Deane R. Hinton
Deane R. Hinton | |
---|---|
U.S. Ambassador to Zaire | |
In office June 20, 1974 – June 21, 1975 | |
President | Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
Preceded by | Sheldon B. Vance |
Succeeded by | Walter L. Cutler |
Personal details | |
Born | Deane Roesch Hinton March 12, 1923 San Jose, Costa Rica |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | University of Chicago |
Occupation | Diplomat |
Deane Roesch Hinton (March 12, 1923 – March 28, 2017) was an American diplomat and ambassador.
Biography
Hinton was born March 12, 1923, in Fort Missoula, Montana. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 1943 and joined the U. S. Army, serving as a 2nd Lt. during World War II. After the war he attended Harvard University from 1951 to 1952 and the National War College from 1961 to 1962.
A career
Hinton was no stranger to controversy. In 1949, while serving at the US embassy in Syria, he became aware of the US plan to support a coup overthrowing the democratically elected government. His prescient comment was, “I want to go on record as saying that this is the stupidest, most irresponsible action a diplomatic mission like ours could get itself involved in, and that we’ve started a series of these things that will never end.” However, the new government, led by Husni al-Za'im, did the US's bidding and allowed the trans-Syrian oil pipeline, instigated talks with Israel and imprisoned left-wingers and trade unionists. He was executed in his pyjamas within the year, much as predicted by Hinton.
Hinton succeeded
Personal life
Hinton was married twice before 1982. His first marriage, to an American, produced five children and ended in divorce. The second marriage was to a Chilean and ended with her death. In 1982, he was engaged to a Salvadoran named Patricia de Lopez.[4]
According to Joan Didion, he spoke with a "high Montana twang".[4]
References
- ^ Adam Curtis (16 June 2011). "The Baby and the Baath water". Adam Curtis Blog- The Medium and the Message. BBC. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- OCLC 11548384.
- ^ Deane Hinton, Envoy Who Denounced Salvadoran ‘Death Squads,’ Dies at 94
- ^ ISBN 0679751831.
- ^ a b "In Cold Blood: Salvadorian Colonel who Plotted Murder has been Living in United States". Zembla. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ Selsky, Andrew (24 March 2019). "Justice Sought for 4 Dutch Journalists Killed in El Salvador". AP News. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- This article incorporates facts obtained from: Lawrence Kestenbaum, The Political Graveyard