US Army green service uniform jacket and medals worn by General Colin L. Powell
date: label: Date
content: 1989-1993
name: label: Manufactured by
content: Weintraub Brothers Company, Inc., founded 1917
label: Worn by
content: General Colin L. Powell, American, 1937 - 2021
label: Subject of
content: United States Army, American, founded 1775
notes: label: Caption
content: Colin Luther Powell was born in Harlem, New York, on April 5, 1937. He graduated from Community College of New York in 1958 and earned his commission through the ROTC as a second lieutenant in the Regular Army. After a distinguished and highly decorated military career, Powell was promoted to four-star general in 1989. That same year he became the first African American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), serving under President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton. General Powell retired from the Army in 1993 after 35 years of service. In 2001 he became the first African American Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush before resigning in 2004. General Powell died on October 18, 2021, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. After a funeral service at Washington National Cathedral in D.C., General Powell was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
label: Description
content: A US Army green service uniform jacket (a) with service medals and pins (b-v) worn by Colin L. Powell as General and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The single-breasted jacket (a) is made from a dark olive green polyester fabric and closes at the center front with four (4) gold buttons featuring the US Army insignia in relief. There are two (2) pleated breast pockets, one at each front side, with scallop-edged flaps. The flaps are tacked down at the corners and one (1) decorative gold US Army insignia button is attached at the center of each flap. There are two (2) front waist welted pockets, one at each front side. Each pocket has a scallop-edged flap that covers the welt, with one (1) decorative gold US Army insignia button attached at the center of each flap. The sleeves are full-length straight cut without a cuff, though a band of 1 1/2-inch wide black woven tape is sewn around each sleeve three (3) inches from the wrist hem. A black and gold machine-embroidered patch reading "RANGER" is attached at the proper left sleeve just below the shoulder seam. A blue and white machine-embroidered patch in the shape of a shield with a blue ground and four (4) white stars, indicating the 23rd Infantry Division US Army, is attached at the proper right sleeve just below the shoulder seam. An Overseas Service Bar black patch with four (4) gold bars (indicating two years of overseas service) is attached at the proper right sleeve just above the black trim near the wrist hem. The back of the jacket has one (1) center vent.
label: Description
content: The interior of the sleeves are fully lined with a green synthetic fabric, and the interior body is partially lined with the same at the front sides and around the back shoulders, with the bottom edge of the lining at the shoulder blades unattached from the back facing fabric. There are two (2) interior welted breast pockets, one at each front side. A black fabric manufacturer's tag is sewn below the opening of the interior proper right pocket with blue and gold embroidered text reading "PATRIOT / STYLED BY / Weintraub Bros. Co. / DRY CLEAN ONLY". Two additional tags are attached inside the proper right interior breast pocket, one white paper tag with pre-printed black text and blank lines to fill out the owner's information and the size "44 LONG" typed on it, the other tag white with black text stating the garment is made to military specifications with fiber and style information. A hanger loop is sewn at the interior center back neck with embroidered text reading "MADE IN U.S.A. BY / American Craftsmen / DRY CLEAN ONLY".
label: Description
content: (b): A Combat Infantryman Badge metal pin with a blue rectangle featuring a silver rifle. Behind the rectangle is an oval silver wreath that is open at the center top. The pin is attached at the proper left chest above the breast pocket and above the service ribbon bar (c).
label: Description
content: (c): A service ribbon bar pin featuring fifteen (15) US military service ribbons attached in five rows and three columns. The ribbons denote the following service awards in order of precedence: Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two (2) oak leaves; Distinguished Service Medal (Army); Defense Superior Service Medal; Legion of Merit with one (1) oak leaf; Soldier's Medal; Bronze Star Medal; Purple Heart; Air Medal; Joint Service Commendation Medal; Army Commendation Medal with two (2) oak leaves; National Defense Service Medal; Vietnam Service Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Army Overseas Service Ribbon with silver metal block letter "2"; Vietnam Campaign Medal with silver metal banner. The pin is attached at the proper left chest above the breast pocket.
label: Description
content: (d): A Pathfinder Badge metal pin with a gold winged torch and white and red flames coming from the top of the torch. The pin is attached at the proper left side of the proper left breast pocket flap.
label: Description
content: (e): A Basic Parachutist Badge metal pin all in silver with an open parachute in the center of two wings that curl upward. The pin is attached at the proper right side of the proper left breast pocket flap.
label: Description
content: (f): A Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge metal pin with a shield at the center featuring a blue bar across the top with red and white vertical stripes below. The shield is surrounded by a ribbon and four (4) crossed swords in gold, which are then surrounded by a silver wreath. Text engraved on the gold ribbon reads "JOINT / CHIEFS OF STAFF". The pin is attached to the proper left side of the pleat on the proper left breast pocket.
