As delivered 1/19/02

# Eulogy for Cyrus R. Vance

by Henry A. Kissinger

Cyrus Vance devoted his life to the service of his nation and the search for peace in the world. Dedicated, tenacious, unflappable, self-effacing, Cy was a gentleman of what is now called "the old school;" we would all be better off had qualities such as his remained commonplace.

We met in the 1960s when Cy served in the Pentagon as General Counsel, Secretary of the Army, and Deputy Secretary of Defense. In these positions, he displayed his characteristic common sense, which came to expression in the "Vance 2-1/2 Rule" about military procurement: Always remember that everything takes twice as long, costs twice as much, and works half as well as the original projection.

But the 1960s were not about management. America had launched itself with exuberance and noble motives into shaping a world in conformity with its values only to end the decade in division and turmoil.

It was a time for Cy's special qualities: a dedication to the cause of freedom, total reliability, profound respect for different points of view. Above all, Cy stood for that special brand of American optimism that sees the Golden Age in the future, not in the past, and therefore never doubts that even the most daunting problems are soluble.

Almost inevitably, Cy became the nation's indispensable troubleshooter. When thoughtful assessments and calm judgment were needed, he was called in: on Cyprus in 1967, on the Detroit conflagration in 1968 after the assassination of Martin Luther King, and as negotiator with the North Vietnamese in Paris. Given his service in the Pentagon, peace in Vietnam was a task especially close to his heart. Caught in the dilemma between our commitments and our possibilities, he devoted himself to the task with understated passion, despite being wracked by pain from a back injury that made it very difficult for him to get in and out of a car or even

2

to sit down. He occasionally slept on the floor of his office, and his
beloved Gay was pressed into service from time to time to tie his
shoelaces. I learned all of this not from Cy, of course, but from his staff.
His associates then and later spoke with affection and admiration of how
meticulously he worked, how carefully he prepared himself, how he would
edit any memorandum to remove superlatives or the word "very" and to
modify any sentence that began with an "I." Cy served his nation and his
principles, never himself; that is also why he rarely talked about his
service in the Navy during World War II. To Cy, doing one's duty was its
own reward.

What is not so widely known is that respect for his qualities extended into
the new Nixon administration. He was offered the position of
Undersecretary of State (now Deputy Secretary), and Secretary of State
Bill Rogers and I did our utmost to persuade him. Cy felt that he owed
his family some respite from public life. But two months later, in March
1969, President Nixon showed his confidence by asking Cy to go to
Moscow to initiate two simultaneous negotiations on behalf of the new
administration: talks with the Soviets on principles of strategic arms
limitation and with a North Vietnamese negotiator to achieve a rapid
breakthrough in the stalled peace talks. The project failed because Hanoi
refused to negotiate in Moscow and the Soviets were not yet ready to
begin strategic arms limitation talks. But Cy, as always when the nation
called, was ready.

During the years that followed, though we differed on a number of issues,
Cy and I consulted regularly.

Thus, when he was appointed Secretary of State to succeed me, it was
the most seamless of transitions. And after he took over, years of
preparation enabled him to take charge in his unobtrusive way. Cy
guided the nation's foreign policy during the conclusion of the Panama
treaties, the Egyptian-Israeli peace agreement, the second strategic arms
limitation agreement, and completing the process of normalizing relations
with China. Several of these measures were controversial; all have
proved an integral part of the nation's international architecture.
(Though SALT II was never ratified, largely because of the Soviet invasion
of Afghanistan, its limits were maintained by each succeeding
administration for over twenty years.) And when the administration in

3

which he served took a decision which he felt he could not defend, Cy
resigned over principle - only the second Secretary of State in history to
do so. But he never publicly argued the issue; he had too much respect
for the nation to expose it to a debate between the President and his
Secretary of State.

Out of office, Cy returned to the law firm Simpson, Thacher and Bartlett.
But the practice of law did not keep him from service to his country and
to the world. Cy took on missions for several UN Secretaries General in
the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia, in South
Africa, and then in the Balkans. His advice there jointly with David Owen
proved, in my view, profoundly farsighted.

By the 1980s, we had become good friends. There were family lunches
at Martha's Vineyard, and family to Cy included not only Gay, to whom he
was so devoted, but also Natasha, the basset hound, and her successors.

Cy was most concerned about how, having lived through the complexity
and anguish of policymaking in a divided country, he might ease the task
of his successors. I was honored that he permitted me to participate in
this effort. In 1988, on the eve of a presidential election, Cy and I wrote
a joint article for *Foreign Affairs*, calling for a restoration of bipartisanship
in foreign policy and comity in executive-congressional relations. In
1994, Cy and I wrote another joint article to contribute to a bipartisan
approach to China policy. In pursuit of the same objective, we jointly
chaired a group to visit the Soviet Union in 1987 and China in 1998. In
the last months of Cy's life, the nation has come together on foreign
policy - as he had hoped.

The late great Ambassador Chip Bohlen used to quote from *Alice in
Wonderland*: "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get
you there." Cyrus Vance always knew where he was going. He will be
laid to rest, by his choice, in Arlington National Cemetery among the
comrades who, like he, each in his or her own way devoted their lives to
service. It will be the end of a long journey that advanced the cause of
peace, brought honor to his country and decency to the world.

2

We met in the 1960s when Cy served in
the Pentagon as General Counsel, Secretary
of the Army, and Deputy Secretary of
Defense. It was then that he proclaimed
the "2-1/2 Rule" about military
procurement; to the effect that everything
takes twice as long, costs twice as much,

In these positions he displayed his trademark
common sense while at war with his brother's
proclaimed
come & expression in
Vermont

always commit
procurement; to the effect that everything
takes twice as long, costs twice as much,

3

and works half as well as the original
projections.

4

5

6

peace in Vietnam was a task especially
close to his heart. Caught in the dilemma
between our commitments and our
possibilities, he devoted himself to the task
with understated passion, despite being
wracked by pain from a back injury that
made it very difficult for him to get in and
out of a car or even to sit down. He
occasionally slept on the floor of his office,

7

8

9

the position of Undersecretary of State
(now Deputy Secretary), and Secretary of
State Bill Rogers and I did our utmost to
persuade him. Cy felt that he owed his
family some respite from public life. But
two months later, in March 1969, President
Nixon showed his confidence by inviting Cy
to go to Moscow to initiate two
simultaneous negotiations on behalf of the

10

new administration: talks with the Soviets
on principles of strategic arms limitation
and with a North Vietnamese negotiator to
achieve a rapid breakthrough in the stalled
peace talks. The project failed because
Hanoi refused to negotiate in Moscow and
the Soviets were not yet ready to begin
strategic arms limitation talks, and Nixon

11

continued to try to link negotiations with
progress toward peace in Vietnam. But as always when the nation calledously.

12

take charge in his unobtrusive way. Cy
guided the nation's foreign policy to the
conclusion of the Panama treaties, the
Egyptian-Israeli peace agreement, the
second strategic arms limitation agreement,
and completing the process of normalizing
relations with China. Several of these
measures were controversial; all have
proved an integral part of the nation's

13

international architecture. (Though SALT II
was never ratified, largely because of the
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, its limits
were maintained by each succeeding
administration for over twenty years.) And
when the administration in which he served
took a decision which he felt he could not
defend, Cy resigned over principle - only
the second Secretary of State in history to

14

Out of office, Cy returned to the law firm
Simpson, Thacher and Bartlett [that meant
so much to him.] But the practice of law did
not keep him from service to his country
and to the world. Cy took on missions for

15

the UN Secretary-General in the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia, in South Africa, and then in the Balkans. And his advice then proved, in my view, profoundly farsighted.

17

restoration of bipartisanship in foreign
policy and comity in executive-
congressional relations: "We have decided
to write this article together because of our
deep belief that the security of free peoples
and the growth of freedom both demand a
restoration of bipartisan consensus in
foreign policy." And we then outlined our

18

views on a number of subjects before the
nation.

19

nation has come together on foreign policy
– as he had hoped.

The late great Ambassador Chip Bohlen
quote from Alice in Wonderland
used to say: "If you don't know where you
are going, any road will get you there."

1/19/02-FINAL

Cyrus Vance

Cyrus Vance made a seminal contribution to the peace of the world
and the security of the country. Dedicated, tenacious, unflappable, self-
effacing, Cy was a gentleman of what is now called "the old school;" we
would all be better off had qualities such as his remained commonplace.

