George H.W. Bush Praises Colin Powell, Saying a Movement to Honor Powell Was “Fitting”: “I will be glad to ‘second the motion’ to Colin Powell regarding his selection to the TR award…”

Colin Powell was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff throughout the Bush presidency. During that time, he worked closely with the President on almost a daily basis, and oversaw 28 crises, including the invasion of Panama in 1989 to remove General Manuel Noriega from power and Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Powell was Secretary of State for Bush’s son George W. during his first term, in which the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq took place.

Sarwar A. Kashmeri is a specialist and commentator on U.S.-European relations, and fellow of the Foreign Policy Association. He is the author of “America and Europe After 9/11 and Iraq: The Great Divide”, and “NATO 2.0: Reboot or Delete?”, in which he provides insights into NATO and the future of the transatlantic alliance. In his travels and research, he has met, interviewed and worked with numerous world leaders, including British prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major, and U.S. President George H.W. Bush. He maintained a correspondence with the latter over the course of years.

The Theodore Roosevelt Association promotes TR’s ideals and legacies, with a particular emphasis on America’s youth, and supports the Theodore Roosevelt Collection and the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund at the American Museum of Natural History. It also consults and collaborates with the National Park Service on the use of endowed funds for the Roosevelt Birthplace and Sagamore Hill. It awards a Distinguished Service Medal on an annual basis, and in 1997 it was proposed to give the 1998 to Colin Powell. Kashmeri wrote Bush seeking his support for the effort, and received it.

Autograph letter signed, on the inside of a Christmas card, Houston, December 12, 1997, to Kashmeri. “I will be glad to ‘second the motion’ to Colin Powell regarding his selection to the TR award. He is truly a ‘fitting’ recipient. Warm regards and have a great Christmas.” It comes with the envelope and a photograph of the Bush clan that the former president enclosed.

Ironically, the 1998 award ended up going to Bush himself.