For many of us in the U.S. Foreign Service, Lawrence Eagleburger, who died early this month, was a larger-than-life figure who left an indelible mark on our lives.
Eagleburger, who served and later often closely advised a string of U.S. presidents from John F. Kennedy to George H.W. Bush — and was briefly secretary of state — went after every tough issue there was.
His courage was matched only by his determination and humor. He wouldn't so much vanquish his adversaries as make them melt in his presence. It was appropriate that he was the only Foreign Service officer to become secretary of state. Had he been appointed in late 1992 for longer than the interregnum between the Bush and Clinton administrations, he arguably would have been the best secretary of state the U.S. ever had.