Letters from United States Ambassadors around the World Part 2

Alan J. Blinken, U.S. Ambassador, Brussels, Belgium
I was touched and grateful to receive the packets of seeds which you sent in tribute to your father. They will be planted immediately in a prominent place at the American Ambassador’s Residence. I will be curious to know how tall they grow so that I have the right spacing for them.

Although you had no reason to know, my wife has also been affected by cancer and she too had the courage to fight and I am happy to say how trying to help others.

Once again, I would like to thank you on behalf of all those who fight and all those who care.

Wesley W. Egan, U.S., Ambassador, Amman, Jordan
Thank you for your letter and the background on the “Four-o’clocks Across America” tribute to your late father. I would be delighted to plant these seeds in the Residence garden on the Embassy compound later this year and join you in your hope that a cure for cancer is on the way.

Sandy Vogelgesang, U.S. Ambassador, Kathmandu, Kingdom of Nepal
Thank you so much for your thoughtful letter in tribute to your father. As one who lost her mother to cancer, I was most moved by your initiative to commemorate those who have battled and are battling the disease.

Please know that the “Four-o’clocks Across America” campaign has now spread to the Kingdom of Nepal. The seeds will be planted in view of Mount Everest, on what is considered the roof of the world.

David M. Robinson, First Secretary, Reykjavik, Iceland
Ambassador Borg asked me to respond to your letter in which you enclosed two packets of four-o’clock seeds. The Ambassador, who is an avid amateur gardener himself, was impressed with the tribute you started in honor of your late father. The Embassy is pleased to be a part of your project, and we will plant the seeds in the Chancery Garden. If they can survive the harsh Icelandic winters, they will surely flourish in the midnight sun of summer. Again, thank you for including the American Embassy in Reykjavik in your tribute.

Roger G. Gamble, U.S. Ambassador, Paramaribo, Suriname
The four-o’clock plant seeds arrived in good condition here in Paramaribo, Suriname. I congratulate you on this loving tribute to your father. My own father died of cancer and I will consider the plants to be planted also in his memory.

The plant seeds have been planted in the Ambassador’s Residence and in the beautiful garden of a Surinamese citizen. Given the excellent growing conditions, I am confident that the plants will be here for all to enjoy for many years.

Patrick N. Theros, U.S. Ambassador, Doha, State of Qatar
Thank you for your moving letter and or the seeds. We will plant them here at the Embassy, and also at my residence. I am also looking in the local community to find an appropriate Qatari organization to pass a packet of seeds to, in your wish to share them with the people of Qatar.

All of us here at the American Embassy appreciate your efforts to carry on your father’s battle, and we wish you every success.

Timothy A. Chorba, U.S. Ambassador, Singapore
Thank you for your letter and thank you for sharing the story of your father. My family and I have recently moved our living quarters and I am most happy to have the four-o’clocks planted at our new Residence. As the sun shines 350 days a year in Singapore, let me assure you that your father’s plants will thrive here.

Larry C. Napper, U.S. Ambassador, Riga, Latvia
Thank you for your letter and sending us the four-o’clock seeds. I have asked the Embassy’s gardener to plant the four-o’clocks in our garden and we will pass the second pack along as you requested. I hope that the four-o’clocks will take root in Latvia as a tribute to your father and a symbol of hope a cure for cancer.

Thomas A. Loftus, U.S. Ambassador, Oslo, Norway
Thank you for your letter. I think you had a fahter who was very proud of his son and I think for good reason. What a loving tribute to your father. The four-o’clock seeds will be planted at the Ambassador’s Residence here in Oslo.

A. Elizabeth Jones, U.S. Ambassador, Almaty, Kazakstan
I was very touched by your letter asking that we participate in your tribute to your father. We are just about to move into a house with a garden, and I will certainly plant the four-o’clock seeds once we are there. I will plant both packets there, as many Kazakstanis will see them when they visit the residence. I trust the flowers will do well in our climate, and hope to send you a photograph when they are in bloom.

A. Peter Burleigh, U.S. Ambassador, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Thank you for your letter. I was very interested to read of your father’s interest in four-o’clock plants and want to assure you that I am happy to participate in this tribute to your father and to help in your effort to expand it worldwide.

