Reagan Presents Freedom Award to Gen. Powell
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SIMI VALLEY — Former President Ronald Reagan on Tuesday presented retired Gen. Colin Powell with an award honoring him for his military leadership and joked with the retired military leader about Powell’s prospects of running for the presidency in 1996.
Powell received the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award in a ceremony at the Reagan Presidential Library near Simi Valley, making his first public appearance since retiring as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Sept. 30.
“I’m hoping that perhaps one day he will return the favor,” Reagan said. “After the speeches, I’m going to show him the library’s replica of the Oval Office. That will give him the opportunity to get the feel of the place.”
In presenting the award, Reagan praised Powell, the son of Jamaican immigrants who grew up on the tough streets of the south Bronx, for overcoming social, economic and racial obstacles to become one of the most powerful and popular military leaders in the nation’s history.
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