H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Gulf War Commander, Dies at 78 - ABC News ABC News Retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Gulf War Commander, Dies at 78 By MICHAEL S. JAMES WATCH Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf Dead at 78 0 Shares Email H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the retired general credited with leading U.S.-allied forces to a victory in the first Gulf War, died today at age 78. The man who Defense Secretary Leon Panetta today called "one of the great military giants of the 20th century" died in Tampa, Fla., where he lived in retirement, the Associated Press reported. "The men and women of the Department of Defense join me in mourning the loss of General Norman Schwarzkopf, whose 35 years of service in uniform left an indelible imprint on the United States military and on the country," Panetta said in a statement.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the Schwarzkopf family in this time of sadness and grief." Schwarzkopf, called "Stormin' Norman" because of his reportedly explosive temper, led America to two military victories: a small one in Grenada in the 1980s and a big one as de facto commander of allied forces in the Gulf War in 1991. "'Stormin' Norman' led the coalition forces to victory, ejecting the Iraqi Army from Kuwait and restoring the rightful government," read a statement by former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War. "His leadership not only inspired his troops, but also inspired the nation." WATCH: Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf to Saddam Hussein: 'Get Outta Town' Schwarzkopf's success during that fight, also known as Operation Desert Storm, came under President George H.W. Bush, who through his office today mourned "the loss of a true American patriot and one of the great military leaders of his generation." "Gen.

Norm Schwarzkopf, to me, epitomized the 'duty, service, country' creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great nation through our most trying international crises," Bush said. "More than that, he was a good and decent man -- and a dear friend." Bush's office released the statement though the former president, himself, was ill, hospitalized in Texas with a stubborn fever and on a liquids-only diet. The current White House occupant, President Obama, also memorialized Schwarzkopf, declaring him "an American original" who "stood tall for the country and Army he loved." The future four-star general was born Aug. 24, 1934, in Trenton, N.J. Schwarzkopf's father, who shared his name, directed the investigation of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping as head of the New Jersey State Police, later becoming a brigadier general in the U.S. Army. Schwarzkopf was raised as an army brat in Iran, Switzerland, Germany and Italy, following in his father's footsteps to West Point, earning an engineering degree and being commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1956. WATCH: Gen.

Schwarzkopf's '5 Minutes of Unimportant Questions' He earned three Silver Stars for bravery during two tours in Vietnam, gaining a reputation as an opinionated, plain-spoken commander with a sharp temper who would risk his own life for his soldiers. "He had volunteered to go to Vietnam early just so he could get there before the war ended," said former Army Col. William McKinney, who knew Schwarzkopf from their days at West Point, according to ABC News Radio. In 1983, as a newly-minted general, Schwarzkopf once again led troops into battle in President Reagan's invasion of Granada, a tiny Caribbean island where the White House saw American influence threatened by a Cuban-backed coup. But he gained most of his fame in Iraq, where he used his 6-foot-3, 240-pound frame and fearsome temper to drive his forces to victory. "He was known as a soldier's general," said retired Maj. Gen. Donald Shepperd, as he explained the "Stormin' Norman" nickname to ABC News Radio. "In other words, he really liked the troops and was soft on the troops.

But boy, on his general officers, his officers, his NCO's, he was very, very tough and he had a real quick temper." PHOTOS: In Memoriam: People We Lost in 2012 Gruff and direct, Schwarzkopf said during the Gulf War that his goal was to win the war as quickly as possible and with a focused objective: getting Iraq out of Kuwait. "If it had been our intention to take Iraq, if it had been our intention to destroy the country, if it had been our intention to overrun the country, we could have done it unopposed," he said at a military briefing in 1991. In a 1991 "20/20" interview, he told ABC News' Barbara Walters that if he ever met Hussein, he would have told him, "Get outta town." During the operation to force that result, he spoke French and German to coalition partners, showed awareness of Arab sensitivities and served as Powell's operative man on the ground.

Powell today recalled Schwarzkopf as "a great patriot and a great soldier," who "served his country with courage and distinction for over 35 years." "He was a good friend of mine, a close buddy," Powell added. "I will miss him." Schwarzkopf retired from the Army after Desert Storm in 1991, writing an autobiography, becoming an advocate for prostate cancer awareness, serving on the boards of various charities and lecturing. "I may have made my reputation as a general in the Army and I'm very proud of that," he once told the AP. "But I've always felt that I was more than one-dimensional. I'd like to think I'm a caring human being. ... It's nice to feel that you have a purpose." Schwarzkopf spent his retirement in Tampa, home base for his last military assignment as commander-in-chief of U.S. Central Command. He and his wife, Brenda, had three children. ABC News' Dana Hughes, Gina Sunseri and Polson Kanneth contributed to this report. 0 Shares Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, U.S.

