Marshall Green
Encyclopedia
Marshall Green was a United States
diplomat
whose career focused on East Asia
. Green was the senior American diplomat in South Korea
at the time of the 1960 April Revolution
, and was United States Ambassador to Indonesia
at the time of the Transition to the New Order. From 1969 to 1973, he was Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
, and, in this capacity, accompanied President of the United States
Richard Nixon
during President Nixon's visit to China in 1972
.
on January 27, 1916. He was educated at Groton School
, graduating in 1935, and then at Yale University
, graduating in 1939.
After university, Green became the secretary of United States Ambassador to Japan
Joseph Grew
in Tokyo
. Shortly before the Attack on Pearl Harbor
, Green returned to the United States to study for the exam to join the United States Foreign Service
. With the entry of the U.S. into World War II
, Green enlisted in the United States Navy
, where he served as a Japanese language
translator (he had learned Japanese during his time in Tokyo).
After the war, Green was discharged from the Navy and joined the Foreign Service. His first posting was as Third Secretary at the Embassy of the United States in Wellington
. Over the next decade, Green rose rapidly through the ranks of the Foreign Service, ultimately becoming principal assistant to Secretary of State John Foster Dulles
; he was Dulles' principal assistant at the time of the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
, which brought the United States and China
to the brink of war.
Green was then appointed Deputy Chief of Mission
at the Embassy of the United States in Seoul
. He was the senior American diplomat chargé d'affaires
in South Korea
at the time of the 1961 coup d'état that brought Major-General Park Chung Hee to power. During this time, Ambassador Green maintained the position that the U.S. continued to back ousted but democratically elected Prime Minister Chang Myon (John M. Chang). reen served as U.S. Consul General
to Hong Kong
, at the Consulate General of the United States in Hong Kong from November 1961 until August 1963.
President of the United States
Lyndon B. Johnson
nominated Green as United States Ambassador to Indonesia
on June 4, 1965, and Green presented his credentials to the Indonesian government on July 26, 1965. He was met with an anti-Vietnam War
protest organized by Sukarno
, the President of Indonesia
, under the slogan "Go Home, Green". Only weeks later, Green witnessed first hand the Transition to the New Order, an anti-Communist purge in which Suharto led a coup against Sukarno
and in the course of which an estimated 500,000 Indonesians were killed. Green was Ambassador to Indonesia until March 26, 1969; during his four years in Indonesia, he practiced what he called "low-profile diplomacy".
President Richard Nixon
nominated Green as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
in 1969, and Green held this office from May 5, 1969 until May 10, 1973. He did most of the background work for President Nixon's visit to China in 1972
, and he was one of thirteen State Department officials who accompanied Nixon during this trip.
In 1973, President Nixon selected Green as United States Ambassador to Australia
, a post he held until 1975. In 1975, he became Coordinator of Population Affairs in the United States Department of State
.
Green retired from government service in 1979, joining the Population Crisis Committee, a non-profit committed to combating overpopulation
. In retirement, he wrote three books dealing with his time in East Asia.
Green died of a heart attack on June 6, 1998. He was father to three sons: Marshall W., Edward C., and Brampton S., and husband to Lispenard Crocker Green.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
whose career focused on East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
. Green was the senior American diplomat in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
at the time of the 1960 April Revolution
April Revolution
The April Revolution, sometimes called the April 19 Revolution or April 19 Movement, was a popular uprising in April 1960, led by labor and student groups, which overthrew the autocratic First Republic of South Korea under Syngman Rhee. It led to the peaceful resignation of Rhee and the transition...
, and was United States Ambassador to Indonesia
United States Ambassador to Indonesia
This is a list of Ambassadors of the United States to Indonesia.Indonesia had been a Dutch colony since 1800 as a part of the Dutch East Indies. The Dutch were expelled in March 1942 by the Japanese occupation of Indonesia. After the surrender of Japan in 1945, Sukarno declared independence on...
at the time of the Transition to the New Order. From 1969 to 1973, he was Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
The Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs is the head of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs within the United States Department of State. The Assistant Secretary guides operation of the U.S...
, and, in this capacity, accompanied President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
during President Nixon's visit to China in 1972
1972 Nixon visit to China
U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to the People's Republic of China was an important step in formally normalizing relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China. It marked the first time a U.S. president had visited the PRC, who at that time considered the U.S. one...
.
Biography
Marshall Green was born in Holyoke, MassachusettsHolyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range of mountains. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 39,880...
on January 27, 1916. He was educated at Groton School
Groton School
Groton School is a private, Episcopal, college preparatory boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts, U.S. It enrolls approximately 375 boys and girls, from the eighth through twelfth grades...
, graduating in 1935, and then at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, graduating in 1939.
