Colonel Charles and JoAnne Powell Serve as Namesake for Their Community Leadership
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Colonel Charles and JoAnne Powell VA Clinic Act to rename the San Angelo Community Based Outpatient VA Clinic in San Angelo, Texas to honor the Powell’s lifetime of service to the area:
“Through his decorated military service and their respective community involvement, Col. Charles and JoAnne Powell embodied the picture of public servants,” said Sen. Cornyn. “Their legacy and passion for West Texas will live on to inspire others who pass through the doors of this VA clinic for years to come.”
U.S Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) introduced a version of the bill earlier this year in the House of Representatives.
Background:
Colonel Charles E. Powell was a Texas native and a 30-year Air Force pilot who volunteered to serve in Vietnam as a Rescue Crew Commander flying 168 combat missions and later served as Commander of the 17th Training Wing at Goodfellow Air Force Base. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Legions of Merit, and the Air Medal with seven Oak Leaf Clusters. After his Air Force career, Colonel Powell served his community as board member for United Way of Texas, Boy Scouts of Southwest Texas, Retired Seniors Volunteer Program, and the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, earning Citizen of the Year by the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, the Distinguished Citizen of the Year award from the Boy Scouts of Southwest Texas, and Veteran of the Year at Angelo State University. He also served on Senator Cornyn’s Service Academy Selection Board for more than a decade helping to review applications from Texas students applying for a nomination to U.S. service academies.
His wife, JoAnne served as a Congressional District Office Manager and regional staff aide to four local Members of Congress throughout multiple decades of public service. She served on the boards of the Red Cross, Meals for the Elderly, Hospice of San Angelo, and was frequently referred to as “the First Lady of Goodfellow Air Force Base.”
Colonel Powell passed away on July 2, 2020 and JoAnne Powell passed on March 24, 2021. The couple were married for 65 years.