We met in the 1960s when Cy served in the Pentagon as General Counsel, Secretary of the Army, and Deputy Secretary of Defense. It was then that he proclaimed the "2-1/2 Rule" about military procurement, to the effect that everything takes twice as long, costs twice as much, and works half as well as the original projections.

3

peace in Vietnam was a task especially close to his heart. Caught in the
dilemma between our commitments and our possibilities, he devoted
himself to the task with understated passion, despite being wracked by
pain from a back injury that made it very difficult for him to get in and
out of a car or even to sit down. He occasionally slept on the floor of his
office, and his beloved Gay was pressed into service from time to time to
tie his shoelaces. I learned all of this not from Cy, of course, but from his
staff. His associates then and later spoke with affection and admiration
of how meticulously he worked, how carefully he prepared himself, how
he would edit any memorandum to remove superlatives or the word
"very" and to modify any sentence that began with an "I." Cy served his
nation and his principles, never himself; that is also why he rarely talked

What is not so widely known is that respect for his qualities
extended into the new Nixon administration. He was offered the position
of Undersecretary of State (now Deputy Secretary), and Secretary of
State Bill Rogers and I did our utmost to persuade him. Cy felt that he
owed his family some respite from public life. But two months later, in
March 1969, President Nixon showed his confidence by inviting Cy to go
to Moscow to initiate two simultaneous negotiations on behalf of the new
administration: talks with the Soviets on principles of strategic arms
limitation and with a North Vietnamese negotiator to achieve a rapid
breakthrough in the stalled peace talks. The project failed because Hanoi
refused to negotiate in Moscow and the Soviets were not yet ready to

5

begin strategic arms limitation talks, and Nixon continued to try to link
negotiations with progress toward peace in Vietnam.

Thus, when he was appointed Secretary of State to succeed me, it
was the most seamless of transitions. And after he took over, years of
preparation enabled him to take charge in his unobtrusive way. Cy
guided the nation's foreign policy to the conclusion of the Panama
treaties, the Egyptian-Israeli peace agreement, the second strategic arms
limitation agreement, and completing the process of normalizing relations
with China. Several of these measures were controversial; all have
proved an integral part of the nation's international architecture.

6

of Afghanistan, its limits were maintained by each succeeding
administration for over twenty years.) And when the administration in
which he served took a decision which he felt he could not defend, Cy
resigned over principle - only the second Secretary of State in history to
do so. But he never publicly argued the issue; he had too much respect
for the nation to expose it to a debate between the President and his
Secretary of State.

Out of office, Cy returned to the law firm Simpson, Thacher and
Bartlett that meant so much to him. But the practice of law did not keep
him from service to his country and to the world. Cy took on missions for
the UN Secretary General in the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between
Azerbaijan and Armenia, in South Africa, and then in the Balkans. And
his advice then proved, in my view, profoundly farsighted.

7

Cy and I most often talked about how, having lived through the
complexity and anguish of policymaking in a divided country, we could
ease the task of our successors. In 1988, on the eve of a presidential
election, Cy and I wrote a joint article for *Foreign Affairs*, calling for a
restoration of bipartisanship in foreign policy and comity in executive-
congressional relations: "We have decided to write this article together
because of our deep belief that the security of free peoples and the
growth of freedom both demand a restoration of bipartisan consensus in

8

foreign policy." And we then outlined our views on a number of subjects
before the nation.

The late great Ambassador Chip Bohlen used to say: "If you don't
know where you are going, any road will get you there." Cyrus Vance
always knew where he was going. He will be laid to rest, by his choice, in
Arlington National Cemetery among the comrades who, like he, each in
his or her own way devoted their lives to service. It will be the end of a
long journey that brought honor to his country and decency to the world.

Final reading

1/19/02-FINAL

Cyrus Vance

Cyrus Vance made a seminal
contribution to the peace of the world and
the security of the country. Dedicated,
tenacious, unflappable, self-effacing, Cy
was a gentleman of what is now called "the
old school;" we would all be better off had

2

We met in the 1960s when Cy served in
the Pentagon as General Counsel, Secretary
of the Army, and Deputy Secretary of
Defense. It was then that he proclaimed
the "2-1/2 Rule" about military
procurement, to the effect that everything
takes twice as long, costs twice as much,

3

4

5

6

7

8

its own reward.

