Pieces of String Too Short to Save: A Memoir About Life, Journalism and Foreign Service

Bob Chancellor became interested in journalism while attending what is now Missouri State University in Springfield. After working for newspapers, radio and television stations, he was hired in 1963 by Voice of America (The United States government’s official overseas radio network) as a news writer, editor and eventually, a foreign correspondent. Married to his college sweetheart, Linda, and with their four children, they began an adventurous life in Bangkok, Thailand; Tokyo, Japan; Nairobi, Kenya; Jerusalem, Israel; Johannesburg, South Africa; and in Houston, Texas. As Bob traveled to cover news in more than 35 countries, Linda coped with foreign living, servants, schools and raising children in an unusual environment. Upon retirement after 26 years, Bob and Linda moved back to Springfield, Missouri, where Bob became involved in civic affairs and was elected to the City Council. Bob discusses covering wars, revolutions and political ferment from Vietnam to Israel, from Uganda to Zimbabwe and Namibia , the space program and the Watergate conspiracy trial; both the serious and the fun side of journalism. He begins with his family’s arrival in the United States, his youthful days in a small Missouri town, his unplanned entry into journalism and ends with his views of the profession today. Linda, meanwhile, remembers making homes for her family in six countries, nine cities and 25 different houses. Despite the tribulations and because of the triumphs, Bob and Linda are still happily married after 53 years.

This book began about eight years ago, during some sleepless nights, as an exercise for my children and grand children, to tell them about, and remind them about, our lives.  Then it languished, occasionally visited on my hard drive, until last spring when a writer friend nudged me to expand and complete it.  As friends and I read through various drafts, we concluded "Pieces of String Too Short to Save" might be of interest to other readers as well: perhaps other journalists, folks curious about the Foreign Service or Voice of America, even prospective travelers.

There is no "Sturm und Drang" here; no lives clinging precariously on the cliff's edge.  Just the story of a small-town, mid-western boy, and his intrepid letter-writing wife, who became a journalist and took his family on a fascinating journey to live in foreign lands.

SOME EXCERPTS

My maternal grandmother...was frugal.  She lived alone as a widow for more than 20 years, maintaining an apartment in Kansas City. She saved paper bags, aluminum foil and string.  At the time she was moved to a nursing home late in 1965, my aunt was helping to clean out accumulated possessions in grandmother's apartment, which included a large ball of string which had been saved and wound up for many years.  And in that same cabinet, she found a full cardboard box, labeled "pieces of string too short to save." That is sort of the way with this work - there is not enough here to make a full ball, just a lot of little snippets which don't really wind together.  But, I hope, there are at least enough "pieces of string too short to save" to fill a box.  -- From Introduction
(In 1965, I was a writer in the Voice of America newsroom in Washington, and NBC newsman John Chancellor was named by President Johnson as Director of the VOA. In 1966, I was sent to Vietnam on a temporary assignment.  And the following ensued:)

Tan Son Nhut airport in Saigon was an overwhelming place for a fledgling foreign correspondent on his first assignment.  .  I had no idea where I was supposed to go, or what I was supposed to do.  So I found a telephone and called JUSPAO - the Joint U.S. Public Affairs Office - and told the duty officer who answered: "This is Bob (I may have mumbled that part) Chancellor from VOA in Washington, and I am at the airport and I don't have a way into town.""I'm sorry, Mr. Chancellor.  I don't think we knew you were coming.  I will send someone out to get you " A car was to be sent when a foreign service officer jumped in and said he would retrieve the distinguished visitor.  Did I cause all that confusion intentionally? - well, maybe a little bit.  But I did say "Bob," not "John."
 -- From Chapter  13