Francis E. Meloy Jr.
Navy intelligence officer in World War II and veteran ambassador to the Dominican Republic and Guatemala; kidnapped and killed in Beirut two weeks after arriving as ambassador to Lebanon.
Service Record
| Born | March 28, 1917, Washington, D.C. |
|---|---|
| Military | U.S. Navy Reserve, naval intelligence, World War II, four years |
| Vice Consul, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia | 1946 |
| Assistant to Secretary of State Dean Acheson | Washington |
| Political officer, Saigon | 1953 – 1956 |
| Political officer, Paris | 1956 – 1959 |
| Director, Office of Western European Affairs | 1962 – 1964 |
| Deputy Chief of Mission | Rome |
| U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic | 1969 – 1973 |
| U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala | 1974 – 1976 |
| U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon | June 1976 |
| Died | June 16, 1976, Beirut, Lebanon |
Overview
Francis Meloy spent three decades in the Foreign Service and led three American embassies. He volunteered for the most dangerous of them, Lebanon in the midst of its civil war, and was killed there within weeks of his arrival.
Early Life and Military Service
He was born in Washington, D.C., the son of a government geographer. During the Second World War he served four years in naval intelligence as a reserve officer.
Career
He joined the State Department after the war and was posted as vice consul in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, in 1946. He worked as an assistant to Secretary of State Dean Acheson, served as a political officer in Saigon and Paris through the 1950s, directed the Office of Western European Affairs, and served as deputy chief of mission in Rome. He was ambassador to the Dominican Republic from 1969 to 1973 and to Guatemala from 1974 to 1976.
Sacrifice
President Gerald Ford appointed him ambassador to Lebanon in April 1976. On June 16, 1976, as he crossed Beirut's Green Line on his way to present his credentials to President-elect Elias Sarkis, he was abducted along with Economic Counselor Robert O. Waring and their driver, Zuhair Mohammed Moghrabi. All three were found shot to death that evening.
Legacy
A presidential proclamation honored Ambassador Meloy and Counselor Waring. Their deaths marked the beginning of a long and costly period for American diplomats in Lebanon.
Recognition
Envoys of Record honors Francis E. Meloy Jr. among the members of the Foreign Service who gave their lives in the service of the United States. Their names are kept here so that their service is not forgotten.