{"id":112441,"date":"2021-12-31T00:02:02","date_gmt":"2021-12-31T00:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/12\/31\/they-jumped-into-normandy-or-ran-into-enemy-fire-here-are-the-heroes-and-leaders-we-lost-in-2021\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T13:16:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T13:16:11","slug":"they-jumped-into-normandy-or-ran-into-enemy-fire-here-are-the-heroes-and-leaders-we-lost-in-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/veterans\/2021\/12\/31\/they-jumped-into-normandy-or-ran-into-enemy-fire-here-are-the-heroes-and-leaders-we-lost-in-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"They jumped into Normandy or ran into enemy fire. Here are the heroes and leaders we lost in 2021."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell and two-time Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld were among the thousands of men and women, including Medal of Honor recipients and World War II veterans, who served the United States and died in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below is a list of notable leaders chosen by Military Times editors who died during the calendar year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colin Powell<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
General Colin Powell, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, bows his head after laying a wreath at the annual Memorial Day observance at the Vietnam Memorial Monday May 27, 1991 in Washington. (AP Photo\/Ron Edmonds)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gen. Colin Powell was a trailblazing soldier and diplomat. He was the first African-American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State. He died Oct. 18 of complications related to COVID-19, according to his family. He was 84.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Powell, a son of Jamaican immigrants, rose through the ranks to become a four-star general in the Army, in what many said was the embodiment of the American Dream<\/a>. He was remembered as a beloved colleague, family man, and a fearless leader<\/a> during his funeral at Washington National Cathedral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raymond Odierno<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Army Gen. Raymond T. “Ray” Odierno, the chief of staff of the Army, addresses the 134th National Guard Association of the United States General Conference in Reno, Nev., on Sept. 10, 2012. About 3,700 Army and Air Guard officers, spouses, defense officials and others from all 50 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia registered. (Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jim Greenhill) (Released)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Retired Gen. Raymond Odierno commanded at every level<\/a>, serving in Germany, Albania, Kuwait, Iraq, and the United States. Odierno became the Army\u2019s 38th chief of staff in September 2011. He died Oct. 8 of cancer, according to a family statement released through an Army spokesman. Odierno was 67.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Odierno is credited with developing the plan for U.S. forces during the height of the Iraq War. For that contribution to national security, he was awarded the Defense Distinguished Service Medal<\/a>. In 2017, Odierno said football helped launch his military career<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Richard Marcinko<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Richard Marcinko, Vietnam War veteran and first commander of Seal Team Six, died on Christmas day. He was 81. (Photo courtesy Rogue Warrior Richard Marcinko Facebook page).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Retired Navy SEAL Richard Marcinko was the first commanding officer of the storied SEAL Team Six. Marcinko reportedly named the unit to make other nations believe there were additional SEAL teams. He died on Dec. 25. He was 81 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1967, Marcinko led SEAL Team Two<\/a> in what has become known as the Navy\u2019s most successful SEAL operation during the Vietnam War: the assault on Ilo Ilo Han. He was one of two Navy representatives on a task force to help free American hostages during the Iran hostage crisis in 1979.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edward Shames<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
FILE – Edward Shames, center, hugs Ed McClung, center left, both members of the World War II Army Company E of the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne, with veterans Jack Foley, left, Joe Lesniewski, right, and Shifty Powers, far right, at the Library of Congress in Washington, on July 16, 2003. (Gerald Herbert\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edward Shames was a World War II veteran. Shames jumped into Normandy on D-Day as part of Operation Overlord. He also fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He was the last surviving officer of \u201cEasy Company.\u201d Easy Company\u2019s story inspired the book and the HBO miniseries \u201cBand of Brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the war<\/a>, Shames worked for the National Security Agency as an expert on Middle East affairs. Shames died Dec. 3. He was 99 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charles H. Coolidge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Charles Coolidge passed away at the age of 99. (John Rawlston\/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Charles H. Coolidge was drafted into the military in 1942. He was transferred to France in 1944, where it is reported Coolidge bravely called upon Germans to surrender and was met with enemy fire in return. That battle in Germany lasted four days. Coolidge was 23 years old at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coolide was awarded the Medal of Honor<\/a> in a rare battlefield ceremony near Dornstadt, Germany, on June 18, 1945. He died April 6. He was 99 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gary Beikirch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Sgt. Gary Beikirch passed away on Dec. 26. (Office of the Surgeon General of the United States Army)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gary Beikirch was a medical aidman with the Army. In Vietnam\u2019s Kontum Province in 1970, Beikirch ran multiples times into the line of fire to administer aid to wounded troops while he was injured himself. He also retrieved the bodies of his fallen comrades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beikirch was awarded the Medal of Honor<\/a> his heroic actions. He died on Dec. 26. He was 74 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Duane Dewey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Duane Dewey, one of the last surviving MoH recipients from the Korean War, pass away on Oct. 11.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Marine Reserve Cpl. Duane Edgar Dewey used himself as a shield to protect others in his unit from an enemy grenade in Korea in 1952. Dewey did not return to military service after his recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Dwight D. Eisenhower awarded him the Medal of Honor in 1953, saying \u201cYou must have a body of steel<\/a>,\u201d as he placed the medal around Dewey\u2019s neck. Dewey died Oct. 11. He was 89 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donald Rumsfeld<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
In this photo released by the US Marines, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, on a surprise Christmas Eve visit talks to Marines and Sailors of Bravo Surgical Company, 1st Medical Battalion,1st Force Service Support Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at their base in Fallujah, Iraq, Friday Dec. 24 2004. (AP Photo\/USMC, Cpl. K.T. Tran ) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Donald Rumsfeld is the only person to serve twice as Defense Secretary. The first time, in 1975-77, he was the youngest to hold the position. He was the oldest when he returned to the post in 2001-2006. Rumsfeld helped shape the military plan for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He resigned in 2006 as Americans expressed frustration over the Iraq War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, Rumsfeld, headed the Rumsfeld Foundation<\/a> to promote public service and to work with charities that provide services and support for military families and wounded veterans. Rumsfeld died June 29. He was 88 years old.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From former secretaries of state to Medal of Honor recipients, a look back at the legacies they leave behind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":101891,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":25,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"4":{"categories":["veterans","news","middle-column","home","disaster","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"veterans"},"5":{"categories":["veterans","news","middle-column","home","disaster","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"veterans"},"6":{"categories":["veterans","news","middle-column","home","disaster","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"veterans"},"7":{"categories":["veterans","news","middle-column","home","disaster","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"veterans"}}},"categories":[28,29,116,15,25],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3410],"class_list":["post-112441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-disaster","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"C76G7TZ3KRATXL7WLYMFNAL73U","arc_canonical_url":"\/veterans\/2021\/12\/30\/they-jumped-into-normandy-or-ran-into-enemy-fire-here-are-the-heroes-and-leaders-we-lost-in-2021\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\nThey jumped into Normandy or ran into enemy fire. 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