As an amateur garden enthusiast myself, I can tell you we will make good use of the seeds at the Embassy- and I will personally ensure that the others are shared with Sri Lankan gardeners.

Given climate conditions here, I am sure the plants will prosper-- and be a living reminder of both your father and others who have suffered or are suffering from cancer. Thanks again for your thoughtfulness.

Celestina M. Renteria, Secretary to the Ambassador, Caracas, Venezuela
We are in receipt of your letter of tribute to your father and the two packets of seeds.

On behalf of the Ambassador, I would like to advise you that we have planted the seeds of four-o’clocks on the Embassy grounds here in Caracas. We believe that the sight of these bushes will delight now only Embassy employees, but also our many Venezuelan visitors.

Walter Mondale, U.S. Ambassador, Tokyo, Japan
Your four-o’clock seeds arrived safely the other day, and I will see that they are planted here in Japan. Your effort is certainly tribute to your father, but also a testimony to the positive impact of flowers in our lives.

Kenneth S. Yalowitz, U.S. Ambassador, Minsk, Belarus
I was touched to receive your letter and the packets of four-o’clock seeds. This is a wonderful way to honor your father’s memory and I would be pleased to participate in the tribute.

One packet of the seeds will be divided and planted on the grounds of the American Embassy in Minsk and in the garden of the Ambassador’s Residence. I am sure that our employees and visitors will enjoy them for many years to come.

I am forwarding the second packet of seeds to the Director of the Botanical Garden in Minsk, together with a translation of your letter, and will ask that the seeds be planted in an appropriate spot in this lovely park. Thank you for including our Embassy in your tribute.

Gabriel Guerra-Mondragon, U.S. Ambassador, Santiago, Chile
My sincere sympathy on the death of your father. He must have been a very special person to have the peace of mind and courage to battle such a terrible disease as cancer. I will be more than happy to have the four-o’clock seeds planted in the Embassy gardens. I have already directed our garden contractor to take care of the task as soon as possible. The other seeds will be donated to a suitable Chilean person who is fond of plants.

I hope that these seeds will grow beautifully, and therefore, honor the memory of your father.

James R. Cheek, U.S. Ambassador, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Thank you for your very nice letter containing the special four-o’clock seeds. This is a very thoughtful gesture on your part and a wonderful way to honor the memory of your father. We will plant them on the beautiful grounds of our Residence here in Buenos Aires. I am sure they will thrive in this usually sunny and mild climate.

Peter F. Romero, U.S. Ambassador, Quito, Ecuador
Thank you for sharing with us your dream to honor your father. I have personally taken the four-o’clock seeds to be planted at my Residence so they can bloom there and can be admired not only by members of my family and the families future Ambassadors, but by the various visitors we have at the Residence. I am sure we will all enjoy their beauty, especially in remembering the meaning behind them. I have also passed the second pack of seeds to an Ecuadorian citizen who will be glad to plant the seeds in memory of your father.

Let me congratulate you again on your idea. I am sure your dad would be very proud of your efforts on his behalf.

Laurence Pope, U.S. Ambassador, N’Djamena, Chad
We will certainly find a place in our Embassy garden to plant the four-o’clock seeds, and distribute the second packet of seeds. It is a wonderful memorial to your father.

R. Grant Smith, U.S. Ambassador, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
In response to your request, one packet of your four-o’clock seeds will be planted at the home of the Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission. The Embassy itself is still in a hotel, as is my residence. I will give the other package to a Tajik friend who is a gardener.

William A. Eaton, Counselor for Administrative Affairs, Ankara, Turkey
We acknowledge the receipt of your letter. Please accept our condolences for your father’s death. We would like to participate in the tribute you started and happy to say that your four-o’clock seeds have been planted at the American Embassy, Ankara in honor of your dad and others battling cancer. We join you in hoping that a cure for cancer will be discovered soon.

Jeanina Wheelock, Protocol Assistant, Managua, Nicaragua
Thank you for your letter addressed to Ambassador Maisto enclosing the two packs of four-o’clock seeds. Per your request, one pack of seeds was planted here at the Embassy and the other pack was given to one of our employees to be planted at her house and then she will be sharing them with other Nicaraguans. I will be contacting you as soon as I hear that the four-o’clocks are blooming.

