Today, former US Vice President Dick Cheney died. Over the years, he became an unlikely health symbol, a man whose powerful career ran parallel to a lifelong battle with heart disease. Cheney survived five heart attacks, underwent multiple procedures, and ultimately received a heart transplant in 2012. His resilience and quiet candor about his medical journey often contrasted sharply with his political intensity and secrecy.
On September 11, 2001, Vice President Dick Cheney was in the West Wing when the second plane struck the Twin Towers. The Secret Service swiftly moved him to the underground Presidential Emergency Operations Center, a Cold War-era bunker beneath the White House. With President George W. Bush aboard Air Force One, Cheney took charge, surrounded by military aides and national security staff. In those critical moments, he authorized the military to shoot down any hijacked aircraft threatening Washington. This decision highlighted the gravity and moral weight of leadership on that fateful day. Dick Cheney served as the 46th Vice President under George W. Bush, capping a distinguished career that included roles as White House Chief of Staff, US Secretary of Defense, and congressman from Wyoming.
After 9/11, he emerged as a central architect of America’s post-attack security policy, championing expansive executive power, global military intervention, and contentious counterterrorism measures. His name became inseparable from the influence, secrecy, and assertive use of power that defined the modern presidency. Dick Cheney’s legacy is a complex one: to some, he was a staunch defender of national strength, while to others, he represented overreach.
Beyond the political persona, he was a man who battled his own body with the same unwavering determination he brought to the political stage. He also raised a daughter, Liz Cheney, whose courage and commitment to democratic principles, even in opposition to her party’s leadership, mirrored her father’s unyielding resolve. Remembering Dick Cheney is to remember an era defined by fear, control, and consequence, and to reflect on the man who stood at its heart, for better or worse.