Commander in Gulf War, Dies at 78 - The New York Times The New York Times U.S. |Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, U.S. Commander in Gulf War, Dies at 78 Search Photo Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf answered questions during an interview in Riyadh in 1990. Credit David Longstreath/Associated Press Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf , who commanded the American-led forces that crushed Iraq in the 1991 Persian Gulf war and became the nation’s most acclaimed military hero since the midcentury exploits of Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur, died on Thursday in Tampa, Fla. He was 78. The general, who retired soon after the gulf war and lived in Tampa, died of complications arising from a recent bout of pneumonia, said his sister Ruth Barenbaum. In 1993, he was found to have prostate cancer, for which he was successfully treated.

In Operation Desert Storm, General Schwarzkopf orchestrated one of the most lopsided victories in modern warfare, a six-week blitzkrieg by a broad coalition of forces with overwhelming air superiority that liberated tiny Kuwait from Iraqi occupation, routed Saddam Hussein’s Republican Guard and virtually destroyed Iraq’s infrastructure, all with relatively light allied losses. Winning the lightning war was never in doubt and in no way comparable to the traumas of World War II and the Korean conflict, which made Eisenhower and MacArthur into national heroes and presidential timber. But a divisive Vietnam conflict and the cold war had produced no such heroes, and the little-known General Schwarzkopf was wreathed in laurels as the victor in a popular war against a brutal dictator. Continue reading the main story A combat-tested, highly decorated career officer who had held many commands, served two battlefield tours in Vietnam and coordinated American landing forces in the 1983 invasion of Grenada, he came home to a tumultuous welcome, including a glittering ticker-tape parade up Broadway in the footsteps of Lindbergh, MacArthur and the moon-landing Apollo astronauts.

Advertisement Continue reading the main story “Stormin’ Norman,” as headlines proclaimed him, was lionized by millions of euphoric Americans who, until weeks earlier, had never heard of him. President George Bush, whose popularity soared with the war, gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Congress gave him standing ovations. Queen Elizabeth II made him an honorary knight. European and Asian nations conferred lavish honors. In his desert fatigues, he was interviewed on television, featured on magazine covers and feted at celebrations in Tampa, Washington and other cities. He led the Pegasus Parade at the Kentucky Derby in Louisville and was the superstar at the Indianapolis 500. Florida Republicans urged him to run for the United States Senate. Amid speculation about his future, a movement to draft him for president arose. He insisted he had no presidential aspirations, but Time magazine quoted him as saying he someday “might be able to find a sense of self-fulfillment serving my country in the political arena,” and he told Barbara Walters on the ABC News program “20/20” that he would not rule out a White House run. Within weeks, the four-star general had become a media and marketing phenomenon.

Three months after the war, he signed a $5 million contract with Bantam Books for the world rights to his memoirs, “It Doesn’t Take a Hero,” written with Peter Petre and published in 1992. Herbert Mitgang, reviewing the book for The New York Times , called it a serviceable first draft of history. “General Schwarzkopf,” he wrote, “comes across as a strong professional soldier, a Patton with a conscience.” All but drowned out in the surge of approbation, critics noted that the general’s enormous air, sea and land forces had overwhelmed a country with a gross national product equivalent to North Dakota’s, and that while Iraq’s bridges, dams and power plants had been all but obliterated and tens of thousands of its troops killed (compared with a few hundred allied casualties), Saddam Hussein had been left in power.

Postwar books, news reports and documentaries — a flood of information the general had restricted during the war — showed that most of Iraq’s elite Republican Guard, whose destruction had been a goal of war planners, had escaped from an ill-coordinated Marine and Army assault, and had not been pursued because of President Bush’s decision to halt the ground war after 100 hours. “The Generals’ War: The Inside Story of the Conflict in the Gulf” (1995), by Michael R. Gordon of The New York Times and the retired general Bernard E. Trainor, portrayed a White House rushed into ending the war prematurely by unrealistic fears of being criticized for killing too many Iraqis and by ignorance of events on the ground. It cast General Schwarzkopf as a second-rate commander who took credit for allied successes, blamed others for his mistakes and shouted at, but did not effectively control, his field commanders as the Republican Guard slipped away. He was depicted more sympathetically in other books, including “In the Eye of the Storm” (1991), by Roger Cohen and Claudio Gatti.

“His swift triumph over Iraq in the 1991 gulf war came as a shock to a nation that had been battered, by failing industries and festering economic problems, into a sense that the century of its power was at an end,” they wrote. “Schwarzkopf appeared abruptly as an intensely human messenger of hope, however illusory or fragile.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story Old official photographs show a medaled military mannequin, a 6-foot-3-inch 240-pounder with grim determined eyes. But they miss the gentler man who listened to Pavarotti, Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan; who loved hunting, fishing and ballet; and, like any soldier, called home twice a week from the war zone. Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. was born on Aug. 22, 1934, in Trenton, one of three children of the man whose name he shared and the former Ruth Bowman. At 18, he dropped the Jr. and his first name but kept the initial.

