After years of serving in Africa, you finally get a nice cushy assignment at the U.S. Mission in Geneva, with…
The Queen of Thailand Deep in the Heart of Texas
There are many hallmarks of a good diplomat — the ability to understand foreign cultures, communications skills, flexibility, the ability…
“Like Star Wars and Fiddler on the Roof” — Life with the Sinai Field Mission
The relative peace between Israel and Egypt, particularly on the Sinai, has been one of the few bright spots in…
In Vino Veritas
Josip Broz, better known by his nom de guerre Tito, was a tough warrior who had been a member of the…
Not-So Full Disclosure
So you have been entrusted with a very important mission — in this case, trying to convince several countries in…
Moscow in the 1950s
The General Services Officer or GSO is responsible for carrying out such functions as contracting, clearing goods through customs, maintenance,…
Life in Ceausescu’s Romania
Romania in the 1970s was a study in contrasts. Traditionally a rich agricultural breadbasket, its backward economy could not provide…
Ethiopian Flight 961 — The Worst Hijacking in History Before 9/11
On November 23, 1996, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 was flying from Addis Ababa to Nairobi when the plane was hijacked…
Halt! We want to Surrender!–Europe, 1945
May 1945 — the end of World War II. Time to drink a beer, have fun, and enjoy the countryside.…
KAL 007: A Targeted Assassination?
On September 1, 1983, Korean Air Lines Flight 007 en route on its second leg from Anchorage, Alaska to Seoul,…