GENERAL WHO LED TROOPS IN IRAQ DIES
WASHINGTON — Raymond T. Odierno, a retired Army general who commanded American and coalition forces in Iraq at the height of the war and capped a 39-year career by serving as the Army’s chief of staff, has died, his family said Saturday. He was 67.
“The general died after a brave battle with cancer; his death was not related to COVID,” a family statement said. “There are no other details to share at this time. His family is grateful for the concern and asks for privacy.”
Mr. Odierno died Friday; the family declined to say where. It said funeral and interment information was not yet available.
President Joe Biden lauded Mr. Odierno as a “hero of great integrity and honor.” In a joint statement, the president and first lady Jill Biden recalled that Mr. Odierno spoke at the funeral of their son Beau, who served under Mr. Odierno in Iraq and died of brain cancer in 2015.
“Ray was a giant in military circles — dedicated first and always to the service members he commanded and served alongside,” the Bidens said.
“We stand with the Odierno family and all our brave service members who were shaped and molded by General Odierno over his lifetime of service,” they said.
At 6-foot-5, Mr. Odierno was an imposing figure. He played football as a cadet at West Point and retained a lifelong interest in the sport. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth wrote on Twitter Saturday evening that Mr. Odierno embodied the values of West Point and of the Army itself.
“A leader who was larger than life, we will remember him always for his selfless service to our nation and to our soldiers in and out of uniform,” she wrote.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who succeeded Mr. Odierno as the top overall commander in Iraq in 2010, called him a confidant, a friend and a powerful example.
“Ray was known for his loyalty — to mission and to his people,” Austin said in a statement.