His father, New Jersey’s first state police superintendent, investigated the 1932 Lindbergh kidnapping; he was also a West Point graduate, fought in World Wars I and II, became a major general and trained Iran’s national police in the 1940s. As a boy, General Schwarzkopf attended Bordentown Military Institute near Trenton. But from 1946 to 1950 he lived in Iran, Switzerland, Germany and Italy with his father. Fluent in French and German at 17, he enrolled at Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pa., played football and was a champion debater. Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Privacy Policy At West Point, he was on the football and wrestling teams and sang in the choir. He loved history and dreamed of leading men in battle. “He saw himself as Alexander the Great,” recalled Gen. Leroy Suddath, his old roommate, “and we didn’t laugh when he said it.” In 1956, he graduated 43rd in a class of 480.

After infantry and airborne training at Fort Benning, Ga., he served two years with airborne units in America and Europe, took a two-year assignment in Berlin and a career-officer course at Fort Benning, then earned a master’s in guided-missile engineering in 1964 from the University of Southern California. Captain Schwarzkopf went to Vietnam as an adviser to a South Vietnamese airborne division in 1965 and once withstood a 10-day enemy siege. He returned a major in 1966, taught at West Point for two years, and as a lieutenant colonel attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. In 1968 he married Brenda Holsinger. They had three children: Cynthia, Jessica and Christian. A battalion commander in his second Vietnam tour, in 1969-70, he was wounded twice and won three Silver Stars for bravery. Men in his command were killed in two 1970 actions that deeply affected him. On Feb. 18, an artillery shell aimed at the enemy roared over a hill where one of his companies was dug in. It hit a treetop and exploded, killing Sgt.

Michael E. Mullen. Form letters sent over the colonel’s name seemed to implicate him, and the sergeant’s parents held him partly responsible as they crusaded to expose military callousness. The case became an antiwar cause célèbre and tarnished the colonel’s record, perhaps unjustly. A 1976 book, “Friendly Fire,” by C. D. B. Bryan, called the death accidental, but a 1995 memoir by the sergeant’s mother, “Unfriendly Fire,” blamed the military. On May 28, the colonel ordered his helicopter down to rescue troops who had wandered into a minefield. Some were airlifted out, but he stayed behind with his troops. A soldier tripped a mine, shattering his leg and wounding the colonel, who crawled atop the thrashing victim to stop him from setting off more mines. Three other troopers were killed by an exploding mine, but the colonel led the survivors to safety. The episode sealed his reputation as a commander willing to risk his life for his men.

Advertisement Continue reading the main story He came home dismayed at the Army’s leadership and convinced that the peace movement and the news media were prolonging the war. One of his sisters, Ms. Barenbaum, had become a peace activist, and for years they did not speak. He later concluded that politicians had lost the war, and the failure, at a cost of 58,000 American lives, left him devastated. For a time, he considered resigning his commission. His decision to stay in the service came at a military nadir for America. As historians have noted, the Army during and after Vietnam fell into decay — a conscript force rife with racial antagonisms, drug abuse and disciplinary failures. Soldiers were disillusioned, the uniform seemed tarnished in a nation that no longer cared, and once proud traditions had given way to progress measured by infamous “body counts.” But in the late ‘70s and the ‘80s, reforms in recruitment, living conditions, planning, training and leadership restored much of what had been lost: self-respect and professionalism in an all-volunteer service.

He became a colonel in 1975, a brigadier general in 1978, a major general in 1982 and a lieutenant general in 1986. He moved from personnel and planning to brigade posts in Alaska and Washington State, from the Pacific Command in Hawaii to a division in Europe and back to Washington in charge of personnel. In 1983, while assigned to an elite tank division at Fort Stewart, Ga., he was tapped to coordinate the task force that invaded Grenada. Revolutionaries had staged a coup, killed the prime minister and, with Cuban aid, were building an airfield, purportedly to supply Latin American insurgents. It was also feared that American medical students on the island might become hostages. Operation Urgent Fury suppressed the rebels, restored order and brought the students home safely. In 1988, General Schwarzkopf was given his fourth star and named commander of the United States Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, supervising military activities in 19 countries in the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and the Persian Gulf. He developed contingency plans for war in Iraq, and two years later they were needed. On Aug.

2, 1990, Iraqi forces occupied Kuwait. General Schwarzkopf moved his headquarters to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and amassed hundreds of ships, thousands of aircraft and 765,000 allied troops, including 540,000 Americans and large Arab contingents under Prince Khaled bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia, who was co-commander in the gulf war. A trade embargo and warnings failed to force an Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait, and after a deadline passed on Jan. 15, 1991, the world’s first heavily televised war began. Audiences saw live missiles striking targets and fighters taking off from aircraft carriers. Cable news delivered continuous reports, and networks anchored newscasts from Baghdad. In Riyadh, General Schwarzkopf controlled the flow of information in briefings. Some reporters were allowed into the field, subject to military supervision and censorship. The result was a dramatic war — and a highly visible commander in fatigues. The ground war was over in a few days, thanks to what he called his “left hook” strategy, in which he placed forces behind enemy lines for a swift, decisive strike. The general supported Mr.