After university, Green became the secretary of United States Ambassador to Japan
United States Ambassador to Japan
The United States Ambassador to Japan is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary from the United States to Japan. Since the opening of Japan by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, in 1854, the U.S. maintained diplomatic relations with Japan, except for the ten-year period following the attack on...
Joseph Grew
Joseph Grew
Joseph Clark Grew was a United States diplomat and career foreign service officer. He was the chargé d'affaires at the U.S. embassy in Vienna when Austria-Hungary severed diplomatic relations with the United States on April 9, 1917. Later he was the U.S. Ambassador to Denmark 1920–1921 and U.S....
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Shortly before the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, Green returned to the United States to study for the exam to join the United States Foreign Service
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
. With the entry of the U.S. into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Green enlisted in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, where he served as a Japanese language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
translator (he had learned Japanese during his time in Tokyo).
After the war, Green was discharged from the Navy and joined the Foreign Service. His first posting was as Third Secretary at the Embassy of the United States in Wellington
Embassy of the United States in Wellington
The Embassy of the United States in Wellington, New Zealand along with the consulate general in Auckland provides assistance to American citizens and issues travel visas to foreign nationals who wish to visit the United States....
. Over the next decade, Green rose rapidly through the ranks of the Foreign Service, ultimately becoming principal assistant to Secretary of State John Foster Dulles
John Foster Dulles
John Foster Dulles served as U.S. Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1959. He was a significant figure in the early Cold War era, advocating an aggressive stance against communism throughout the world...
; he was Dulles' principal assistant at the time of the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
The Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, also called the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis, was a conflict that took place between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China governments in which the PRC shelled the islands of Matsu and Quemoy in the Taiwan Strait in an attempt to seize them from...
, which brought the United States and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to the brink of war.
Green was then appointed Deputy Chief of Mission
Deputy Chief of Mission
A Deputy Chief of Mission , is the number-two diplomat assigned to an embassy or other diplomatic mission. He or she is usually considered the second-in-command or top lieutenant to the Head of Mission...
at the Embassy of the United States in Seoul
Embassy of the United States in Seoul
The Embassy of the United States in Seoul is the embassy of the United States in the Republic of Korea , in the capital city of Seoul. The embassy is charged with diplomacy and South Korea–United States relations...
. He was the senior American diplomat chargé d'affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
at the time of the 1961 coup d'état that brought Major-General Park Chung Hee to power. During this time, Ambassador Green maintained the position that the U.S. continued to back ousted but democratically elected Prime Minister Chang Myon (John M. Chang). reen served as U.S. Consul General
Consul (representative)
The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...
to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, at the Consulate General of the United States in Hong Kong from November 1961 until August 1963.
President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
nominated Green as United States Ambassador to Indonesia
United States Ambassador to Indonesia
This is a list of Ambassadors of the United States to Indonesia.Indonesia had been a Dutch colony since 1800 as a part of the Dutch East Indies. The Dutch were expelled in March 1942 by the Japanese occupation of Indonesia. After the surrender of Japan in 1945, Sukarno declared independence on...
on June 4, 1965, and Green presented his credentials to the Indonesian government on July 26, 1965. He was met with an anti-Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
protest organized by Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
, the President of Indonesia
President of Indonesia
The President of the Republic of Indonesia is the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Indonesia.The first president was Sukarno and the current president is Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.- Sukarno era :...
, under the slogan "Go Home, Green". Only weeks later, Green witnessed first hand the Transition to the New Order, an anti-Communist purge in which Suharto led a coup against Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
and in the course of which an estimated 500,000 Indonesians were killed. Green was Ambassador to Indonesia until March 26, 1969; during his four years in Indonesia, he practiced what he called "low-profile diplomacy".
President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
nominated Green as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
The Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs is the head of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs within the United States Department of State. The Assistant Secretary guides operation of the U.S...
in 1969, and Green held this office from May 5, 1969 until May 10, 1973. He did most of the background work for President Nixon's visit to China in 1972
1972 Nixon visit to China
U.S. President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to the People's Republic of China was an important step in formally normalizing relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China. It marked the first time a U.S. president had visited the PRC, who at that time considered the U.S. one...
, and he was one of thirteen State Department officials who accompanied Nixon during this trip.
In 1973, President Nixon selected Green as United States Ambassador to Australia
United States Ambassador to Australia
The position of United States Ambassador to Australia has existed since 1940. U.S.-Australian relations have been close throughout the history of Australia...
, a post he held until 1975. In 1975, he became Coordinator of Population Affairs in the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
.
Green retired from government service in 1979, joining the Population Crisis Committee, a non-profit committed to combating overpopulation
Overpopulation
Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...
. In retirement, he wrote three books dealing with his time in East Asia.
Green died of a heart attack on June 6, 1998. He was father to three sons: Marshall W., Edward C., and Brampton S., and husband to Lispenard Crocker Green.