Douglas Ramsey (diplomat)
Douglas Kent Ramsey | |
|---|---|
Ramsey in his State Department portrait | |
| Born | August 15, 1934 Tocsin, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | February 23, 2018 (aged 83) Boulder City, Nevada, U.S. |
| Education | Wasatch Academy Occidental College (BA) Harvard University |
| Occupations | Diplomat, Foreign Service officer |
| Employer(s) | United States Department of State United States Information Agency (USIA) United States Agency for International Development (USAID) |
| Known for | Vietnam War prisoner of war (1966–1973) |
| Awards | State Department Award for Valor Harriman Award Prisoner of War Medal |
Douglas Kent Ramsey (August 15, 1934 – February 23, 2018) was an American diplomat and Foreign Service officer who spent seven years as a prisoner of war (POW) during the Vietnam War. Serving with the United States Information Agency (USIA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in South Vietnam, Ramsey was captured by Viet Cong forces in 1966 while overseeing rural pacification efforts. One of a small number of American civilians held as prisoners of war during the conflict, Ramsey endured one of the longest such captivities of the war. He was released during Operation Homecoming in 1973.
Following his release, Ramsey returned to the United States Foreign Service, serving in diplomatic posts across Asia before retiring in 1988 due to health complications resulting from his imprisonment.