U.S. History

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Showing 51–60 of 126 results

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    Michael Metrinko's Medal of Valor

    Before the Iran hostage crisis began on November 9, 1979, American diplomats in Iran faced the ongoing challenges of serving during the Iranian revolution, which had been unfolding since early 1978. Michael Metrinko, who was the U.S. Consul in Tabriz, Iran faced a chaotic and violent situation in early 1979. Metrinko opted…

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    Engraving of Secretary of State Van Buren

    Martin Van Buren is depicted in this stone engraving created during his tenure as Secretary of State, from 1829-1831. Van Buren would go on to serve as President of the United States from 1837 until 1841.

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    CORDS Team 18 Plaque

    Plaque honoring the service of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Officer David Lazar, from his colleagues of the Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (CORDS) Advisory Team 18, South Vietnam, 1971.

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    Philip Habib's Presidential Medal of Freedom

    Born to parents who immigrated to the United States from Lebanon, Philip C. Habib grew up in New York and joined the Foreign Service in 1949. Habib became a renowned diplomat over his 30+ year career, first for his service and expertise in Southeast Asia — including a prominent role in the…

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    Embassy Saigon Sidewalk Segment

    Section of sidewalk from outside U.S. Embassy Saigon, South Vietnam. In 1968, when the Embassy was attacked, State Department security officers and U.S. troops skirmished with attackers on the sidewalk which surrounded the Embassy compound’s outer wall. This small section was saved from the site in 2003 as the sidewalk was being…

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    Customized Rubik’s Cubes

    Rubik's cubes like these were presented by Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman to U.S. members of the administration and delegation involved in the negotiations of the Iran nuclear agreement of 2015. The agreement’s substantive topics are labeled on each side. Ambassador Sherman likened the negotiations to solving a Rubik's cube puzzle…

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    U.S. Consular Flag

    In April 1975, the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese Army. American diplomats were on the frontlines, organizing what would be the most ambitious helicopter evacuation in history. In the city of Can Tho, Consul General Francis Terry McNamara was instructed to evacuate his 12 or so American…

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    Embassy Nairobi Concrete Fragment

    On August 7, 1998, the U.S. embassies in both Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania were attacked in coordinated truck bombings. Suicide bombers parked trucks loaded with explosives outside each embassy and almost simultaneously detonated them. In Nairobi, approximately 212 people were killed and an estimated 4,000 wounded, while in Dar es…

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    “Hostage Cross” Necklace

    Kathryn Koob was a Foreign Service Officer who was serving in Tehran when the American embassy was seized by Iranian militants on Nov. 4, 1979. She became one of two women who were held hostage during the entire ordeal. Koob is a person of deep faith, which sustained her while held captive.…

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    William Payeff's Foreign Service Commission

    William K. Payeff was a career Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Information Agency. Prior to his diplomatic service, he served in the army during World War II and participated in the D-Day invasion of France. He was awarded a bronze star for bravery. His Foreign Service commission is unusual in that…