Kissinger receives American Patriot Award

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was presented with the National Defense University Foundation’s American Patriot Award in recognition for his distinguished, albeit often times controversial, career in public service.

Colleagues from the military, diplomatic, political and economic communities attended the award gala, and offered praise, matched with a goodhearted ribbing of Kissinger’s infamous ego.

“I want to warn you, especially you Henry, that I’m not going to praise you too much. I’ve known Henry very well for so many years, and I don’t want to overload the modesty that has been such a part of his character over these years,” Alexander Haig, former Secretary of State in the Reagan administration, teased

Colin Powell, Secretary of State during President George W. Bush’s first term, recounted a party in which Kissinger escorted Princess Diana.

“Have you ever seen Henry escort a beautiful woman around? It’s something to behold,” said Powell. “He escorts her through the room, making sure all eyes are on him. It is absolutely marvelous.”

However, when it came to discussing Kissinger’s foreign policy contributions, the mood turned much more solemn.

Haig credited Kissinger for maintaining peace throughout the Cold War, “I am grateful for your lifelong friendship, for what you have done for this country. To bring it into this century, and to do so without a shot being fired. And let me tell you, that happened from strategic thinking and creative diplomacy, and thank god it did. And for that debt of peace and success we owe Henry Kissinger, who was the architect of those policies, a world of thanks and gratitude,” said Haig.

Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan linked the Former Secretary of State’s policies with the spread of democracy abroad.

“In the 1960’s, there were fewer than 40 democratic nations in existence. Now thanks in significant part to Henry and the worldview he fostered in succeeding generations of American diplomats, American values are emulated virtually everywhere.”

At the evening’s close, Kissinger took the opportunity to reiterate his political philosophy.

“I came to this country as a refugee from Germany. So I have known in a way, that native born Americans cannot experience, what this country means to the downtrodden and those who need a ray of hope. And those of us who have gone through this have been committed to the proposition that American honor can’t be jeopardized for the sake of immediate comfort.”

Kissinger also touched upon the future, explaining that although he supported John McCain, the complex international situation requires cooperation.

“The new administration must be given every support and every encouragement to deal with this in the manner they have so far dealt with it. And I want to say that the hope of all Americans is with this new period that is now beginning.”

The National Defense University Foundation describes the recipients of the American Patriot Award as being those who have demonstrated ‘a profound and abiding love of country and whose inspirational leadership and selfless dedication symbolize our nation’s ideals, values and democratic principles’. Past recipients include John Glenn, Colin Powell, Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), and Senators Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).

Henry Kissinger has been credited with opening diplomatic relations with China, developing the political strategy realpolitik, and establishing détente with the Soviet Union. He has garnered criticism for helping to orchestrate a clandestine bombing campaign against Cambodia and allegedly supporting the 1973 coup that put Chilean dictator Augosto Pinochet in power.