It was the end of a long, hard road. Although the Vietnam War had finally officially concluded, the Fall of…
Dinner with Imelda: Encounters with the Philippines’ Most Famous Dictatorship
In the wake of the Cold War, dictatorial regimes sprang up throughout the world, capturing international attention with news of…
Expecting the Unexpected in the Philippines: Confronting a Killer
When one thinks of life in the Foreign Service, they imagine living overseas, experiencing different cultures, and trying exotic foods.…
Drowning in a Strawberry Ice Cream Soda: Life as a Diplomat in the Philippines
World powers, including the United States, have long considered the Philippines to be of strategic importance. The entire landmass of…
“Am I Going to Watch a U.S. Senator Get Shot?”—Observing the Fall of the Marcos Regime in the Philippines
Senator John Kerry bravely pushed aside armed hostile Philippine military personnel and policemen, rushing into the barricaded church in front…
Life as a POW in the Japanese-Occupied Philippines
Ten hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces successfully invaded the Philippines. Those Americans and Filipinos who did not…
Afghanistan Project-Francis Ricciardone
Ambassador Francis Ricciardone Oral Histories of U.S. Diplomacy in Afghanistan, 2001–2021 Interviewed by: Robin Matthewman Initial interview date: August 24,…
Lessons in Understanding—Redeveloping the United State’s Comprehension of India
From Taiwan to the Philippines to Bangladesh to Ghana , Frank Young’s career in the Foreign Service took him all…
Afghanistan Project–Hugo Llorens
Ambassador Hugo Llorens Oral Histories of U.S. Diplomacy in Afghanistan, 2001–2021 Interviewed by: Robin Matthewman Initial interview date: September 22,…
A Trailblazing Visa to Apartheid South Africa
When Ulric Haynes joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1964 as the desk officer for Southwest Africa, the United States…