The Foreign Service Journal, November 2004

L E T T E R S u 8 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 4 number of charming, well-educated women — one of whom I was fortu- nate enough to marry and who accompanied me on a number of assignments. In the future, could the FSJ carry a series of informative, positive arti- cles about Foreign Service wives who have had successful careers overseas outside the embassy? There is a sizable number. My wife was a teacher, and later principal of several American and international schools, who transferred her skills to an American university campus as a foreign student adviser. A number of the ladies have gone into real estate and done very well. Perhaps new FSOs should be exposed during their initial training to active or retired members who could comment on these concerns from per- sonal experience. William H. Lindsey Jr. FSO, retired Wicomico Church, Va. A Tired Phrase As a regular viewer of “The Newshour with Jim Lehrer” on WETA in the evenings, I was offended by a comment Mark Shields made on the Sept. 1 program. While I usually find his comments valid and helpful, his use of the tired and hackneyed phrase “a limp-wristed State Department type” was offensive and totally unnecessary. As I told PBS, this type of comment only perpetuates the prejudicial and pejorative perspective on diplomacy. At a time when a little more diplomacy and a little less military force might be helpful in our foreign policies, slam- ming the State Department and diplo- mats as spineless or effeminate is not the way to generate public support for diplomacy. If Mr. Shields ever meets Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, I doubt he will find him “limp-wristed.” That appellation also insults and deni- grates Foreign Service officers imple- menting U.S. (i.e., administration) policies, whether or not they agree with them, around the world. The names on the walls of the State Department lobby reveal the number of diplomats killed in service to their nation over the years: more in the past 40 years than the previous 178. I hopeMr. Shields will apologize for his remark and be more supportive of the vital role of the State Department and Foreign Service personnel in pro- tecting and advancing U.S. interests and security around the world. Eugene Martin FSO, retired Bethesda, Md. Author Request I am currently researching my father Charles W. Yost’s career for a book that I am writing. He was a Foreign Service officer with the State Department from 1930 until 1971. In that capacity, he attended the Dum- barton Oaks Conference, the San Francisco United Nations Conference and the PotsdamConference. He also served in various countries in the Far East, the Middle East and Europe. In 1961 he returned to the States to serve as deputy U.S. Representative to the U.N., and was appointed permanent U.S. representative to the U.N. in 1969. I am seeking recollections from his friends and colleagues that could be included in my book. I can be contact- ed at yost@un.org or at 310 East 46th Street, New York, N.Y. 10017. Felicity Yost New York, N.Y.  2400 Virginia Ave., N.W Washington, D.C., 20037 Tel: (202) 293-2000 E-mail: leasingoffice@columbiaplaza.net Office Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8:00 AM-5:30 PM Sat 10:00 AM-4:00 PM 24 Hour Front Desk Garage Parking Avaliable Controlled Access Potomac River Views Minutes to Fine Dining Newly Renovated Kitchens Directly across the street from Main State, minutes to Kennedy Center and Georgetown Beautiful and Spacious: Efficiency$1,100 - $1,250 1 Bedroom 1,400 - 1,700 2 Bedroom 2,100 - 2,700 Utilities Included Complimentary Voice Mail Courtyard Style Plaza Polished Hardwood Floors Private Balconies Huge Walk-in Closets Capital Living With Comfort and Convenience 24 Hour Fitness Center columbia plaza apartments