Bush’s presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2004 and Senator John McCain’s 2008 race against Senator Barack Obama, but he never ran for political office. Ravi Somaiya contributed reporting. A version of this article appears in print on December 28, 2012, on Page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: Lionized for Lightning Victory in ’91 Gulf War. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, 78, 'Stormin' Commander in Persian Gulf War | PBS NewsHour Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, 78, ‘Stormin’ Commander in Persian Gulf War December 28, 2012 at 12:00 AM EST 541063374233742Remembering General Norman SchwarzkopfAs the U.S. commander of forces during the Persian Gulf War, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf was dubbed "Stormin' Norman" for his no-nonsense style and swift victory.

Margaret Warner talks to New York Times reporter and author Michael Gordon about Schwarzkopf, who died at the age of 78.2012-12-28 18:30:00disabledL7QtCaZ1tMg204257204238 towering challenge of protecting the Trumps in New YorkWhen Donald Trump moves into the White House, Trump Tower will still be a home of the first family. Securing the skyscraper presents unprecedented challenges, not to mention traffic gridlock, a hardship on nearby businesses and a fight over who should be paying the sky-high costs. The NewsHour’s Rhana Natour reports.2017-01-18 18:00:00 Wrap: Obama commutes sentence for Chelsea ManningIn our news wrap Tuesday, President Obama commuted the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. Army intelligence analyst who is serving 35 years for passing classified files to WikiLeaks.

Also, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the Obama administration of trying to sabotage President-elect Donald Trump.2017-01-17 18:00:00 a Georgia county became a site of racial cleansingIn 1912, news of a violent sexual assault enraged the residents of Georgia's Forsyth County and led to a lynching and the execution of two African American teens, as well as a campaign of terror to drive out the entire black community. Special correspondent Duarte Geraldino talks with Patrick Phillips, author of “Blood at the Root,” about healing from a history of racial cleansing.2017-01-16 06:00 pm As the U.S. commander of forces during the Persian Gulf War, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf was dubbed "Stormin' Norman" for his no-nonsense style and swift victory. Margaret Warner talks to New York Times reporter and author Michael Gordon about Schwarzkopf, who died at the age of 78.

General Norman Schwarzkopf obituary | US news | The Guardian General Norman Schwarzkopf obituary Commander of the coalition forces that drove Iraqi troops out of Kuwait during the Gulf war Norman Schwarzkopf in 1991. Despite his nickname of ‘Stormin’ Norman’, he planned military campaigns meticulously. Photograph: Ron Sachs/Corbis Friday 28 December 2012 14.04 EST First published on Friday 28 December 2012 14.04 EST Share on Messenger Close General Norman Schwarzkopf, who has died aged 78, commanded the coalition forces that won the Gulf war in 1991, driving Saddam Hussein's troops out of Kuwait with Operation Desert Storm, whose design proved as effective as he had convinced his superiors in Washington it would be. The US secretary of defence Leon Panetta has described Schwarzkopf as "one of the great military giants of the 20th century", which is perhaps an exaggeration, given the Iraqi army's propensity to dissolve.

But Schwarzkopf may be best viewed as having come up with the answer to "Vietnam Syndrome", the feeling among the US military that that war had been lost at home, not on the battlefield, and the accompanying resolution not to go into battle unless they were sure they could win. Since 1988 Schwarzkopf had been head of US Central Command (with responsibility for the Middle East and north Africa), based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Shortly before Saddam's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, he had staged war games in anticipation of such an eventuality. These plans became Operation Desert Shield, the mission to protect oilfields in Saudi Arabia from the Iraqi threat. Then, as diplomatic attempts to resolve the crisis in Kuwait continued, he spent months building a coalition force of more than 700,000 troops, drawn from more than 20 countries, including the UK, but three-quarters of them from the US.

Saddam failed to meet a UN deadline for withdrawal from Kuwait and in January 1991 a six-week aerial bombardment was launched that paved the way for Iraqi forces to be driven out of Kuwait in a ground attack that was over in four days. This meticulously planned and executed approach belied Schwarzkopf's image as "Stormin' Norman", a nickname that owed more to his temper than his tactics; he preferred another nickname bestowed on him by his soldiers, "Bear". Reluctant to pursue unwinnable battles, he backed President George HW Bush's decision not to move on Baghdad and remove Saddam from power. Schwarzkopf's agreement to allow the Iraqis to use what had been no-fly zones proved fatal to the growing domestic resistance movements against Saddam. He later said: "Had we taken all of Iraq we would have been like the dinosaur in the tar pit." Although he supported President George W Bush's subsequent 2003 invasion of Iraq , he was severely critical of Bush's defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld's extensive use of reservists and private contractors, and, when the casus belli of weapons of mass destruction proved false, he warned against ignoring the responsibilities of an occupying power.

Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf Jr was born in Trenton, New Jersey, where his father, Col Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf Sr, was head of the New Jersey state police. Because his father hated the name "Herbert", Norman's birth certificate was later amended to show simply the initial H. As a teenager, he spent time in Iran, where his father was posted after a CIA-organised coup brought the Shah to power. He attended schools in Tehran, Geneva and Frankfurt, becoming fluent in German and French, before finishing his schooling at Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania, and following in his father's footsteps to the US Military Academy at West Point, New York state. Schwarzkopf's career was one of steady but unspectacular advancement. After serving with combat units, and in Berlin in the early 60s, he received a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California, and taught at West Point. He volunteered for duty in Vietnam and then, after another tour at West Point, returned there as a combat commander, winning three Silver Stars, most notably for leading the rescue of a unit trapped in a minefield, and saving the life of a wounded soldier who had triggered a mine.

His nickname was earned as he screamed hot-tempered orders for more helicopters to help the evacuation. He served again in Germany, at the US Army War College, and was vice-commander during the US invasion of Grenada in 1983. In 1988, he took over Central Command, not considered a fast-track to advancement, but the effectiveness of his planning skills was proved by Operation Desert Storm. After the war he retired from the army, rejecting a number of offers to run for political office. His 1992 autobiography, It Doesn't Take a Hero, became a bestseller. In 1993 he was treated for prostate cancer, becoming a national spokesman for campaigns against the disease. Schwarzkopf is survived by his wife Brenda, a son, Christian, and two daughters, Cynthia and Jessica. "I hate war. Absolutely I hate war," he said in a 1992 interview.

"Good generalship is the realisation that you've got to figure out how to accomplish your mission with the minimum loss of human life." • Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf, military commander, born 24 August 1934; died 27 December 2012 Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, coalition forces leader during Persian Gulf War, dies | Fox News Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, coalition forces leader during Persian Gulf War, dies Published December 28, 2012 Facebook 0 Twitter 0 Email Print WASHINGTON – Americans mourned a military legend after retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf died Thursday at age 78, leaving behind a legacy that most famously included driving Saddam Hussein's forces out of Kuwait. Schwarzkopf died, in Tampa, from complications from pneumonia. He was remembered not only for his impressive military record, but his intelligence, his modesty and his warmth and dedication to fellow servicemembers. "His epitaph should read that he was a soldier who loved solders," retired Gen. Bob Scales, who knew the late general, told Fox News.

Nicknamed "Stormin' Norman," Schwarzkopf went on after he retired to support various national causes and children's charities while eschewing the spotlight and resisting efforts to draft him to run for political office. He lived out a quiet retirement in Tampa, where he'd served his last military assignment and where an elementary school bearing his name is testament to his standing in the community. More On This... Norman Schwarzkopf: 1934 - 2012 Schwarzkopf capped an illustrious military career by commanding the U.S.-led international coalition that drove Hussein's forces out of Kuwait in 1991 -- but he'd managed to keep a low profile in the public debate over the second Gulf War against Iraq, saying at one point that he doubted victory would be as easy as the White House and the Pentagon predicted. Former President H.W. Bush, who has been in an intensive care unit in Texas, called the general a "distinguished member of that Long Gray Line hailing from West Point." "General Norm Schwarzkopf, to me, epitomized the 'duty, service, country' creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great Nation through our most trying international crises.

More than that, he was a good and decent man -- and a dear friend," Bush said. President Obama described Schwarzkopf as an "American original." "From his decorated service in Vietnam to the historic liberation of Kuwait and his leadership of United States Central Command, General Schwarzkopf stood tall for the country and Army he loved," Obama said in a statement. Schwarzkopf was named commander in chief of U.S. Central Command at Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base in 1988, overseeing the headquarters for U.S. military and security concerns in nearly two dozen countries stretching across the Middle East to Afghanistan and the rest of central Asia, plus Pakistan. When Saddam invaded Kuwait two years later to punish it for allegedly stealing Iraqi oil reserves, Schwarzkopf commanded Operation Desert Storm, the coalition of some 30 countries organized by President George H.W. Bush that succeeded in driving the Iraqis out. At the peak of his postwar national celebrity, Schwarzkopf -- a self-proclaimed political independent -- rejected suggestions that he run for office, and remained far more private than other generals, although he did serve briefly as a military commentator for NBC.

While focused primarily on charitable enterprises in his later years, he campaigned for President George W. Bush in 2000, but was ambivalent about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In early 2003 he told The Washington Post that the outcome was an unknown: "What is postwar Iraq going to look like, with the Kurds and the Sunnis and the Shiites? That's a huge question, to my mind. It really should be part of the overall campaign plan." Initially Schwarzkopf had endorsed the invasion, saying he was convinced that Secretary of State Colin Powell had given the United Nations powerful evidence of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. After that proved false, he said decisions to go to war should depend on what U.N. weapons inspectors found. He seldom spoke up during the conflict, but in late 2004 he sharply criticized Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and the Pentagon for mistakes that included erroneous judgments about Iraq and inadequate training for Army reservists sent there. "In the final analysis I think we are behind schedule. ... I don't think we counted on it turning into jihad (holy war)," he said in an NBC interview. Schwarzkopf was born Aug.