Michael W. Cotter, U.S. Ambassador, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
I only recently received your letter with the enclosed packs of four-o’clocks. I am very touched by your project in memory of your father and would be happy to honor your request to plant the flowers somewhere on our embassy grounds.

I have given the seeds to my secretary who will select an appropriate planting site. She is an avid gardener and will make certain they are well tended. In our desert surroundings, I am sure they will provide welcome color, as well as honor to your father’s memory. Thank you for including us in your project and best wishes for its continued success.

Roland K. Kuchel, U.S. Ambassador, Lusaka, Zambia
Thank you for your letter which contained packets of four-o’clock seeds in memory of your father and as a symbol of hope that a cure might soon be discovered for cancer. In your father’s memory, we have planted the seeds in the Residence garden; we hope to share the seedlings at the Chancery and elsewhere in Zambia.

Donald C. Johnson, U.S. Ambassador, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Thank you for your letter. May I express my condolences at the loss of your father. The U.S. Embassy in Mongolia would welcome the opportunity to participate in your “Four-o’clocks Across America” tribute to honor all persons who have been affected by cancer.

Mongolia is a country where vegetation is limited and the climate is very harsh. Much of the country has never been cultivated and at times looks bleak and desolate, however, we are trying to change all this. The Embassy has just employed a gardener to cultivate a garden and make flowers bloom in ground where nothing has grown for decades. We will certainly plant the seeds you sent and will wait enthusiastically for them to bloom. The second packet of seeds will go to a joint project of the Mongolian Women’s Federation and the International Ladies’ Association of Mongolia to add color to a park/playground in the center of Ulaanbaatar. Thank you for including us in your tribute to cancer suffers worldwide.

Pamela Harriman, U.S. Ambassador, Paris, France
Your letter and article concerning your father and his fondness of four-o’clock flowers were very touching. In response to your request, I would be delighted to plant one of the packets of the four-o’clock seeds in the garden at my residence in Paris in honor of your father and this worthy cause. They will be a wonderful compliment to the many varieties which have already been donated to the Ambassador’s Residence.

The other packet of seeds will be planted in two different gardens in Paris; “Les Serres d’Auteuil” and also at “Le Jardin des Plantes.” These gardens are among the most popular of Paris and are visited by more than 10 million people a year. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and with best wishes.

Edward S. Walker, Jr., U.S. Ambassador, Cairo, Egypt
Thank you for sending us the four-o’clock seeds. I shall try planting them here on the grounds of the American Embassy Residence in Cairo. I am sure that your father would be happy that you are having his four-o’clock seeds planted around the world as a memorial to him.

David Rawson, U.S. Ambassador, Bamako, Mali
I moved from Rwanda to Mali, where your letter and seeds found me. Please rest assured that these seeds will be planted at this Embassy’s Residence and Chancery.

William R. Meara, Economic Officer, Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic
Thank you for your letter. Please forgive our delay in responding. We have been trying to find an appropriate way to see your four-o’clock seeds. As per your request, we have planted some of the seeds in the Embassy’s gardens and we have given the second package to a Dominican family for use in their garden.

Rest assured that your father’s seeds are now contributing to the beauty of the Dominican Republic. I’m very sorry about your loss, but we thank you for including us in your beautiful remembrance.

Eileen A. Malloy, U.S. Ambassador, Bishkek
Thank you for your extraordinary letter concerning your wish that others might find pleasure and peace in the beauty of the four-o’clock plants your father loved. I will be happy to plant one pack of the four-o’clock seeds directly in front of our small Embassy, and I will see that the other packet is planted in one of the Kyrgyz parks that dot this city.

I, like so many others, share your hope that one day a cure will be found for cancer. Be assured that we will remember why the flowers were planted. Thank you for letting us share in a very worthwhile symbol of hope for cancer patients everywhere.

Estelle R. Aubin, Secretary to the Ambassador, Albania
Your letter to Ambassador Lake arrived after he left Albania. We were touched by your letter not only because several of us enjoy gardening, but because of the affection so clearly expressed in it. Our Embassy has some lovely grounds and this year our gardener has added some four-o’clocks. Several of us have also planted some at our residences. We look forward to the time when they will bloom.