label: Description
content: (g): An Office of the Secretary of Defense Identification Badge metal pin with an eagle at the center with wings outspread and head facing to the proper right. The eagle holds arrows in its talons and a shield with a blue bar and vertical red and white stripes on its chest. A textured silver background behind the eagle is further encircled by a gold textured border. At the inside of the gold border above the eagle are thirteen (13) stars in relief. Below the eagle on the gold border is a green wreath. The pin is attached to the proper right side of the pleat on the proper left breast pocket.
label: Description
content: (h): A 48th Infantry Regiment US Army insignia pin featuring a rectangular banner with a white, purple, and black ground and a gold dragon in front of the banner. A gold ribbon below the banner has black printed text reading "DRAGOONS". The pin is attached at the proper right chest above the breast pocket and above the Joint Meritorious Unit Award (i).
label: Description
content: (i): A Joint Meritorious Unit Award service ribbon pin. The ribbon has a red stripe at center surrounded by white, then light blue, then yellow, then light blue stripes. The ribbon is surrounded by a gold embossed metal frame. The pin is attached at the proper right chest above the breast pocket.
label: Description
content: (j): A black rectangular plastic nametag pin with white text reading "POWELL". The pin is attached at the center of the proper right breast pocket flap.
label: Description
content: (k): An Army Staff Identification Badge metal pin with a gold eagle at the center with wings outspread and head facing to the proper right. The eagle holds arrows and an olive branch in its talons and has a shield with a blue bar and vertical red and white stripes on its chest. Above the eagle is a round gold shield with a blue flower inside the shield and thirteen (13) gold stars on the flower. Behind the eagle is a black five-pointed star. Behind the star are green leaves. The pin is attached to the proper left side of the pleat on the proper right breast pocket.
label: Description
content: (l): A Presidential Service Badge metal pin with a gold eagle at the center with wings outspread and head facing to the proper right. The eagle holds arrows and an olive branch in its talons and has a striped shield on its chest. A ribbon above the eagle's head reads "E PLURIBUS UNUM". The eagle is placed on a round blue background with a gold scalloped border. At the edge of the blue ground are printed fifty (50) gold stars. The pin is attached to the proper right side of the pleat on the proper right breast pocket.
label: Description
content: (m-t): A total of eight (8) silver metal five-pointed star pins, all alike. Four (4) of the pins (m, n, o, p) are attached along the proper left shoulder strap. The other four (4) pins (q, r, s, t) are attached along the proper right shoulder strap.
label: Description
content: (u, v): Two silver metal "U.S." pins, both alike. One pin (u) is attached at the proper left front collar, the other pin (v) is attached at the proper right front collar.
place: label: Place used
content: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Local and regional
label: Topic
content: Military
label: Topic
content: Persian Gulf War, 1991
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Awards, Medals, and Insignia
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Military Uniforms
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret)
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2016.14.1a-v
objectType: label: Type
content: regalia
label: Type
content: jackets
label: Type
content: military uniforms
label: Type
content: medals
label: Type
content: insignias
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: a: polyester, synthetic fiber, and metal;
label: Medium
content: b: metal;
label: Medium
content: c: ribbon and metal;
label: Medium
content: d-h: metal;
label: Medium
content: i: ribbon and metal;
label: Medium
content: j: plastic;
label: Medium
content: k-v: metal
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D ((a) on form): 34 × 23 × 12 in. (86.4 × 58.4 × 30.5 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (b): 1 1/8 × 3 × 1/2 in. (2.9 × 7.6 × 1.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (c): 2 × 4 1/4 × 5/8 in. (5.1 × 10.8 × 1.6 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (d): 7/8 × 1 1/2 × 1/2 in. (2.2 × 3.8 × 1.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (e): 1 1/4 × 1 1/2 × 1/2 in. (3.2 × 3.8 × 1.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (f): 2 × 2 × 1/2 in. (5.1 × 5.1 × 1.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (g): 2 1/4 × 2 × 1/2 in. (5.7 × 5.1 × 1.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (h): 1 1/4 × 1 1/8 × 1/2 in. (3.2 × 2.9 × 1.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (i): 5/8 × 1 1/2 × 1/2 in. (1.6 × 3.8 × 1.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (j): 1 × 3 × 1/2 in. (2.5 × 7.6 × 1.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (k): 2 × 2 × 3/4 in. (5.1 × 5.1 × 1.9 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (l): 2 × 2 × 3/4 in. (5.1 × 5.1 × 1.9 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (m-t (each)): 1 × 1 × 1/2 in. (2.5 × 2.5 × 1.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (u, v (each)): 1 1/2 × 7/8 × 1/2 in. (3.8 × 2.2 × 1.3 cm)