24, 1934, in Trenton, N.J., where his father, Col. H. Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., founder and commander of the New Jersey State Police, was then leading the investigation of the Lindbergh kidnap case. That investigation ended with the arrest and 1936 execution of German-born carpenter Richard Hauptmann for murdering famed aviator Charles Lindbergh's infant son. The elder Schwarzkopf was named Herbert, but when the son was asked what his "H" stood for, he would reply, "H." As a teenager Norman accompanied his father to Iran, where the elder Schwarzkopf trained the Iran's national police force and was an adviser to Reza Pahlavi, the young Shah of Iran. Young Norman studied there and in Switzerland, Germany and Italy, then followed in his father's footsteps to West Point, graduating in 1956 with an engineering degree. After stints in the U.S. and abroad, he earned a master's degree in engineering at the University of Southern California and later taught missile engineering at West Point. In 1966 he volunteered for Vietnam and served two tours, first as a U.S.

adviser to South Vietnamese paratroops and later as a battalion commander in the U.S. Army's Americal Division. He earned three Silver Stars for valor -- including one for saving troops from a minefield -- plus a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and three Distinguished Service Medals. While many career officers left military service embittered by Vietnam, Schwarzkopf was among those who opted to stay and help rebuild the tattered Army into a potent, modernized all-volunteer force. After Saddam invaded Kuwait in August 1990, Schwarzkopf played a key diplomatic role by helping persuade Saudi Arabia's King Fahd to allow U.S. and other foreign troops to deploy on Saudi territory as a staging area for the war to come. On Jan. 17, 1991, a five-month buildup called Desert Shield became Operation Desert Storm as allied aircraft attacked Iraqi bases and Baghdad government facilities. The six-week aerial campaign climaxed with a massive ground offensive on Feb. 24-28, routing the Iraqis from Kuwait in 100 hours before U.S. officials called a halt.

Schwarzkopf said afterward he agreed with Bush's decision to stop the war rather than drive to Baghdad to capture Saddam, as his mission had been only to oust the Iraqis from Kuwait. But in a desert tent meeting with vanquished Iraqi generals, he allowed a key concession on Iraq's use of helicopters, which later backfired by enabling Saddam to crack down more easily on rebellious Shiites and Kurds. After retiring from the Army in 1992, Schwarzkopf wrote a best-selling autobiography, "It Doesn't Take A Hero." He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and honored with decorations from France, Britain, Belgium, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. Schwarzkopf was a national spokesman for prostate cancer awareness and for Recovery of the Grizzly Bear, served on the Nature Conservancy board of governors and was active in various charities for chronically ill children. Schwarzkopf and his wife, Brenda, had three children: Cynthia, Jessica and Christian. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Advertisement US Gulf War general Stormin Norman Schwarzkopf, 78, dies in Florida | Metro News Mark Molloy for Metro.co.uk Friday 28 Dec 2012 9:11 am US General Norman Schwarzkopf has died aged 78 (Picture: AP) Retired US General Norman Schwarzkopf, who drove Saddam Hussein’s forces out of Kuwait in 1991, has died aged 78. Gen Schwarzkopf, known popularly by his nickname Stormin’ Norman for his explosive temper, had an illustrious military career and commanded the coalition forces in the first Gulf War in 1990-91. He died at his home in Tampa, Florida, where he had lived following his retirement and had served his last military assignment as commander-in-chief of the US Central Command. Former US president George H W Bush described Gen Schwarzkopf as ‘one of the great military leaders of his generation’. ‘General Norm Schwarzkopf, to me, epitomised the “duty, service, country” creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great nation through our most trying international crises,’ he said.

‘More than that, he was a good and decent man – and a dear friend.’ Hero: General Norman Schwarzkopf (Picture: Getty) A much-decorated combat soldier in Vietnam, Gen Schwarzkopf later commanded Operation Desert Storm and a coalition of 30 countries in the first Gulf War. He earned three Silver Stars for valour – including one for saving troops from a minefield – plus a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and three Distinguished Service Medals. After initially backing the 2003 invasion of Iraq, he later criticised the Pentagon for mistakes – including inadequate training for Army reservists. US Republican Senator John McCain tweeted that Gen Schwarzkopf was ‘one of the great American heroes’. ‘We thank him for his service,’ he said. Gen Schwarzkopf became a national hero after leading the US to victory in the first Gulf War but rejected calls to run for office himself. Norman Schwarzkopf, Khalid Bin Sultan DECEMBER 1990: Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. forces in the Gulf, left, confers with Saudi Arabian Lt. Gen.

Khalid Bin Sultan, commander of multinational forces (AP) DECEMBER 1990: Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. forces in the Gulf, left, confers with Saudi Arabian Lt. Gen. Khalid Bin Sultan, commander of multinational forces (AP) Norman Schwarzkopf SEPTEMBER 1990: U.S. Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia, answers questions during an interview in Riyadh (AP) SEPTEMBER 1990: U.S. Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia, answers questions during an interview in Riyadh (AP) FILE: Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf dies at 78 Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf died on December 27, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. He was 78 (Getty) Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf died on December 27, 2012 in Tampa, Florida.

