THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 6, 1996 TAG: 9609040133
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: 40 lines
Bismarck Myrick, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Lesotho, has been inducted into the Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame in Fort Benning, Ga.
Myrick, a native of Portsmouth and graduate of I.C. Norcom High School, was a major in the U.S. Army before joining the diplomatic service.
The Hall of Fame honors graduates of the OCS in Fort Benning or the Ground General School at Fort Riley, Kan., who have distinguished themselves in military and civilian pursuits. Past inductees include presidential candidate Robert Dole, former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and William F. Buckley.
Myrick was an infantry company commander in Vietnam in 1968-69. He was a U.S. Army foreign area officer in Ethiopia, 1974-75, and was director of African studies at the Institute for Military Assistance from 1975 to 1980.
Myrick joined the U.S. diplomatic service in 1980 and became desk officer in Somalia.
He was the first African-American to serve as consul general in Durban, South Africa, and was consul general in Cape Town from 1993-95 before he was appointed ambassador to Lesotho last year.
From 1985 to 1987, Myrick was action officer in the Office of Strategic Nuclear Policy and shuttled between Washington and Geneva, Switzerland, negotiating arms control issues.
Myrick, who joined the Army directly out of high school, has received degrees from Tampa University and Syracuse University. He holds the Department of State's Superior Honor Award and four Meritorious Honor Awards.
His military decorations include the Silver Star, the Purple Heart and four Bronze Stars for heroism in combat.
He is co-author of ``Three Aspects of Crisis in Colonial Kenya,'' published by Syracuse Press. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Bismarck Myrick, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a
native of Portsmouth. by CNB