Here at the Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training, we recognize the importance of documenting and distributing oral records of…
Afghanistan Project – Ronald Neumann
Ambassador Ronald Neumann Oral Histories of U.S. Diplomacy in Afghanistan, 2001–2021 Interviewed by: Joe Relk Initial interview date: October 28,…
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…
The Remnants of Vietnam in the Philippines
It was the end of a long, hard road. Although the Vietnam War had finally officially concluded, the Fall of…
Experiencing the Lebanese Civil War as the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon—Robert S. Dillon
“I traveled in a long convoy, with armed body-guards. Much of the concern for our safety stemmed from the assassination…
The Peace After Chaos—Genocide in Burundi
Welcome to Burundi For former United States Ambassador to Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe, Joseph C. Wilson IV, the…
Vladimir Putin’s “Icy Cold Glare”
After George W. Bush’s 2006 meeting on the tarmac with Vladimir Putin, he famously declared “I looked the man in…
The First Diplomatic Visit in Forty Years to the “Land of the Eternal Blue Sky”—Donald C. Johnson’s 1984 Visit to Mongolia
Mongolia—sparsely populated, largely nomadic, and surrounded by nuclear superpowers. The end of the Cold War could not have been the…
China Invades Taiwan? No Chance!
“There is a sentiment that…we need to contain China to balance off its aggressiveness. That would be a disaster.” A…
From Armistice Day to Veterans Day: Honoring Veterans Who Became U.S. Diplomats
Annually, as a sign of respect, Americans observe a moment of silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day…