TROY, Mo. — Upon learning of Colin Powell’s passing, Bill Wommack’s mind almost immediately started replaying memories of the nearly three years he spent with the former Secretary of State as part of his security detail.
“He was a true general,” Wommack recalled. “He meant business.”
Wommack shared his experiences and memories of Powell during the weeks before Powell’s passing with 5 On Your Side as part of a profile of the Diplomatic Security Special Agent’s 22-year career.
The Troy, Missouri, native sent a statement Monday reacting to the news of Powell’s death.
“He definitely made a positive impact to the State Department and implemented several initiatives focusing on leadership and troop welfare (looking after the employees), but he also ensured accountability,” Wommack wrote.
In all, Wommack worked alongside Powell for close to three years, starting with the inauguration for George W. Bush through May 2003.
“I was the lead advance,” Wommack explained. “So I was responsible for all the security infrastructure for all of the things he was attending.”
On Sept. 11, 2001, plans abruptly changed.
“We were on an overseas trip and I was working at his house,” Wommack said.
That’s when they learned terrorists had attacked the United States.
“We took him straight to the White House and him and President Bush were meeting there, and we took him back to his home,” he said. “I think about often. It was surreal. There wasn't a soul in the streets. Everything was just completely shut down.”
Then, it was time to visit ground zero.
“It was still smoldering and I'll never forget the smell of burnt steel or whatever it was, I don't know,” he said. “It was just it was gut-wrenching.”
Months after the terrorist attack, Wommack went with Powell to the opening of the embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.
“It was just a cool moment, even from a State Department perspective, because now we were kind of putting a place placeholder in a country that needed our assistance and Secretary Powell went out there and delivered his remarks,” Wommack said.
Pictures of Wommack shaking hands with Powell and standing near him during another assignment adorn the walls in Wommack’s basement – along with pictures and mementos of the dozens of other places and historic events he was a part of throughout his career.
The time he spent with Powell is among the most memorable, Wommack said.
“It was an interesting time for him,” he said. “I'm glad to be part of it.”