(UnitedVoice.com) – Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was one of the most influential and controversial men to ever occupy the top spot in the State Department. Decades after he left politics, he was still very popular among Conservatives. On November 29, Kissinger passed away at his home in Kent, Connecticut. The diplomat was 100 years old.
Kissinger was born in Germany in 1923. His Jewish family fled the Nazis in 1938 when he was 15 years old and ended up in the United States. His childhood shaped the rest of his life, and he became a fierce advocate for the country that kept his family safe.
After graduating high school, he went to City College of New York. Then, in 1943, two profound things happened: he became an American citizen and was drafted into the US Army. The military sent him to Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, where he studied engineering. That didn’t last long, and he was reassigned to the 84th Infantry Division. He ended up in military intelligence and volunteered for the Battle of the Bulge.
After the war, Kissinger received more military intelligence training. In 1950, he received a degree in political science from Harvard College. He then went to Harvard University, where he earned his Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy. The diplomat taught international relations at Harvard for almost two decades, then he was appointed President Richard Nixon’s national security advisor in 1969, later serving as the Secretary of State for him as well. During Gerald Ford’s administration, Kissinger stayed on as Secretary of State. He was the only person to ever serve as Secretary of State and national security adviser at the same time.
During his time in the federal government, Kissinger is credited as being one of the most powerful men in the world during the Cold War. He helped end the US involvement in Vietnam, and the negotiations won him a Nobel Peace Prize. He’s also credited with stabilizing Israeli relations with Arabic countries. He helped shape US-China relations and helped normalize relations with Russia.
Although he had many critics, President George W. Bush once called him “one of [America’s] most accomplished and respected public servants.” He remained a powerful voice until he died.
Kissinger is survived by his wife, Nancy, two children, and five grandkids.
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