Thursday, August 7, 2008

LTC Pope and I meet at breakfast and then go with a driver to the U.S. Embassy to submit the VETCAP report. We meet Karin Gleisner, Defense Liaison Officer with the Defense Atttache’ Office, who we met a couple of weeks ago in Tanga when she was visiting there.

The Ambassador wants to meet us at 8 AM. He is Mark Green, who has been here for slightly less than a year. An internet search shows that he is a former Republican Member of Congress from Wisconsin who ran for Governor of that state but was defeated. He had strong, bipartisan support for his nomination to the post of Ambassador although it had been held up by Senators Dodd and Kerry because he was a political appointment and not a career diplomat. He and his wife previously lived and taught in Kenya and he speaks some Swahili. He wanted to meet with us personally because he expressed an interest in VETCAP as a particularly effective way of using U.S. assets to benefit the host nation and the government.

One government Minister who is helpful to the U.S. would benefit from local VETCAP in a particular area, which the Ambassador asks about. The Ambassador is interested that we had visited the Tanga Fresh coop; he has more than passing knowledgeable about dairy production in TZA and from his Wisconsin background. His congressional district was NE Wisconsin. He seems to be a dedicated public servant and genuinely interested in helping Tanzania and promoting U.S. interests here.

A 9:00 AM ceremony is scheduled outside the Embassy so our meeting is short. Today is the 10th anniversary of the bombings at this embassy and at the one in Nairobi, Kenya. In Dar about 11 Tanzanians were killed, and in Nairobi on the same day, within minutes of the Dar bombing over 200 Kenyans and Americans were killed, including Weezie Martin, DVM (LSU 1982). It is very strange that we happen to be here in Dar and in the embassy on this day. A group of Tanzanians was gathering to participate in the ceremony, perhaps as a choir or other performing group as we came in and the preparations for the ceremony are continuing as we leave.

We return to the hotel and then go to a shopping area to look for some momentos, which we all seem to find readily. After a few hours shopping and a trip to Barclay’s Bank to exchange some Tanzania shillings for U.S. dollars, we return to the hotel and purchase some flowers from road side vendors to present Mrs. Rose Machera who we will join for supper along with her husband, LTC Machera and ten-year old daughter Clara.

LTC Machera picks us up that evening and hosts us to a wonderful meal at the Sea Cliff Hotel. Mrs. Machera is very happy to receive the flowers. Daughter Clara is very quiet. CPT Coenen and I are presented with gifts, including a shirt for me, a wrap around for Twila, and a wrap around for Amanda. We have a very nice evening and return to the Hotel. SGT’s Berk, Cabreza, Barnett, and Carnel are also having supper at the hotel but stay to spend some time at the casino when two of them claim to win a little money and one says he lost.