S4101

Distinguished American Diplomats

Philip C. Habib - Foreign Service Officer

Collins Cover Announcement 

Distinguished American Diplomates

Philip C. Habib

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1920, Philip attended the University of Idaho, majoring in forestry but then went on to earn a doctorate in economics from the University of California. In 1949 he entered the United States Foreign Service and was posted in Canada, New Zealand, and Trinidad.As the Vietnam War began to escalate in 1965, Habib served as a political counselor in Saigon. He quickly became an expert on the Southeast Asia area and was reassigned to Washington as Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. He then was a U.S. negotiator at the Vietnam Peace Talks in Paris for over three years.

My hand painted cachet depicts the distinguished diplomat in the oval portrait common to this Collins set and the American flag. A Vietnam rice paddy in the center portrays a scene common throughout that region of the world. Also shown is the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our country's highest civilian award, which was presented to Philip in 1982. The cachet components work well together, and the visual appearance of this cover is very appealing.

To finish out his career, Habib served as the Ambassador to South Korea from 1971 to 1974, and from 1976 until 1978 he was the Under Secretary for Political Affairs. In 1980 he retired due to poor health but, responding to President Reagan's special request, served as his personal representative to the Middle East, engaging in critical shuttle-diplomacy.

Without a doubt, this distinguished American diplomat served the United States extremely well during his long career. I'm pleased to honor Philip C. Habib—Collins #S4101 — $13.25.