The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2019

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019 13 at Embassy Ottawa, followed by a stint as Canada desk officer. In 1959, Vest was named political adviser to the supreme allied commander, Europe, General Lauris Norstad, in Paris. He then moved, still in Paris, to be the top aide to NATO Execu- tive Secretary Lord Richard Coleridge from 1961 to 1963. This was followed by a year at the Naval War College in Newport, after which he became deputy director of the Political/Military Bureau. In 1967, George moved to Brussels to become deputy chief of mission (DCM) to the European Community Office. In 1969 he moved to be DCM of the NATO Delegation, still in Brussels. Following that tour, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger called him back to become Department of State spokesman. After that tour ended, George was named assistant secretary for European affairs at the request of Secretary of State George Shultz, who asked President Ronald Rea- gan later to name him ambassador to the European Communities. In 1985, George Vest became Director General of the Foreign Service. He regret- ted that he could not stop the onslaught of political appointee ambassadors of both parties who took good jobs from FSOs. He called this “a disease” that nei- ther party could seem to control. George Vest continued a custom, long since forgotten, of hosting retirement cer- emonies for chiefs of mission, handing them a flag and a glass of champagne. He did this only for career Foreign Service ambassadors, not political appointees. Following in the footsteps of Loy Henderson, Roy Atherton and many oth- ers, George Vest richly deserves the title of “Mr. Foreign Service.” We remember him fondly, and wish him a Happy 100th Birthday! Alan Lukens Ambassador, retired Chevy Chase, Maryland CORRECTION In the October In Memory, we inad- vertently identified Willard “Bill” De Pree as William. We apologize for this error. He was beloved in the AFSA community, making the error especially embarrass- ing. His name was spelled correctly in the Appreciation in the same issue (p. 52). n