John Gordon Mein
John Gordon Mein (September 10, 1913 – August 28, 1968) was the first United States ambassador to be assassinated while serving in office.[1]
Mein served as the United States Ambassador to Guatemala (1965–68) during the Guatemalan Civil War. He was shot by rebels belonging to the Fuerzas Armadas Rebeldes (FAR; "Rebel Armed Forces") one block from the US consulate on Avenida Reforma in Guatemala City on August 28, 1968. US officials believed that FAR intended to kidnap him in order to negotiate an exchange, but instead they shot him when he attempted to escape.[2]
He is buried at Rock Creek Cemetery, in Washington, DC.
See also
- Laurence Steinhardt, the previous ambassador to be killed in the line of duty
- Cleo A. Noel, Jr., the next ambassador to be killed in the line of duty
References
- ↑ "Eight Bullets in Guatemala". Life: 52A. September 6, 1968.
- ↑ "Information Memorandum From the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Vaky) to Secretary of State Rusk". Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968 (U.S. Dept. of State, Office of the Historian). XXXI, South and Central America. August 29, 1968.
External links
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John O. Bell |
United States Ambassador to Guatemala September 22, 1965–August 28, 1968 |
Succeeded by Nathaniel Davis |