Insider's view of world events; Powell regales record crowd with accounts of military career, politics

By RON CHURCHILL

Reporter Staff

Retired U.S. Gen. Colin L. Powell captivated an estimated 5,000 people in Alumni Arena Sept. 24 with firsthand accounts of major world events, his views on current political happenings and his more recent pursuits in helping America's youth.

Between standing ovations and rounds of applause, Powell, former presidential advisor and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, kept the record-breaking crowd silenced, especially during discussions of his military roles in matters of national security.

The first guest in UB's 1998-99 Distinguished Speakers Series, Powell, who is perhaps best known for his commanding role in Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Persian Gulf War and his status as a possible presidential candidate, covered a vast array of topics.

Introduced by President William R. Greiner as "the embodiment of the American Dream," Powell said he's sticking to his guns about not entering the presidential race.

Citing his previous claims of commitment to his family and the fact that he's "still fundamentally a soldier" and not a politician, Powell said "there's a requirement for public life that's so invasive...that we couldn't do it as a family."

He noted the intensive media coverage that followed him and his family during the height of his fame. "I found reporters looking in my garbage can. I found them following my family members," Powell said.

Of special interest, he cited one investigative reporter from a British tabloid who traced Powell's family roots and made 14th century connections to the Royal Family in England. A headline to the effect, "Powell is Royalty: Related to Diana and the Queen" soon screamed across the globe.

"I thought, 'This is cool. Why should I run for president? I'm in line to be king!'"

But Powell took a serious tone when talking about the possibility of presidential candidacy.

"I'm finding a new way to serve now," he said, referring to his new position as chair of America's Promise-The Alliance for Youth, a national campaign launched to help young people get the support they need.

"Every child at risk must be made a child of promise," Powell said. His message and challenge: "Get involved" with programs like boys' and girls' clubs that create "safe places" for youths to go during after-school hours and supply youths with good adult role models by means of programs like "Big Brothers" and "Big Sisters."

"We either get back to the task of building (up) our children, or let's just keep building jails," Powell said, drawing a round of applause. "And in America, it's time to stop building jails and get back to building children."

On current politics, and with apparent reference to President Bill Clinton's admission of inappropriate relations with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, Powell said, "As we've seen in our national life recently, it's very important for a nation, for a society, to have a sense of shame."

Powell spoke at length about his "35 years, three months, 22 days, and eight hours" as a professional soldier, and he divided his life into three stages: his service in the Armed Forces that ended with his retirement in 1993, two years spent writing his best-selling autobiography, "My American Journey," which was published in 1995, and his current pursuits with the Alliance for Youth.

Powell spoke of many issues dealing with foreign policy, but the crowd soaked in every word as he spoke of his role in the general national strategy that dominated the first 28 years of his military career: The "containment" of communism and the "Evil Empire."

As a second lieutenant in the Army in 1958, Powell was given a mission: Command 40 soldiers in Germany to guard for possible Soviet invasion across the "Iron Curtain."

"Over the next 28 years, everything I did was related to that same contest (fighting communism)," said Powell, who also spent two tours in Vietnam.

In 1986, Powell, as a lieutenant general of infantry, was given command of 75,000 soldiers and the same orders. "Go to Germany" and "In a time of war do not let the Russian Army come through, do you understand?" Powell was asked.

"I understand. I've been doing that for 28 years," he quipped. But soon afterward came something Powell thought he would never see.

"He was unlike any Russian leader we had ever seen before," Powell said. "His name was Mikhail Gorbachev."

In preparation for President Ronald Reagan's first visit to Moscow in the spring of 1988, Powell and then-Secretary of State George Schultz traveled to Moscow and met with Gorbachev and an assemblage of Soviet military personnel. It was then that the shock hit Powell.

"I'm ending the Cold War. It's over," Gorbachev said to Schultz.

Gorbachev then turned to Powell, who remembers the event vividly, "through the eyes of a soldier."

"He slowly turns back to me, and when he's absolutely sure that his eyes are locked on mine and mine are locked on his, he leans forward ever so slightly and says 'Generalé, Generalé, I'm very, very sorry. You will have to find a new enemy.'"

"I immediately thought to myself, 'I don't want to,'" Powell said. "I've got a lot invested in this particular relationship. You know, I already made general on this deal...the strategic assumptions of a lifetime...all I have trained to do for 28 years...depends on this relationship."

The next year, the Berlin Wall fell, and then in 1991 the Soviet Union ended. "It simply quit," Powell said. "They had been living a lie for 70 years."

Powell noted the continuing problems of today, but also cited an interesting phenomenon. "In case you haven't noticed, Mr. Gorbachev has appeared in Pizza Hut commercials.

"I said to myself, 'look what I have lived to see. The 'Evil Empire' selling pizza. Is democracy and capitalism great? Or is democracy and capitalism great?'"