It's sad to see that Vernon Walters has died.
Probably the most brilliant public servant of the 20th century. A great man.
...Gen. Walters spent his career in the shadowy world of political and strategic secrets. He was variously described as the quintessential quiet American and as the U.S. version of James Bond, an idea he dismissed as absurd. He believed the United States must be able to project its military power in credible ways, but he also believed that the purpose of diplomacy is making friends. He told an interviewer that people who doubted that serious diplomatic business was conducted at cocktail parties had never been to one.
A linguist, he spoke French, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, Portuguese and Russian....
...He was deputy director of the CIA from 1972 to 1976. For a period in 1973, he was acting director of the agency. During that time, he successfully resisted efforts by John Dean, the White House counsel, to involve the CIA in efforts to cover up the Watergate scandal that led to Nixon's resignation....
...From 1981 to 1985, Gen. Walters was ambassador at large in the Reagan administration, a job in which he visited more than 100 countries. He was ambassador to the United Nations from 1985 to 1988 and then ambassador to Germany until 1991.
In a statement on Gen. Walters's death, CIA Director George J. Tenet described him as "an honest patriot of enormous talent" who led "an exceptionally rich life of service to country and humanity."
"A natural leader, Gen. Walters rose to excellence in every profession he entered," Tenet said. "With his remarkable knowledge of the world, and his passion to see it change for the better, he will remain for us an example of what the very best in our field must always be."...
washingtonpost.com
Walters was famous for ability to mimic foreign leaders, prepping Reagan for such meetings by becoming the foreign leaders. |
