In the late 1970’s, the telegraphic message was to the Foreign Service like the M-16 rifle was to the U.S. Army. Both wielded a sense of diplomacy and every soldier (and Foreign Service Officer) was “behooved” to know how to use each. In the case of the telegraphic message, words replaced bullets, and could be…
Month: February 2017
SECSTATE | Telegraphic Messages
One of the jobs I learned early on with the Office of Communications during my domestic assignment at Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia was how to read and compose telegraphic messages. <feature photo by radioblvd.com All classified and unclassified telegraphic messages from U.S. missions (American embassies, consulates) worldwide terminated at the U.S. Department of State. The…
The King Hussein Protective Detail | En Route Cypress Gardens (Part Three)
On a sunny Sunday morning in April of 1977 the S.Y. protective detail took off for Cypress Gardens, about an hour drive. King Hussein had added water skiing to his interests that included flying his own jet, HAM radio operator, motorcycle enthusiast—the list goes on. The Road to Cypress Gardens Two black vehicles and two…
A Mystery Visitor | King Hussein of Jordan Detail (Part Two)
The King Hussein of Jordan security detail had been stricken by the reverence of the Magic Kingdom. The State Department Security agents–S.Y.–had already made up radio call signs for everyone. The agent-in-charge answered to Captain Hook. His cadre had taken the monikers of Blackbeard, Bluebeard, Cannonball, Peg Leg, and Gunpowder after they had visited the Pirates…
The King Hussein Protective Detail (Part One)
April 1977 King Hussein of Jordan could have qualified as the “the world’s most interesting man.” His Royal Highness knew how to connect to people at all levels. King Hussein, call sign “JY1,” was an amateur radio enthusiast. HAM radio operators around the world regarded him highly. The term most used to describe him was,…
The Pioneering Age of Radio & Security (Part Two)
Terrorism at 1972 Olympic XX Games On September 5th people worldwide enjoyed the 1972 Olympic XX Games on television until terror struck. Members of the group known as Black September stormed the living quarters of the Israel athletes in Munich. They kidnapped and killed eleven Israeli Olympic athletes and one German policeman. The Israel-Palestine conflict…
The Cuban Missile Crisis | We All Hid Under Our Desks
In the previous message, The Pioneering Age of Radio & Security (Part One), the author alluded to the “Red Scare” and the Cuban missile crisis. Here is the author’s memory of a day in October 1962… <feature photo by ccecoldwar1.weebly.com I sat at my desk eating lunch at elementary school on Wednesday, October 24, 1962. My…
Foreign Service Messages 