Thomas Miller , Vice Consul in Chiang Mai, Thailand from 1979-1981Source: George Shultz: Your Country is the United StatesMILLER: George Shultz, for many of us, was like God. He was a really good guy Hed have all new ambassadors in to his office, one at a time, as they went out for a five, maybe 10 minute chat.
And hed say, OK, Mr. Ambassador or Madame Ambassador, youve passed all the tests. Youve been confirmed by the Senate and youve passed your security investigation. Youve done all the things to get the position of ambassador, but you have to pass my test. I have one more for you. And hed take them over in the Secretarys office to where there was this massive globe, and hed say, Im going to spin the globe and I want you to put your hand on your country.
Shultz would tell this story, and he said, Every single one of them failed. But I let them go anyway. Because whenever he spun the globe and hed say, I want you to put your hand on your country, theyd always put their hand on the country that they were going out to. His point was your country is the United States.
Great story!