Georgia E. Stewart, wife of U.S. Ambassador John Stewart, Chisinau, Moldova
My husband, John Todd Stewart, has replaced Mary C. Pendleton as the U.S. Ambassador to Moldova, and he have taken the liberty of keeping the seeds you sent to this address. In fact, today they were planted in the garden of the American Ambassador’s Residence in Chisinau- the first item to be planted in our garden this year. I hope that before long we will have evidence that the sun is indeed shining on your father’s plants - even in this nation which once was a Republic of the former Soviet Union. When the four-o’clocks bloom, we will send you a photograph to add to your collection. We are happy to share the balance of the seeds with others in Moldova.

Congratulations to you for your effort to keep alive your father’s memory in this way. In Moldova, as in the United States, many citizens suffer the ravages of cancer, and your flowers here will be a reminder to us of the Moldovans who also need assistance as they battle this disease.

Joseph R. Paolino, Jr., U.S. Ambassador, Valletta, Malta
As the American Embassy in Valletta is located in an office building in the middle of the city, the four-o’clock seeds that you sent have been planted in the garden at the Ambassador’s Residence where it is to be hoped they will flourish for many years to come.

People grieve in many different ways over the loss of a loved one. You have used yours in a positive way to beautify many small corners of the world. It is a wonderful tribute to your father and he must be very proud of you.

Lisa Rey, wife of U.S. Ambassador, Warsaw, Poland
I am cleaning out my desk in preparation for our departure from Poland and have just found your letter. Embarrassed as I am that a year and a half has passed, I wanted to tell you how deeply moved I was when I received it and am now upon rereading it. Your concept of distributing nature’s beauty throughout the world in memory of your father is a beautiful tribute, eloquent in its simplicity.

In my own defense, I postponed acknowledging your initial letter until the seeds could be planted and the flowers allowed to bloom. They were, they did, and they were photographed. At that point, of course, I had misplaced your letter! And it continued this. When I found the letter, the pictures had gone into hiding! Finally, with the final clean-out we have all been reunited and I am able to send you proof positive that the memory of your father bloomed in Warsaw. The garden was all the more beautiful for your dad’s presence. Thank you.

Coincidentally, I have been deeply committed during my husband’s tenure here as Ambassador to the fight against cancer in Poland- specifically breast cancer. So I was all the more touched by your gift. I also pray that this is a battle that can be won. The fight must continue.

Victor L. Tomseth, U.S. Ambassador, Vientiane, Laos
I am writing in response to your recent letter regarding the “Four-o’clocks Across America” tribute to your late father and all those affected by cancer.

We will be happy to plant the four-o’clock seeds you enclosed with your letter. As a sometimes gardener myself, I will use some at the official U.S. Ambassador’s Residence here in Vientiane. We will also endeavor to see that other seeds are planted where the people of Laos may see and appreciate the flowers, as well as understand the purpose of the tribute you have organized.

George Bruno, U.S. Ambassador, Belize City, Belize
Thank you for your letter. You will be pleased to know that your seeds have been planted next to the consular section of our Embassy. In a country with a reputation for ecology, this is a fitting memorial to your father.

Melvyn Levitsky, U.S. Ambassador, Brasilia
Having lost my own father in 1993, I was touched by your letter concerning your late father’s love for four-o’clocks. It will be our great pleasure to plant your seeds at the official residence. You may be sure that the sun will always shine on the plants, particularly since we have sun and warm weather here nearly all year long.

I wish you the best of luck in your campaign to have the seeds planted around the world. It will indeed be a fitting tribute to those affected by cancer.

J. Gary Cooper, U.S. Ambassador, Kingston, Jamaica
Thank you very much for the packets of seeds. I would be pleased to pay tribute to your father by planting one packet at the residence of the U.S. Ambassador and presenting the second packet to the Honorable Horace Clark, Minister of Agriculture, with the request that they be planted in an appropriate location.

Richard L. Barnes, Minister- Counselor for Agricultural Affairs, Great Britain
Ambassador Crowe has asked me to respond to your letter in which you sent to him packets of four-o’clock seeds in honor of your father. I am sure you will be pleased to know that they will be planted in the gardens of Winfield House, the official residence of the Ambassadors. The other packet has been passed to a British employee of the U.S. Embassy who was most pleased to receive them.