Posted by Lori Shoemaker on Jul 04, 2008 - 07:01 PM
![J. Thomas Schieffer commemorates the Fourth of July in Japan July 4, 2008. [State Dept.]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/UNGA/field/2008_0704_japan_bh_m.jpg)
About the Author: Lori Shoemaker is the Assistant Press Attache at U.S. Embassy Tokyo.
At the U.S. Embassy's Independence Day celebration in Tokyo, Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer enjoyed making the party a very festive one with some great entertainment. As the Ambassador greeted the long line of arriving guests, Tokyo Disneyland's Mickey Mouse and Goofy circulated and posed for photos, moving to the rhythm of the Seventh Fleet Dixieland band which played onstage. After the solemn Marine Color Guard ceremony, Crystal Kay thrilled the party with her singing of the "Star-Spangled Banner" and the Japanese national anthem. The…
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Posted by Lisa Heilbronn on Jul 04, 2008 - 06:08 PM
![U.S. Foreign Service Nationals perform national anthem in Uganda July 3, 2008. [State Dept.]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/UNGA/field/2008_0703_uganda_bh_m.jpg)
About the Author: Lisa Heilbronn is the Public Affairs Officer at U.S. Embassy Kampala.
Kampala's 2008 Independence Day Celebration was unusual in several respects this year. First of all, the reception and ceremony were held on the embassy compound in the main courtyard in front of the Mission rather than at the Ambassador's residence. Despite initial doubts, the end result was very welcoming, and the crowd seemed to enjoy the event as much as the traditional garden reception. The ceremony highlighted the strong U.S.-Ugandan partnership by featuring the Ugandan national anthem sung by a choir of local employees in traditional…
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Posted by DipNote Bloggers on Jul 04, 2008 - 05:13 PM
![Ambassador Janet Garvey during Independence Day in Yaoundé, Cameroon July 3, 2008. [State Dept.]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/UNGA/field/2008_0703_july4_bh_m.jpg)
On the Fourth of July, most Americans reflect on our nation and freedom, barbeque with friends and family, and watch fireworks and parades. For U.S. diplomats, the Fourth of July represents an opportunity to share the American experience and strengthen relationships with foreign counterparts. For all of us, this holiday also stands as a reminder of the democratic values we so cherish.
DipNote’s editors asked our colleagues serving around the world to share about their embassies’ Independence Day celebrations, which you'll find below, and we wish all of our readers a Happy Fourth of July!
From the U.S. Embassy…
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Posted by Alberto Rodriguez on Jul 01, 2008 - 10:32 AM
![Weapons siezed along the U.S.-Mexico border in Mexico City January 8, 2008. [AP file photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/UNGA/field/2008_0701_merida_bh_m.jpg)
About the Author: Alberto Rodriguez is the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador.
As a Foreign Service Officer who has served in the Caribbean, Mexico, Colombia, and now in El Salvador, I have witnessed first-hand the threat that narco-terrorists, narco-traffickers and trans-national gangs pose to the United States and countries in the region. The United States recognizes that these…
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Posted by John Matel on Jun 30, 2008 - 11:14 AM
![A helicopter carrying troops takes off from a military base at sunrise July 7, 2006 in Iraq. [AP]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/UNGA/field/2008_0630_iraq_bv_m.jpg)
Today we have come out of the darkness into a new morning. It is still a little too dark to see clearly all the features, and it is still…
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