Editing John Peurifoy (section)

==Diplomatic Career==
Peurifoy’s diplomatic assignments cemented his status as the State Department’s “ace troubleshooter in Communist hotspots,” per The New York Times.

Ambassador to Greece (1950–1953): Appointed by Truman in July 1950, Peurifoy arrived in Athens post-civil war (1946–1949), facing a volatile political landscape. His assertive style, described by Greek media as treating governments as “subservient,” alienated some, with To Vima calling his approach “vile and brutal.” He clashed with Joseph McCarthy, believing the senator engineered his transfer due to a dispute over security files, though his anti-communist credentials made him ideal for Greece. Peurifoy secured U.S.-Greek relations, ensuring NATO alignment, and earned praise for his hands-on diplomacy. His tenure in Greece coincided with significant CIA operations and United States and NATO destabilization efforts.

Ambassador to Guatemala (1953–1954): In October 1953, under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Secretary John Foster Dulles sent Peurifoy to Guatemala to confront President Jacobo Árbenz’s government, accused of communist leanings due to land reforms threatening the [[United Fruit Company]] (UFCO). Peurifoy played a central role in [[Operation PBSuccess]], the CIA-led coup to overthrow Árbenz. Arriving in November 1953, he pressed Árbenz to expel communists, delivering ultimatums that echoed UFCO’s smear campaign, as noted in Bitter Fruit by Stephen Schlesinger and Stephen Kinzer. In June 1954, he coordinated with the CIA, uniting rebel leader Carlos Castillo Armas and junta head Elfego Monzón to ensure Castillo Armas’s presidency. Declassified CIA documents (1997) confirm Peurifoy’s influence, with his negotiations pivotal to the coup’s success, though critics argue he exacerbated Guatemala’s descent into civil war (1960–1996). Another posting coinciding with another CIA orchestrated coup.

Ambassador to Thailand (1954–1955): In September 1954, Peurifoy was appointed ambassador to Thailand, a key U.S. ally in Southeast Asia amid increased rhetoric about the communist influence in Indochina. [[Allen Dulles]] expected him to counter communism, leveraging his Guatemala experience. His tenure was brief, cut short by tragedy. Thailand, during this period, was critical to the CIA heroin networks set up inconjunction with Taiwan's leader [[Chiang Kai-shek]].