The family of Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, who died at his Tampa home on Dec. 27, will not be holding a local memorial service, according to his daughter, Cindy Schwarzkopf.
“We originally intended on having a memorial service in the Tampa Bay area,” said Schwarzkopf, whose father was 78 when he died at home, surrounded by family. “There was lots of willingness and intentions, but due to logistic issues and events, we just decided to focus fully on the funeral services at West Point.”
Schwarzkopf cited the challenges of finding a large enough local venue and the need for law enforcement to direct traffic, as well as potential conflicts with the presidential inauguration and Martin Luther King Jr. Day events.
Schwarzkopf commanded U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base from 1988 until his retirement in 1991. It was as Centcom commander that he led the multinational Operation Desert Storm war against Iraq.
The funeral service will take place at the West Point Cadet Chapel at 12:30 p.m. Feb. 28., followed by a graveside service.
Schwarzkopf said her father was cremated in Tampa and his remains will be buried near his parents on the grounds at West Point, from which he graduated in 1956.