Retired General H. Norman Schwarzkopf Dies at age 78

According to recent media reports, retired General, and former commander of Desert Storm, General H. Norman Schwarzkopf died on Thursday at the age of 78. The cause of death for Schwarzkopf is reported as complications due to pneumonia.

While many in the media had labled General Schwarzkopf with the title of “Stormin Norman”, those close to the retired commander said that he preferred the title given to him by his troops – that of “The Bear.” Those who knew him best described General Schwarzkopf as friendly, talkative and even jovial.

Taking on the helm as commander in chief of U.S. Central Command at Tampa’s MacDill Air Force Base in 1988, Schwarzkopf later commanded the U.S.-led international coalition that drove Saddam Hussein’s forces out of Kuwait in 1991 during operation Desert Storm.

While many had thought Schwarzkopf, coming off of his successful military career, would be a shoe-in for a political position, the reserved Schwarzkopf instead spent his retirement in Tampa supporting various national causes and children’s charities. As a testament to his devotion to the community, an elementary school in the Tampa area was named for him.