The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Program Foreign Service Spouse Series MARTHA CALDWELL Interviewed by: Mary Louise Weiss Initial interview date: October 17, 1988 TABLE OF CONTENTS Mrs. Cald ell, ife of Foreign Service Officer Robert W. Cald ell, accompanied her husband on his State Department diplomatic assignments in the United States and abroad. Personal Background Born in Missouri Educated at the University of Missouri Married Foreign Service Officer Robert W. Cald ell in 194, Work ith the Missouri Department of Education Entered the Foreign Service Au-iliary in 194. Posts of Assignment Washington, DC 194. Orientation and cryptography training Cairo, Egypt 194.-1944 0via 1ondon2 Stenographer and cryptologist Troop ship travel Transit in artime 1ondon Housing in Cairo Meeting Robert Cald ell US-3reece affairs Anglican Church services Athens, 3reece 1944-194, 0Foreign Service cryptologist and secretary2 Post-Na5i occupation environment Housing Ambassador and Mrs. Mc6ey Wartime Athens 1iving conditions Cryptology and stenographic duties Marriage Rome honeymoon 1 Posts of Assignment as ife of FSO Robert Cald ell Athens, 3reece 194,-1948 Temporary duty in Salonica American Farm School Teaching at Athens College 3reek friendships American archaeologists Agatha Christie Archaeological sites 3reek clergy Dublin, Ireland 1948-19,2 Archaeological community Environment Church services Copenhagen, Denmark 19,2-19,8 The city in inter Schooling Danish language study St. Alban:s Anglican Church Karachi, Pakistan 19,8-1960 Member of Board, International School Refugee colonies Tomb rubbings Assistance to refugees Preservation of Indian designs Assistance at health clinic Anglican Church Henry Holland, Missionary Doctor Dr. Ida B, Scudder and Scudder family Washington, DC 1960-1964 Smithsonian e-hibit of Mugal Emperor tombs designs Board member, Associates of American Foreign Service World ide 0AAFSW2 Secretary of State William Rogers and Mrs. Rogers Madras, India 1964-1968 Schooling Woodbury Forest prep school Hill Station 0School2 at Kodaicanal2 American and Indian art e-hibitions Tomb of Elihu Yale:s infant son Tomb rubbings Social elfare programs Hindi riots Anglican Church Fort St. 3eorge 2 Educated populace White and Black Je s St. Thomas legend Washington, DC 1968-1972 Scholar Diplomat Program Children:s schooling Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 1972-1976 0Husband accredited to ten East African countries2 Schooling 1eprosarium Working ith the blind Travel Tense environment 3uerilla fighting and unrest Military government Rift valley fossils Archaeology Hadar Schooling A1ucyB Coptic Church Anglican Church Bishop Spofford Churches of 1alabela St. Matthe s Church E-plorer, David 1ivingstone Ankara, Turkey 1976-1979 Archaeological sites Teaching English Bookmobile Sheep dogs St. Nicholas Anglican Church St. Paul:s travels Termessos Retirement 3eneral Comments 1asting friendships Work in artime 0WWII2 The Foreign Service ife EmbassyCConsulate relationship Hospitality and Information Service 0THIS2 Ball in John Duincy Adams Room 1972 Directive re Foreign Service ives 3 Participation in official representation Associates of American Foreign Service World ide 0AAFSW2 Formerly Association of American Foreign Service Wives Career interests of children Foreign Service morale Diplomatic and Consular Officers Retired 0DACOR0 PEO Women:s organi5ation educational activities Church activities INTERVIEW Q: Would you tell me about the circumstances under which you came into the Foreign Service yourself. CA1DWE11E In the Autumn of 194., I as in the State Department of Education in Missouri and I really anted to do something in the ar effort...something that ould be of service. And the State Superintendent of Schools kne I had e-pressed an interest in the Foreign Service of the United States, and hen he as at a meeting in Washington, in the Office of the U.S. Commissioner of Education, ho as Mr. Studebaker at the time -- 1loyd King, ho as Missouri State Superintendent of Schools, picked up an application for the Foreign Service and brought it hen he came back to Jefferson City. I talked to my parents about it and the State Department had gotten very good publicity at this time about ho their young people ere looked after in the Foreign Service. So, My parents thought that if I really anted to do this, it as fine. I filled out the application -- that as in about mid October. In less than a month, in November 194., I had a letter from the Foreign Service saying that I ould be given an assignment in the