One of the nation’s top warriors is being remembered by a member of the Kentucky National Guard. Lieutenant Colonel Kirk Hilbrecht served as a tank platoon commander under General Norman Schwartzkopf during Desert Storm.
“When I had a chance to meet General Swartzkopf, I saw him as a big, barrel-chested man who really had the military bearing and presence that really told you that he was the guy in charge," recalls Hillbrecht.
Hillbrecht, who is the Public Affairs Officer for the Kentucky National Guard, credits Schwartzkopf with being very media savvy, allowing reporters embedded with troops to do live reports.
The retired General was best known for leading international forces in Iraq in 1991 against Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. He kept a low profile during the public debate over the second Gulf War and lived quietly in retirement until he died this week of complications from pneumonia. He was 78.