Lawrence Wilkerson
A retired Army colonel who became Colin Powell's right-hand man and later a vocal public critic of the Iraq War's justification and execution.
Born 1945 (age 81)·Chief of Staff to Colin Powell·Birthday: June 15·The Silent Generation
Biography
Lawrence Wilkerson's career is a story of insider knowledge turned into public conscience. A Vietnam veteran and former director of the US Marine Corps War College, he was tapped by Secretary of State Colin Powell in 2002 to be his chief of staff. In that role, Wilkerson was deeply involved in the run-up to the Iraq War, helping to prepare Powell's infamous February 2003 presentation to the United Nations Security Council, which made the case for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. After leaving government and those WMD claims proved false, Wilkerson underwent a dramatic public reckoning. He became one of the war's most forthright and detailed critics from within the national security establishment, describing a dysfunctional decision-making process and a 'cabal' running foreign policy. His later career as a professor and commentator has been defined by this willingness to dissect the failures of power with the precision of someone who was once part of its machinery.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Lawrence was born in 1945, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lawrence Was Born
The biggest hits of 1945
#1 Movie
The Bells of St. Mary's
Best Picture
The Lost Weekend
Lawrence's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1945Born
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1950Started school
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1958Became a teenager
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Could drive
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1963Could vote
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Turned 21
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1975Turned 30
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 40
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 50
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 60
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 70
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 80
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 81 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell from 2002 to 2005.
- Was the lead drafter and coordinator of Secretary Powell's pivotal 2003 UN presentation on Iraqi WMDs.
- After retirement, became a prominent public lecturer and professor of government, critiquing US foreign policy decisions.
- Served as the director of the US Marine Corps War College at Quantico, shaping military strategic education.
Did You Know?
He is a distinguished graduate of the Naval War College.
Wilkerson has taught national security at the College of William & Mary.
He served two tours in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot.
He has stated that his public criticism of the Iraq War permanently damaged his friendship with Colin Powell.
“What I saw was a cabal between the vice president of the United States, Richard Cheney, and the secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld.”
