deep commitment to the military and to those soldiers, and their families, killed and wounded in the service of their nation.
“Ray strongly believes that soldiers are not in the military, they are in the military,” Army Secretary John McHugh said at Odierno’s 2105 retirement ceremony, Army Times reported . “It has always been his No.1 job to serve them well and to serve them honorably. Whether it’s fighting in Tikrit or visiting a hospital bed in Walter Reed, he’s led with a sharp wit, callused hands, and a servant spirit.
Odierno is survived by his wife Linda, whom he met in high school, as well as their three children, including retired captain Tony Odierno, a veteran, and their families.
With post wires
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