Diary Entry - 04/13/1984

Bad luck day here but a big holiday—the beginning of New Year in Thailand. P.M. Prem pd. his 2nd visit to the U.S. We have a fine relationship with him & with his country. Our meetings were productive & we are able to offer some help—M.48 tanks to begin with. George S. & Bud & I met to discuss how we fund mil. needs of El Salvador with Congress going on recess & no action on appropriation we asked for. El Salvador is scraping the bottom of the barrel on ammunition & medical supplies. Saw some Ambas’s. off & some arriving. Then Admin. time. I received the Adenauer medal from the German foundation in his name. It was presented by Dr. Bruno Heck who entertained us in Bonn in ’78. Rcvd. also the Life Achievement Award from the All American Collegiate Golf Assn. Met 10 of our new Hispanic appointees & had a photo (farewell) with Casey Conrad who is leaving after heading up our Physical Fitness program. Early evening I addressed 12,000 Baptist Fundamentalists. I decided to read the account a Chaplain wrote of the Beirut, Airport disaster. Then we went on to White House Correspondents Dinner. I was picked on a little but think I might have tapped them with some Gridiron type one liners.