Foreign Service and to report to Washington immediately 0laughs2. So after a fare ell in the state capitol in Jefferson City, and a fare ell my parents gave me in our home, I left for Washington. And I as very lucky in that I had a place to live in Washington. One of my closest friends, Marg 1ohman, also anting to do something in the ar effort, but ho felt she could not go abroad because she had t o brothers in the service ho ere in areas abroad, came to Washington and as director of one of the houses at Arlington Farms. Arlington Farms, as perhaps all of you kno , as housing for government girls orking in Washington or aiting for assignments abroad. So I as in Washington -- of course I as told to report immediately -- I thought IFd be going overseas immediately. I as in Washington five months. And during that time I as given some orientation training and some training in cryptology. And I also had a very good time because Marg and I are great lovers of music and theater. Whenever there as an opportunity, e took advantage of hat Washington had to offer. But then in March, I received an assignment to the American Embassy near the governments of 3reece and Yugoslavia, then established in Cairo, Egypt. And I as told to report to Ne York, and I, ith about t enty other Foreign Service girls, stayed in a hotel in Ne York and then e ere notified to go to the Navy Yard in Brooklyn, pick up helmets and gas masks and proceed to Hoboken, and 4 to board the ship the M. S. Mauritania. No the Mauritania had been declared fast enough to go on a solo artime trip to England, and so e -- the captain of the ship to avoid 3erman submarines in the area -- ent through the very icy aters of the far north Atlantic, and e landed in 1iverpool at the end of March. Q: Was the ship armed in any way, for protection, for its own protection& CA1DWE11E No. It as not. It as just supposed to be fast enough to make the trip. It carried all troops -- ell, there as an Officers Duarters and the Foreign Service girls ere given hat had been staterooms and there ere ten bunks in each former stateroom. The thing I remember particularly about the trip as the cold rain, and every morning e had to be on deck for a boat drill ith a panic bag hich e had been told to pack before e left, hich as supposed to have some arm clothing and e had some, I donFt kno , K rations or some kind of food that had been given to us. So ith our panic bags e ere standing on the deck, and it seemed to rain every morning -- very cold. But the crossing ent ithout any disaster. It as really uneventful, e-cept for the cold. I suppose that by doing this 5ig5ag course, e avoided the 3erman submarines. Q: Did you feel frightened in any way& CA1DWE11E No. I think, you kno , I anted to do this and I as very e-cited about doing it, and I just felt it ould ork out. And I really asnFt frightened, ama5ingly enough. We ere in England at a very interesting time. We did not kno but e ere in England e-actly one month before D-Day, hich as May 6. At the end of March and the first days of April, e ere at Whittington Barracks near the cathedral to n of 1ichfield, and several of us mentioned to the officers in charge that eFd like to go to 1ondon. And e ere given a very sharp reply, HNo." And of course all preparations ere being made for D-Day hich as e-actly one month a ay. Q: They didn)t tell you that. CA1DWE11E Oh, no. Absolutely not. We certainly didnFt kno it. After about eight days at Whittington Barracks -- and of course it as all blackout -- e ere given flashlights that e could have on only at certain times and held to the ground. And there ere blackout curtains in the barracks here e stayed. And then after the eight days e ere taken back to 1iverpool and e ere, all of us ho ere going out in the Foreign Service, boarded the British troop ship, Orion, for the trip through the Atlantic, through the Straits of 3ibraltar, into the Mediterranean and on to Port Said. We did have a little e-citement soon after e entered the Mediterranean. Apparently the convoy 0 e ere in convoy for this part of the voyage2, and apparently the convoy had been sighted by 3erman reconnaissance planes and on t o occasions smoke screens ere put up that entirely enveloped the convoy. That as a little e-citing. Again, I didnFt feel afraid. I donFt kno . I guess I just thought it ould all ork out and I as very happy I as doing hat I anted to do. So I really as not frightened. 5 Q: Young enough to accept it all. CA1DWE11E Young enough to accept it. IFm sure I ouldnFt do it no . But e arrived at Port Said and then took the train to Cairo.