He was 78 (Getty) (FILES): This August 7, 1997 files photo AUGUST 1997: General Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of the allied forces during the Gulf war, giving the thumbs-up after earning USD 2,000 per minute addressing the World Masters of Business seminar in Sydney (AFP/Getty) AUGUST 1997: General Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of the allied forces during the Gulf war, giving the thumbs-up after earning USD 2,000 per minute addressing the World Masters of Business seminar in Sydney (AFP/Getty) File photo of retired U.S. Army General H. Norman Schwarzkopf Jr, listening to questions at a news conference introducing the expansion of the Starbright Foundation’s web site at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf died on December 27, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. He was 78 (Reuters) Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf died on December 27, 2012 in Tampa, Florida.

He was 78 (Reuters) Norman Schwarzkopf APRIL 1991: Norman Schwarzkopf waves to the crowd after a military band played a song in his honor at welcome home ceremonies at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa (AP) APRIL 1991: Norman Schwarzkopf waves to the crowd after a military band played a song in his honor at welcome home ceremonies at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa (AP) Norman Schwarzkopf, George Bush JUNE 1991: General Norman Schwarzkopf and President George Bush watch the National Victory Parade from the viewing stand in Washington (AP) JUNE 1991: General Norman Schwarzkopf and President George Bush watch the National Victory Parade from the viewing stand in Washington (AP) Norman Schwarzkopf JANUARY 1991: US Army General Norman Schwarzkopf points to row of photos of Kuwait's Ahmadi Sea Island Terminal on fire after a U.S. attack (AP) JANUARY 1991: US Army General Norman Schwarzkopf points to row of photos of Kuwait's Ahmadi Sea Island Terminal on fire after a U.S.

attack (AP) More Death of US general Stormin' Norman | Radio New Zealand News Death of US general Stormin' Norman 6:07 am on 29 December 2012 Share this Share on Linked In The United States general who headed the coalition forces that drove Saddam Hussein's army out of Kuwait, Norman Schwarzkopf, has died, aged 78. General Schwarzkopf earned the nickname "Stormin' Norman" for his role in Operation Desert Storm during the first Gulf War in 1990 to 1991. Schwarzkopf was a familiar sight on international television during the war, clad in camouflage fatigues and a cap, Reuters reports. He saw combat twice - in Vietnam and Grenada - in a career that included command of units, training as a paratrooper and stints at Army staff colleges. He led his men in firefights in two tours of Vietnam and commanded all US ground forces in the 1983 Grenada invasion. In 1988, he was put in charge of the US Central Command in Tampa, with responsibility for the Horn of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.

In that role, he prepared a plan to protect the Gulf's oil fields from a hypothetical invasion by Iraq. Within months, the plan was in use. In a statement, former President George H.W. Bush said he and his wife Barbara "mourn the loss of a true American patriot and one of the great military leaders of his generation". Meanwhile, Mr Bush remains in the intensive care unit of a Houston hospital after being admitted in November for bronchitis. Share this Schwarzkopf, architect of Operation Desert Storm, dies at 78 | Article | The United States Army Schwarzkopf, architect of Operation Desert Storm, dies at 78 By C. Todd LopezDecember 28, 2012 Share via Email 1 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Gen. Norman H. Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. Central Command, speaks to U.S. soldiers inside a hangar while visiting a base camp during Operation Desert Shield, April 1, 1992. (Photo Credit: DOD file photo) VIEW ORIGINAL 2 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, U.S.

Central Command commander, left, greets U.S. Air Force personnel assigned to the 23rd Communications Squadron during Operation Desert Shield, Jan. 23, 1991. (Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. H.H. Deffner ) VIEW ORIGINAL 3 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Gen. Norman H. Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. Central Command, arrives by helicopter at a desert command to visit with U.S. and international troops during Operation Desert Shield, April 1, 1992. (Photo Credit: DOD file photo) VIEW ORIGINAL 4 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. Central Command, talks with U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Barry McCaffrey, commanding general, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), while at the tent city of the 18th Airborne Corps, Jan. 1, 1992. Schwarzkopf is visiting Allied units that took part in Operation Desert Storm. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Dean W.

Wagner ) VIEW ORIGINAL 5 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. Central Command, right, consults with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Colin L. Powell, May 14, 1992, as the leaders took part in a meeting to discuss the allied military coalition in Operation Desert Shield. (Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. H. H. Deffner) VIEW ORIGINAL 6 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – President George H.W. Bush, front, rides in a Humvee with with U.S. Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. Central Command, during a visti to troops in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22, 1990. (Photo Credit: David Valdez ) VIEW ORIGINAL 7 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Retired Army Gen. Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf, who was nicknamed "Stormin' Norman," died Dec.

27, 2012, in Tampa, Fla., at the age of 78, due to complications from pneumonia. Schwarzkopf became well-known to Americans in 1991 as commander of U.S. Central Command and commander of coalition forces during Operation Desert Storm. (Photo Credit: Courtesy Photo) VIEW ORIGINAL 8 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, center, salutes as he arrives in front of the reviewing stand at the head of the National Victory Celebration parade. The day-long celebration, June 8, 1991, was being held in honor of the coalition forces that liberated Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm. (Photo Credit: DOD file photo ) VIEW ORIGINAL 9 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Gen. Colin Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, left, Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. Central Command, and his wife, Brenda, ride in the welcome home parade, June 10, 1991, to honor the men and women who served in Desert Storm. (Photo Credit: Master Sgt.

