The Foreign Service Journal, March 2019

52 MARCH 2019 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL guest in conversation; and in those pre- selfie days, posed for pictures, taken by a real photographer, with each and every one of us. When the last picture was taken, President Bush took the camera, handed it to me, and told me to take a picture of him posing with the photographer. Then he and Mrs. Bush went into the kitchen to greet the staff, and he posed for pictures with them, as well. That, ladies and gentlemen, is presidential . Quiet, natural, unforced decency and dignity, an acknowledgement that the work of others is important, a recognition of the service and sacri- fice of others. Godspeed, George H.W. Bush. Godspeed, Barbara Bush. Ambassador James D. Nealon, a retired career FSO, is currently a Wilson Center Global Fellow. Holey Sweaters in Kenya By Ambassador (ret.) William “Bill” Harrop I n 1982 George and Barbara Bush—he was then vice president— spent three days with my wife, Ann, and me in Nairobi. They were the most gracious houseguests we ever had. One morning at breakfast, as Barbara was about to set off on a day trip to the highlands to visit Peace Corps Volunteers with Phil and Loret Ruppe (then Peace Corps director), we realized that Phil was not warmly enough dressed. Ann asked our steward to get out one of my sweaters to lend him. On the party’s return that evening, Barbara said they had had a wonderful day but it was rather embarrassing since Phil Ruppe was wearing the most disgraceful sweater, full of holes. Then she realized to her embarrassment that the sweater was mine. Two weeks later we received a handsome new sweater, sent from Bermuda where the Bushes had stopped to refuel on the way back to Washington. The card read, “FromOld Foot-in-the-Mouth Bush.” On returning to Washington the Bushes telephoned each of our four sons to report that they had been with us in Kenya, and that we were fine. They were a truly grand American couple we were honored to have met. Ambassador William “Bill” Harrop served as ambassador four times during his 30-year Foreign Service career and was the recipient of the 2015 Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy award from AFSA. A Professional Approach to Foreign Affairs By Susan B. Maitra O n June 26, 1997, in the Benjamin Franklin Room at the State Department, George H.W. Bush received AFSA’s Award for Lifetime Contributions to Diplomacy in recognition of his outstanding achievements in a series of high-level posts dealing with foreign affairs. The man and his achievements were discussed in detail in the Journal’ s June-July 1997 focus honoring Bush’s legacy, “Diplomat Extraordinaire.” AFSA’s citation for the award particularly noted Bush’s professional approach to foreign policy and his regard for the professionalism and integrity of members of the Foreign Service. In 2011, when the FSJ published a special focus on the breakup of the Soviet Union, we asked George H.W. Bush to weigh in. Then in his late 80s, Bush graciously offered his insights and reflections on those momentous times in an inter- view, “Charting a Path through Global Change.”