Adolph "Spike" Dubs
World War II Navy officer and Soviet affairs specialist; ambassador to Afghanistan, kidnapped in Kabul and killed during the rescue attempt in February 1979.
Service Record
| Born | August 4, 1920, Chicago, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Education | Carl Schurz High School, 1938; B.A., Political Science, Beloit College, 1942; graduate study, Georgetown University; foreign service studies, Harvard and Washington University in St. Louis |
| Military | U.S. Navy, World War II; lieutenant commander |
| Posts | Germany, Liberia, Canada, Yugoslavia, Soviet Union |
| Chargé d'affaires, Moscow | 1973 – 1974 |
| U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan | 1978 – February 14, 1979 |
| Died | February 14, 1979, Kabul, Afghanistan |
| Memorials | AFSA memorial plaque; memorial in Kabul; Camp Dubs, Kabul; Arlington National Cemetery |
Overview
Spike Dubs was a seasoned Soviet affairs specialist. He was sent to Kabul after the 1978 Saur Revolution and was killed there less than a year later.
Early Life and Education
Born in Chicago, he graduated from Carl Schurz High School in 1938 and from Beloit College in 1942 with a degree in political science. He later pursued graduate study at Georgetown and foreign service studies at Harvard and at Washington University in St. Louis.
Military Service
He served in the United States Navy during the Second World War, rising to lieutenant commander.
Career
As a career Foreign Service Officer he served in Germany, Liberia, Canada, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union. In 1973 and 1974 he was chargé d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, running the mission between ambassadors at the height of détente. He was named ambassador to Afghanistan in 1978.
Sacrifice
On February 14, 1979, four men stopped his car on the way to the embassy and took him to Room 117 of the Kabul Hotel. U.S. officials urged Afghan authorities to wait. Instead, acting on Soviet advice, Afghan police stormed the room with heavy gunfire. Ambassador Dubs was killed.
Legacy
He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The American Foreign Service Association honors him on its memorial plaque at the Truman Building in Washington, and a memorial stands in Kabul. Decades later, a U.S. military installation at the Darul Aman Palace in Kabul was named Camp Dubs.
Recognition
Envoys of Record honors Adolph "Spike" Dubs among the members of the Foreign Service who gave their lives in the service of the United States. Their names are kept here so that their service is not forgotten.