A SOLDIER & A HERO, & A HERO, & A HERO

America lost a great hero this week.  General Colin Powell was the big hero of my generation.  As a veteran, I admired him and his sense of duty to our country and people. As a statesman, he served our nation admirably and without reservation.
 
He was however, even more of a hero to many. To millions of people like myself, he was proof of the worthiness of immigrants and a testimony that they strengthen our nation.  The son of Jamaican immigrants, he grew up loving this country because of what his parents - who appreciated our values - taught him.  That education made him a hero of our nation, not Jamaica, but USA.  So it is that he was a hero in various ways!
 
How do we celebrate the merit of such a hero?  And now that he is gone, how do we remember him?  How do we appreciate what he contributed to our country, our military, our politics, our society, and our sense of values?  Perhaps we can do all of that by just learning and valuing the gift of all our countrymen, no matter their race, origin, or class. 
 
Rest in peace, General Powell, and thank you for all your contributions!