9

10

11

12

13

14

Out of office, Cy returned to the law firm
Simpson, Thacher and Bartlett that meant
so much to him. But the practice of law did
not keep him from service to his country
and to the world. Cy took on missions for

15

the UN Secretary General in the Nagorno-
Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and
Armenia, in South Africa, and then in the
Balkans. And his advice then proved, in my
view, profoundly farsighted.

16

17

18

19

01-19-02 00:10

ID=212 4215882

P01/09

1/18/02

Cyrus Vance

Cyrus Vance made a seminal contribution to the peace of the world and the security of the country. Dedicated, Ambitious to do rather than to be, tenacious, unflappable, as dedicated to the cause of freedom as he was self-effacing in his demeanor, Cy was a gentleman of what is now called "the old school;" we would all be better off had qualities such as his remained commonplace.

We met in the 1960s when Cy served in the Pentagon as General Counsel, Secretary of the Army, and Deputy Secretary of Defense. It was then that he invented the "2-1/2 Rule" about military procurement, to the

01-19-02 00:11

ID=212 4215882

P02/09

2

It was a time for Cy's special qualities: a keen sense of direction,
total reliability, profound respect for different points of view. Above all,
Cy stood for a special brand of American optimism that sees the Golden
Age in the future, not in the past, and therefore never doubts that even
the most daunting problems are soluble.

01-19-02 00:11

ID=212 4215882

P03/09

3

peace in Vietnam was a task especially close to his heart. He performed it with understated passion despite being wracked by pain from a back injury that made it very difficult for him to get in and out of a car or even to sit down. He occasionally slept on the floor of his office, and his beloved Gay was pressed into service from time to time to tie his shoelaces. I learned all of this not from Cy, of course, but from his staff.

01-19-02 00:11

ID=212 4215882

P04/09

President Nixon showed his confidence by asking me to invite Cy to go to Moscow to initiate two simultaneous negotiations on behalf of the new administration: talks with the Soviets on principles of strategic arms limitation and with a North Vietnamese negotiator to achieve a rapid breakthrough in the stalled peace talks. The project failed because Hanoi refused to negotiate in Moscow and the Soviets were not yet ready to

01-19-02 00:11

ID=212 4215882

P05/09

5

Thus, when he was appointed Secretary of State to succeed me, it
was the most seamless of transitions. From the day Cy was nominated
until the end of the transition, we worked as a team. And after he took
over, years of preparation enabled him to take charge in his understated
way. Cy guided the nation's foreign policy to the conclusion of the
Panama treaties, the Egyptian-Israeli peace agreement, the second
strategic arms limitation agreement, and completing the process of
normalizing relations with China. Many of these measures were
controversial; all have proved an integral part of the nation's international

01-19-02 00:12

ID=212 4215882

P06/09

6

architecture. (Though SALT II was never ratified, largely because of the
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, its limits were maintained by each
succeeding administration for over twenty years.) And when the
administration in which he served took a decision which he felt he could
not defend, Cy resigned over principle - only the second Secretary of
State in history to do so. But he never publicly argued the issue; he had
too much respect for the nation to expose it to a debate between the
President and his Secretary of State.

Out of office, Cy returned to the law firm Simpson, Thacher and
Bartlett that meant so much to him. But the practice of law did not keep
him from service to his country and to the world. Cy took on missions for
the UN Secretary General in the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between

01-19-02 00:12

ID=212 4215882

P08/09

8

Affairs, calling for a restoration of bipartisanship in foreign policy and comity in executive-congressional relations: "We have decided to write this article together because of our deep belief that the security of free peoples and the growth of freedom both demand a restoration of bipartisan consensus in foreign policy." And we then outlined our views on a number of subjects before the nation.

In 1994, Cy and I wrote another joint article to contribute to a bipartisan approach to China policy. In pursuit of the same objective, we jointly visited Russia in 1987 and, in 1998, China.

In the last months of Cy's life, the nation has come together—as he had hoped. Cy will be laid to rest, by his choice, in Arlington National Cemetery among the comrades who, like he, each in his own way devoted their lives to the service of peace and values of the nation.