The Foreign Service Journal, November 2012

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2012 73 AFSA NEWS At the Department of State, Stephen Seche, former ambassador to Yemen and friend and colleague of Chris, said, “It’s safe to say that everyone in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs who worked with Chris Stevens and got to know him—even if only a little bit—still feels the loss created by his death. I was struck by the sheer volume and genuine emotion of the messages I received from former friends and col- leagues of Chris as they tried to come to terms with the fact that he had been killed. That’s not always the case in this business of ours, where we have fleeting relationships and then move on (literally and figuratively) to another place, another job, a new circle of acquain- tances. With Chris it felt different, and it was. There is still a large, empty space in NEA left by his absence, but in what is perhaps the most fitting tribute we can pay to a friend who has left us all too soon, it will be filled by the many individuals inspired by Chris to make a genuine difference in the lives of others.” ■ J. CHRISTOPHER STEVENS FUND Supports activities that build bridges between people of the United States and the Middle East. The Fund will promote religious tolerance, cultural understanding, educational youth exchanges and people-to-people programs. See rememberingchrisstevens.com. (Above) U.S. Marines watch a video of Amb. Chris Stevens as he introduces himself and his hopes for Libya. (Left to Right) Tom Stevens, Anne Stevens Sullivan and Hilary Stevens Koziol share memories of their big brother, Chris Stevens. The Fallen at Benghazi, September 11, 2012 BY SUSAN JOHNSON, AFSA PRESIDENT American diplomats face in service to our country.” A memorial to the fallen was set up outside AFSA head- quarters and another by the Memorial Plaques in the Depart- ment of State’s C Street lobby. The memori- als included a wreath and message boards on which individuals could leave messages. The shock of this tragedy was deeply and widely felt. It was especially poignant for members of the Foreign Service and AFSA. As Deputy Secretary Bill Burns put it “We are a family. We serve together and we grieve together.” While we knew emo- tions ran deep, the response was even more touching than we had expected. Hundreds of individuals went out of their way to leave handwrit- ten messages of condolence and appreciation for the service and sacrifice of the fallen. The reflections in these messages are sincere and beautiful and we are honored to preserve them for posterity. Members of Congress and numerous organizations with which AFSA collaborates sent statements of support. The Senate passed two resolu- tions in mid-September, one honoring the fallen in Libya and the other praising the Foreign Service as a whole for its important work and its service around the world. The The Fallen, Continued on Page 77 Following the Sept. 11 terror- ist attack on the U.S. consul- ate in Benghazi that resulted in the tragic loss of life of Ambassador Chris Stevens, Information Management Specialist Sean Smith, and security agents Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, AFSA issued a statement extend- ing “our heartfelt condo- lences and sympathy to the bereaved families and extol- ling the service and example of our fallen colleagues as an inspiration to us all.” The AFSA statement pointed out that “this violent attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound once again underscores the dangers that