Wetterman) VIEW ORIGINAL 10 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. Central Command, accompanied by his wife, Brenda, waves to the cheering crowd during the welcome home parade honoring the men and women who served in Desert Storm, June 10, 1991. (Photo Credit: Tech. Sgt. Hans Deffner) VIEW ORIGINAL 11 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During a ceremony at defense forces headquarters, Maj. Gen. Shaikh Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, minister of defense, presents Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. Central Command, with a sword in recognition of his role in the Allied success during Operation Desert Storm, March 26, 1991. (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Dean W. Wagner) VIEW ORIGINAL 12 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Defense Secretary Frank C. Carlucci, center, transfers the reins of command of U.S. Central Command from U.S. Marine Corps Gen. George B. Crist, left, to Army Gen. H.

Norman Schwarzkopf, Nov. 1, 1988. Schwarzkopf was a Vietnam veteran and one of the architects of the western flanking movement that helped to defeat the Iraqi army during the Gulf War in early 1991. As commander of U.S. Centcom, he led the international coalition assembled by then-President George H.W. Bush that expelled Iraqi troops who had invaded Kuwait in August 1990. (Photo Credit: DOD file photo) VIEW ORIGINAL 13 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. Central Command, waves to troops assembled for his departure as he prepares to board a C-21A Learjet aircraft, April 20, 1991. Schwarzkopf has been visiting coalition forces stationed at Riyadh Air Base in Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of Operation Desert Storm. (Photo Credit: Spc. Joe Moore ) VIEW ORIGINAL 14 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S.

Central Command, emerges from a camouflaged trench in the desert while visiting with troops from other countries during Operation Desert Shield, April 1, 1992. (Photo Credit: DOD file photo ) VIEW ORIGINAL 15 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Retired Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf gives an acceptance speech after receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's Patriot Award during a ceremony in Shreveport, La., Sept. 12, 2002. The Patriot Award is the society's highest award, presented to a distinguished American who exemplifies the ideals that make the United States strong. (Photo Credit: Master Sgt. Michael A. Kaplan ) VIEW ORIGINAL 16 / 16 Show Caption + Hide Caption – President George H.W. Bush, left, and Army Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of U.S. Central Command, walk to the reviewing stand at the beginning of the National Victory Celebration parade, June 8, 1991. The day-long celebration was being held in honor of the coalition forces that liberated Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm.

(Photo Credit: DOD file photo ) VIEW ORIGINAL WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Dec. 28, 2012) -- Retired Army Gen. Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf -- nicknamed "Stormin' Norman" -- died Dec. 27, in Tampa, Fla., at the age of 78, due to complications from pneumonia. Schwarzkopf became well-known to Americans in 1991 as commander of U.S. Central Command and commander of coalition forces during Operation Desert Storm. "Our nation has lost a Soldier and Statesman with the passing of General Norman Schwarzkopf," wrote Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh and Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Ray Odierno in a joint statement. "Our prayers are with his family as we honor the memories of a man dedicated to family, his country and the many Soldiers he led in war and peace." The Army's senior leadership went on to say that Schwarzkopf's legacy will be the Soldiers he left behind. "His life story touches on much of the fabric of our nation's story, ensuring his memory will remain with us for generations," McHugh and Odierno wrote.

"Our nation owes a great debt of gratitude to General Schwarzkopf and our Soldiers will hold a special place in their hearts for this great leader. While much will be written in coming days of his many accomplishments, his most lasting and important legacies are the tremendous Soldiers he trained and led." Schwarzkopf graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1956, twice served as an instructor at the school and went on to serve two one-year tours in Vietnam, first in 1965, and again in 1969. From Nov. 1988 to August 1991, Schwarzkopf served as commander in chief, United States Central Command, at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. In that role he also served as commander of coalition forces in 1991 for both Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. As commander of USCENTCOM, Schwarzkopf developed a plan against an Iraqi aggression in the Persian Gulf. It was that plan that helped the U.S.-led coalition defeat Iraqi forces just 210 days after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait.

Operation Desert Storm lasted only 42 days, starting with the initial bombing campaigns on Jan. 17, 1991. The ground portion of the conflict lasted just 100 hours, beginning with initial U.S. entry into Kuwait on Feb. 24, and ending Feb. 28, with a cease-fire, an end to the war, and the liberation of Kuwait. Key to the success of the ground war to liberate Kuwait was Schwarzkopf's "left hook" strategy -- a flanking maneuver where instead of attacking Iraqi forces in Kuwait by crossing directly into that country from Saudi Arabia, coalition forces instead entered Iraq from Saudi Arabia and then entered Kuwait from Iraq, by moving west across the Iraq-Kuwait border. During his career, Schwarzkopf earned, among other awards, three Distinguished Service Medals, three Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit and a Distinguished Flying Cross. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Brenda, and his three children, Cynthia, Jessica and Christian. RELATED LINKS

Question: Which US General, nicknamed "Stormin'" was commander of the coalition forces in the Gulf War of 1991?
Answer: Gen Norman Schwarzkopf.