My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
– President John F. Kennedy, January 20, 1961
Meet the first-generation Peace Corps Volunteers who later served as senior U.S. diplomats. Learn how their challenges became defining moments.
From the founding of the Peace Corps in 1961 to yesterday’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Profiles in Service traces how the volunteer experience contributed to the successful careers of leading U.S. diplomats.
Drawing on interviews and oral histories from The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, the book follows future ambassadors from rustic village settings to negotiating tables in capital cities—through war, revolution, and post-conflict reconstruction—revealing how early service forged resilience, judgment, and cross-cultural fluency.
These figures tracked looted antiquities in Iraq, built relations in Kabul after 9/11, and secured village infrastructure as war raged in Vietnam. As hostages in Iran, they maintained diplomatic discipline to bridge a volatile cultural divide. Individuals of deep courage and conviction, they integrated a southern U.S. high school & found comfort in African village beliefs to cope with great personal loss.
As the U.S. marks 250 years and the Peace Corps 65, Profiles links the volunteer experience with diplomatic achievement to highlight how Peace Corps service shaped individual careers—and modern American diplomacy.
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Ben East Books 