Army general who commanded in Iraq dies of cancer at age 67

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By ROBERT BURNS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Raymond T. Odierno, a retired Army general who commanded American and coalition forces in Iraq at the height of the war and capped a 39-year career by serving as the Army’s chief of staff, has died, his family said Saturday. He was 67.

“The general died after a brave battle with cancer; his death was not related to COVID,” a family statement said. “There are no other details to share at this time. His family is grateful for the concern and asks for privacy.”

Odierno died Friday; the family declined to say where. It said funeral and interment information was not yet available.

A native of Rockaway, New Jersey, Odierno graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1976 with a commission in field artillery. He served in a wide range of Army and Defense Department roles with multiple tours abroad, including in Iraq, Germany, Albania and Kuwait. As a three-star general he was assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a job that made him the main military adviser to the secretary of state.



FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2007 file photo, Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, who serves as the commanding general of Multi-National Corps-Iraq, gives an update on conditions, where he has served in his current leadership capacity since Dec. 2006 during a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington. Odierno, a retired Army general who commanded American and coalition forces in Iraq at the height of the war and capped a 39-year career by serving as the Army's chief of staff, has died, his family said Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021. He was 67. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/joint-chiefs-of-staff-raymond-t-odierno-middle-east-iraq-army-7dc54d83e3a72a33643d9cf8655c8d38

[Shellback Squid]

1. RIP Lt Gen

[DURHAM D]

2. I thought he would run for office.

Guess we know now why he didn't.

I met him a couple of times. He is a very nice guy.

[JI7]

3. Trump and McConnell are still alive

[James48]

4. Unfortunately

So is Dick Cheney.

[MustLoveBeagles]

5. RIP

[marble falls]

6. My son threw him into a Humvee in Iraq when they came under sniper fire during one the ...

... walking tours the General was known for.

James got called in to HQ afterwards expecting a dressing down. The General thanked him, asking him if he worked out, told him thanks, but to give him a warning the next time.

Odierno was very popular with his command. Everything I've ever read about him indicates a true American patriot and good man.

[C Moon]

8. Great story!

[marble falls]

10. James, my son, at that time was almost as big physically as the General ...

... the General would do inspections on foot to give confidence to local Iraqis would have confidence that the areas he occupied was stable and he could handle Baathist and insurgent forces.

James spent 5 years and one month in the Army, 13 months of it in "Stop Loss" because his 4 year hitch came up while he was in the "sand pile". During that time, he was shot in the chest and only took just a huge bruise on his chest because he was wearing his chest armor. My wife found out about it because one of his friend's mother had asked about how he was doing (first war were troops called home becuse of cell phones). When Joy asked him about it, he said he didn't want to worry her.

We was in a Humvee that got blown up going over a mine, and no one was hurt badly.

Had a rough start getting back into the swing of things when he got back. A friend of his who went into the Marines at the same time, shared an apartment in Miami when James came back. And shot himself with Jame's shotgun.

After the investigation, the police offered Jame's gun back. He asked then to put into a furnace.

After around a two years, after James started to get past the rough passages and was being treated for PSTD, and was evaluated for a shoulder injury from the Humvee incident, he was living with us by then, the ATF called us one day to talk with James about that shot gun - it had been used in a crime. Joy explained we all thought it had been melted down. It appears the PD had auctioned it off.

Today he's in Alaska, has a wonderful girlfriend and is doing well. We visited them in early September.

[Ligyron]

12. that's wonderful to hear.

Happy in life … may it always be so.

[lucca18]

14. Thank you for sharing your son's story.

All the best to him!
Your son is a hero.❤️

[marble falls]

15. He is truly one of the best men I know. He was awful scary for two years.

[oasis]

7. Rest in peace General. Thank you for your service.

[COL Mustard]

9. I Briefed Him Once

In a small conference room in the Pentagon. He was a 1-star then. His outsized personality was much in evidence that day.

He did a lot for the Army, and he’s gone too soon. RIP sir.

[marble falls]

16. I've heard he was accessable ane friendly, but definately in command.

[COL Mustard]

19. A Former Boss Was His Classmate At West Point

They didn't know each other back then, but he made it a point to go to the CSA ceremonies.

Yes, there was never any doubt about who was in control.

[wendyb-NC]

11. R.I.P., General.

[speaktruthtopower]

17. Seems like a lot of cancer deaths among those..

who served in Iraq.

[Duppers]

18. Exactly!