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Remarks of the President and Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State, to the Family of Ambassador Rodger P. Davies, Andrews Air Force Base [Ford Speech or Statement]
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7335776
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Remarks of the President and Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State, to the Family of Ambassador Rodger P. Davies, Andrews Air Force Base [Ford Speech or Statement]
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
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21
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1974-08-21
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8
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1974
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Digitized from Box 1 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 21, 1974
OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY
THE WHITE HOUSE
REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT
AND
HENRY A. KISSINGER
SECRETARY OF STATE
TO THE FAMILY OF
AMBASSADOR RODGER P. DAVIES
ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE
11:36 A.M. EDT
SECRETARY KISSINGER: Mr. President, Excellencies,
ladies and gentlemen:
A professional Foreign Service Officer has
come home, returned not to joy, but to sadness, not to
parade, but to solemn ceremony.
Rodger Davies embodied the qualities and spirit
which mark an American. He chose an unusual profession, a
profession which required that to serve his country, he
leave his home, but never forget it. Wherever he went,
the heritage of America was in his heart. He remembered
the dignity of the individual where individuals had lost
their dignity.
He remembered the rights to liberty and justice
where these rights were under attack. He remembered peace
where there was war. In that sense, Rodger Davies never
left home.
In the diplomatic entrance at the Department of
State, the American Foreign Service Association maintains
plaques which list +he names of those members of the
Foreign Service who gave their lives under heroic or tragic
circumstances in the service of their country. It is not
a short list, and now tragically another name will be added.
I am today awarding to Ambassador Davies the
highest award of the Department of State, the Secretary's
Award. The citation reads as follows:
"For inspiring leadership, outstanding courage
and dedication to duty for which he gave his life, Nicosia,
August 19, 1974."
Awards and names on plaques are little comfort to
those who loved and admired Rodger Davies. To his children,
Dana and John, I would only repeat my remarks of Monday that
Ambassador Davies was beloved, admired and respected by his
colleagues. He was a professional in the fullest and best
sense of the word.
MORE
Page 2
Dana and John, your father leaves behind a
legacy of which any man should be proud. Even more important,
he leaves a multitude of friends whose lives were enriched
by knowing him.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is now my honor to
introduce a man who in less than two weeks has given hope
to America and inspired confidence in the world: The
President of the United States.
MORE
Page 3
THE PRESIDENT: Secretary Kissinger, Dana and
John, and members of the family, distinguished guests:
This is a very sad occasion for all Americans
as we gather here to pay tribute to a great patriot, one
of our most admired and one of our most respected diplomats.
Rodger Davies leaves behind many friends and many, many
accomplishments in the career that he selected.
He possessed the full measure of many of those
attributes which are so invaluable as a person and in the
career that he sought. He had judgment, he had dignity, he
had wisdom, and he had humor, and all of these are necessary
ingredients for the job that he chose for his full life.
As the Secretary has mentioned, Rodger Davies was
a professional in the fullest sense. His services to our
country embodied the best of time, of effort and competence.
He loved and worked for peace and he lost his life in the
search for peace for all America and all the world.
On Monday of this past week I had the opportunity
to make some remarks to a group who had served their country
in uniform and I had the sad occasion to announce to that
group the loss of life by Rodger Davies. And I said to them
and I repeat here today, some serve in uniform, some serve
in other capacities. The loss of life in either case means
as much to America.
And therefore it is appropriate on this occasion
that we pay a very special tribute to a great Ambassador,
highly respected by his friends; a person who gave his full
life to the career that he sought. So I say it is an honor for
me on this occasion to present on behalf of all Americans, the
flag to Dana, the Ambassador's flag, to which your father, as
my personal representative in the service of his country,
brought such great distinction.
END
(AT 11:45 A.M. EDT)