Pete Peterson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about a POW and former U.S. Congressman. See also Peter George Peterson, a former U.S. Commerce Secretary.
Douglas Brian "Pete" Peterson (born June 26, 1935 in Omaha, Nebraska) was a US Air Force pilot who spent over six years (September 10, 1966-March 4, 1973) as a prisoner of the Vietcong after his plane was shot down during the Vietnam War. He returned to Hanoi in 1997 as the first U.S. ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, with the goal of securing an account of those still listed as missing in action from the war. He was an ambassador until 2001. While Ambassador in Hanoi, he made a social impact by marrying a Vietnamese Australian member of the Australian embassy.
Peterson grew up in Milton, Iowa and attended college at the University of Tampa. After the war ended, Peterson entered Central Michigan University in order to earn his Ph.D in finance. He later taught the subject as a professor at Florida State University. In 1990, Peterson ran as a Democrat for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in Florida's 2nd congressional district. He successfully defeated James Grant, a politician who grew unpopular after switching from a Democrat to a Republican in the middle of this second term. Peterson left his House seat in order to fill the roll as ambassador.
| Preceded by James W. Grant |
Representative of the 2nd Congressional District of Florida 1991-1997 |
Succeeded by Allen Boyd |
| Preceded by new office |
U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam 1997–2001 |
Succeeded by Raymond Burghardt |
