Ambassador Ortiz: Lessons from a Life of Service

Postscript

Upon reviewing the draft transcripts of these recollections, I find many painful omissions that make it an incomplete and superficial rendering of my life experiences. But since the story encompasses seventy years of memories, omissions are inevitable. What cannot be permitted is the absence of tribute to a few special, very exceptional individuals that Dolores and I came to know and love. These people are many and diverse. Egos, personal agendas, deceptions and falseness are common in the official and political world in which I spent a good part of my career, but still we bonded with remarkable human beings. Among the lions, snakes, peacocks, foxes, bulls, worms and weasels, there were eagles and doves that soared above the rest. Wells Stabler, among my first bosses, mercilessly corrected everything I wrote and challenged everything I did or said. When the time came to overrule the Medical Division of the State Department to admit me as an officer of the Foreign Service, their strict training contributed to my success in overcoming that barrier. Wells remains a very close friend to this day. My Ethiopian friend, Ghetaneh Haile-Miriam, worked hard to make his country’s passage into the modern world a success. He was  Postscript so intense his palms were always wet, making a handshake a sad experience . When the killings in Ethiopia began he escaped to the U.S.; other dear friends there were not so fortunate. Bishop Luis Bambaren of Lima, who lived in the slums with the poor, literally radiated goodness. When we visited to say an emotional goodbye, he slipped us shots of potent brandy in delicate demitasse cups to stop our blubbering. Mother Teresa of Calcutta emitted a similar radiance. We came to know her when Dolores helped her establish sanctuaries for the poorest of the poor in Peru and Guatemala. This miniature nun also radiated infinite goodness, which, however, became a little steely when things went awry. The eleventh Archbishop of Santa Fe, Michael J. Sheehan, was handed his shepherd’s crook at a time when his flock was sorely stressed and in danger of scattering. His genuine love for our history and culture and his stalwart, wise leadership has brought the church in New Mexico to the highest levels in nearly all respects in its -year history. In Mexico City, Pilar, the elegant Spanish wife of an English businessman , decided to do something about the horrible conditions in the main maternity hospital, where poor mothers and babies died by the hundreds. Dolores joined her in the delivery rooms and wards, where several mothers shared beds. Dolores and Pilar scrubbed walls and floors, provided clean sheets and bandages, and helped deliver and feed babies. When the Ambassador learned of this, he forbade Dolores and her friends going near the hospital. He feared that our enemies would charge the American women with responsibility for deaths that occurred on their watch. Pilar, abandoned by her American helpers, carried on nonetheless. In Uruguay, which is home to more kind, decent, honest people than any country I know, we were surrounded with affectionate concern and enveloped by friendship. This warmth and kindness helped us endure the ever-present fear of violence by the Tupamaro terrorists . The legions of wonderful people also made it abundantly obvious that the cruelty of the rebels was an aberration. The situation forced us to send our three oldest children out of the country—a hardship for the whole family—but our Uruguayan friends shared their children  POSTSCRIPT with us. In spite of the violence and tension, we have warm memories of Uruguay and the Uruguayans. Over the years, our family depended very much on a changing cast of household help. Professionals in the Foreign Service and their families often find their health and lives at risk. We relied upon good, trustworthy , loyal help at home to keep the family safe and in good health, allowing Dolores and me to concentrate on our many official obligations . We’ll always remember as members of the family Debabe and Leytai in Ethiopia, Francina in Mexico, Benedicta in Peru, Marta in Uruguay, Mr. Parker in Barbados, and Armando and Pedro in Argentina. We might not have made it without them. In my profession it is usual to deal with the highest strata in government and society, where power is exercised. I knew a couple dozen presidents, a few kings and queens...