Showing 11–20 of 57 results
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In April 1971, nine players from the U.S. Table Tennis team took a historic trip to China. Their trip was the start of what became known as “ping-pong diplomacy” and helped lay the groundwork for establishing official diplomatic relations between the United States and China. Connie Sweeris was one of the nine…
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Jane Simmons joined the State Department and served overseas in challenging locations. While in Warsaw she met William Dougherty, another embassy employee. The two fell in love and were married while serving at the embassy. After Warsaw, they were assigned to the Embassy in Moscow. This is the diplomatic identification card issued…
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William Dougherty joined the State Department and served overseas in challenging locations. Dougherty was recruited in 1945 from the U.S. Army Signal Corps, where he worked as a cryptologist. While in Warsaw he met Jane Simmons, another embassy employee. The two fell in love and were married while serving at the embassy.…
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On April 30, 1975, the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese Army, effectively ending the Vietnam War. In the days before, U.S. forces evacuated thousands of Americans and South Vietnamese. American diplomats were on the frontlines, organizing what would be the most ambitious helicopter evacuation in history. This…
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This high German honor was presented to Ambassador Harry Gilmore, U.S. Minister to Berlin, in 1991 for “outstanding contributions to the state of Berlin.” The medallion is in the shape of the Maltese cross with the coat of arms of Berlin in center. Gilmore was the last person to occupy the position.…
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After the 1973 war between Egypt and Israel, Israel withdrew from the strategic Giddi Pass and Mitla Pass in the Sinai Peninsula in exchange for monitoring by third parties. The United States established the Sinai Field Mission (SFM) to monitor the number of personnel, weapons, and vehicles that were going into the…
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This piece of cloth was fashioned into a blindfold and used on U.S. diplomat Robert Blucker, who was serving at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 as an Economic Officer. Blucker was one of 52 who were ultimately held hostage for 444 days, in what became known as the Iran Hostage…
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During the height of the Cold War, the State Department used music to bridge gaps and ease tensions. American Jazz Ambassadors, including Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, and Billie Holiday, traveled the world representing the United States. Voice of America radio also brought their music to millions…
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Patti Morton was a trailblazer for women’s rights at the U.S. Department of State. In 1972, Morton became the first woman Diplomatic Security Special Agent. One of her other trailblazing roles was as a regional security officer in Saigon, South Vietnam in 1974 where she managed the Marines who guarded the embassy.…
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On July 24, 1959, the United States opened the American National Exhibition at Sokolniki Park in Moscow. The Soviets and Americans had agreed to host national exhibitions as a means of cultural exchange to increase mutual understanding. More than 2 million people attended and heard American guides describing technology such as washing…
