A Tribute to Peter Rodman, 1943-2008

I was shocked and immensely saddened by news of the death of Peter Rodman last weekend at the tragically young age of 64. I have known Peter and his wife, Veronique, over I don't know how many years. Quietly but influentially, Peter served in various positions in the Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II administrations; he worked closely with Henry Kissinger in the 1970s and in writing his extraordinary memoirs. Peter wrote often for National Review, and there are moving tributes on National Review Online from Michael Ledeen, Rich Lowry, John O'Sullivan, Douglas Feith, Donald Rumsfeld, and Mario Loyola. I can't improve on their contributions, but I knew Peter well enough to verify their picture of him as wise, learned, witty, and indulgent. Unlike many prominent in Republican and Democratic foreign policy circles, Peter did not seek to advance his own fortunes and was happy to accept subordinate positions if he could be of service. There is no one quite like him. And no one quite like his wonderful wife, Veronique, a colleague at the American Enterprise Institute.