Today, we lovingly remember our daughter Anne on this 5th anniversary of her death in a terrorist attack.
We are incredibly proud of the work she did for our country to make the world a better place. We recently found her request to be assigned to fill an open position at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. She wrote –
— “I take seriously the word ‘service’ in our job title, and want to be sent where I am needed most, where my work has the potential to do the most good.” . . .
— “I am especially excited to work in Afghanistan because the challenges of the job will require innovative and creative thinking.” . . .
— “A post in Kabul will require great sacrifice, but this is the reason I joined the Foreign Service – to serve my country in the best way I can.”
The spirit of service that motivated Anne is critical to the future of our country and the world. By working to advance the cause of diplomacy, and to help the people of Afghanistan, Anne has given breath to the ideal expressed by the words of the song: “Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me.”
It is our hope that Anne’s spirit will live on in the work that U.S. diplomats continue to do around the world.