AFSA NEWS 58 JULY-AUGUST 2026 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL chose not to prioritize a ceremony honoring its own fallen on their appointed day.” More than 150 members gathered for the ceremony. Photos were projected onto the wall showing the 321 names that are etched onto the plaques. Dinkelman addressed the packed-to-capacity room, reaffirming AFSA’s longstanding commitment to the Foreign Service community: “AFSA is hosting this ceremony because we still hold dear our commitment to the members of the Foreign Service and will not let them down. We will not allow the names of our dead to go unrecognized. This commitment has not changed. This commitment will not change.” USAID Memorial Wall Recognized Dinkelman also called attention to the USAID Memorial Wall, which was removed from USAID headquarters after USAID was shuttered last year; it was installed in the D Street lobby of the Harry S Truman building in April. The wall honors 108 individuals—Foreign Service officers, locally employed staff, and contractors—who gave their lives advancing America’s mission abroad. Retired USAID Foreign Service Officer Nancy Eslick delivered remarks and read out the names of nine members of the USAID community who were added to the wall this year: Dr. Henry G. Bennett, Sarah J. Crites, Michael Dempsey, Ellen De Guzman, Susan C. Easley, Cheryl D. Hodge-Snead, Priscilla Sampil, Jacob Toukhy, and Dr. Edward Winant. Dinkelman lauded the permanent placement of the wall while mourning the dismantling of the agency itself, noting that programs sustaining lives around the world had ended as a result. Dinkelman closed the ceremony on a note of resolve: “Be it known by all that the American Foreign Service Association will continue to honor this workforce, both those who have given all and those who continue to carry the mission forward every day. We hope that someday soon, we will again be allowed to gather where we belong: in front of the plaques that bear the names of our honored dead.” Following the ceremony, Dinkelman, carrying the memorial wreath, led a procession of more than 100 attendees over to the State Department’s C Street entrance for a moment of silence. DACOR FS Cup Winner Announced Later that afternoon, DACOR held its annual Foreign Service Cup dedication ceremony at DACOR Bacon House—like the AFSA ceremony, DACOR’s awarding of the FS Cup, traditionally bestowed at an awards ceremony on Foreign Service Day, was also banned from the State Department this year. The Foreign Service Cup is awarded each year on Foreign Service Day to a retired Foreign Service officer who had a distinguished career and has made significant postretirement contributions to the field of foreign affairs. This year’s honoree was George Moose, former U.S. ambassador to Benin. Ambassador Moose was selected for his leadership in Africa, at the United Nations, and at the United States Institute of Peace. For a recording of AFSA’s memorial ceremony, visit https://www.facebook.com/ watch/afsapage/. Read more on the history of the memorial plaques and the criteria for inscription at https://afsa.org/sites/default /files/the-foreign-service -honor-roll.pdf. n FS Day Continued from page 57 The DACOR Foreign Service Cup is bestowed upon Ambassador George Moose on May 1 at DACOR Bacon House. From left: DACOR President Ambassador Thomas A. Shannon, former DACOR President Angela R. Dickey, Ambassador George Moose, retired FSO Ray Ewing, retired FSO Paul Denig, and Ambassador Jim Dandridge. JENNIFER MORRIS PHOTOGRAPHY
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODIyMDU=