{{Short description|American diplomat (1927–1984)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Leamon Hunt <!-- include middle initial, if not specified in birth_name --> | image = <!-- just the filename, without the File: or Image: prefix or enclosing brackets --> | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth_date|1927|10|07}} | birth_place = Gibbs Twp, Johnston, Oklahoma, US{{r|Census}} | spouse = Joyce Conneally Hunt | death_date = {{Death_date_and_given_age|1984|02|15|56}} | death_place = Rome, Italy | death_cause = Assassination by gunshot | other_names = | title = Director General of the Multinational Force and Observers | term = 1981–1984 | successor = Viktor Dikeos{{r|Lodi}} | resting_place = Alexandria, Virginia, US{{r|Funeral}} | known_for = }}

'''Leamon R. Hunt''' (October 7, 1927 – February 15, 1984) was a United States diplomat who became the first Director General of the international peacekeeping force, Multinational Force and Observers (MFO).{{r|MFO Hist}} He was assassinated by members of the Red Brigades in 1984.{{r|KNE}}

==Career== Hunt served in several diplomatic posts in his career. He was the Deputy Chief of Mission for the US embassy in Lebanon{{r|Lebanon}} and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Operations{{r|trip}} before his nomination as the first Director General of the MFO in July 1981.{{r|Star}} As part of his duties, Hunt appointed Norwegian Lieutenant General Fredrik V. Bull-Hansen to be the first Force Commander of the MFO. Hunt then established a temporary headquarters in Alexandria, VA and began designing the infrastructure for the group in Sinai. He also defined the hierarchical and logistical structures of the organization.{{r|MFO Info}}

==Assassination== {{Campaignbox Years of Lead (Italy)}} On February 15, 1984, at 6:45&nbsp;p.m., Hunt arrived at his gated home in Rome.<ref group="note">While some news reports originally claimed that Hunt was assassinated at a traffic light near his house, this was found to be false when multiple witnesses claimed that the attack had taken place at Hunt's house.</ref> As he was waiting for the gate to open, three gunmen emerged from a Fiat 128 across the street and opened fire on Hunt's Alfa Romeo armored limousine with automatic weapons.{{r|KNE}} While none of the rounds fired at the limousine penetrated, one gunman jumped on the trunk and fired into the upper edge of the rear window. One of the 7.65mm rounds broke through the rubber and metal window frame and struck Hunt in the skull.{{r|Targeted}}{{r|PBP}} He was taken to a local hospital in Rome, where he died an hour later.{{r|Telegraph}}

==Aftermath== Initially, the attack was claimed by both the Red Brigades and the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions (LARF). A caller, claiming to be from the Red Brigades, called a Milan radio station shortly after the assassination, saying, "This is the Communist Party. We must claim the attempt on General Hunt, the guarantor of the Camp David agreements. The imperialist forces must leave Lebanon. Italy must leave NATO. No to the installations of missiles at Comiso."{{r|PBP}} Evidence from the scene revealed the Red Brigades to have committed the assassination.{{r|Jessup}}

Kenneth Dam, Deputy Secretary of State, spoke on behalf of Secretary of State George Shultz. Dam said, "Ray Hunt died in the cause of peace. It is a cruel irony that, like many others who devoted their lives to the highest aspirations of mankind, he was the victim of evil terrorism which haunts our world today. The full and successful life of service which Ray Hunt led, and the sacrifice he made, should inspire us to rededicate ourselves to building a more peaceful world in which hatred and violence have no place."{{r|Telegraph}} President Ronald Reagan also commented on Hunt's death, saying that he represented "the best in America".{{r|Reagan}} Hunt was flown from Rome to Andrews Field for the funeral, and was interred at a church in Alexandria on February 21.{{r|Funeral}}

==Notes== {{Reflist|group=note}}

==References== {{Reflist|3|refs= <ref name="Lebanon"> {{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title =300 Evacuees Leave Safely | newspaper =The Lakeland Ledger | page =4A | date =July 27, 1976 | url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=r6swAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yPoDAAAAIBAJ&dq=leamon-hunt&pg=6944%2C6900684 | access-date = May 1, 2013}} </ref>

<ref name="trip"> {{cite web|url=http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/0248/whpr19741117-006.pdf|title=Gerald R. Ford Administration White House Press Release|website=Ford Library Museum|date=November 1974|access-date=27 June 2023}}</ref>

<ref name="Telegraph"> {{cite news | author =United Press International | author-link =United Press International | title =Slain diplomat honored | newspaper =The Telegraph-Herald | page =4 | date =February 22, 1984 | url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WzRFAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xrsMAAAAIBAJ&dq=leamon-hunt&pg=6806%2C1944701 | accessdate = May 1, 2013}} </ref>

<ref name="Targeted"> {{cite book | last =McGovern | first =Glenn P.| title =Targeted Violence | publisher =CRC Press | year =2010 | pages =224–225 | location =Boca Raton, FL | isbn = 978-1-4398-2512-9}} </ref>

<ref name="PBP"> {{cite news | last =Albright | first =Joseph | title =American Sinai Force Director Slain | newspaper =The Palm Beach Post | date =February 16, 1984 | url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5f8sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hs0FAAAAIBAJ&dq=leamon-hunt&pg=4656%2C4287277 | accessdate = May 1, 2013}} </ref>

<ref name="Star"> {{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title =American to lead new force in Sinai | newspaper =Wilmington Morning Star | page =5A | date =July 18, 1981 | url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=d8QsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WxMEAAAAIBAJ&dq=leamon%20hunt%20al-ahram&pg=4492%2C4104545 | accessdate = May 1, 2013}} </ref>

<ref name="MFO Hist"> {{cite web |url=http://mfo.org/history |title=MFO - Multinational Force & Observers - History |accessdate=2013-05-01 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130616083504/http://mfo.org/history |archivedate=2013-06-16 }} </ref>

<ref name="MFO Info"> {{cite web |url=http://mfo.org/info/38 |title=MFO - Multinational Force & Observers |accessdate=2013-05-01 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130616083535/http://mfo.org/info/38 |archivedate=2013-06-16 }} </ref>

<ref name="Funeral"> {{cite news | agency = Associated Press | title =Tuesday funeral for diplomat | newspaper =Lawrence Journal-World | page =2A | date =February 19, 1984 | url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5pEyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gugFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4971%2C3290741 | accessdate = May 1, 2013}} </ref>

<ref name="Census"> [http://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10011/1930-united-states-federal-census?itemId=143941067-&groupId=80eea5a49240c7ecaa190ede337f101f&action=showRecord 1930 US Federal Census] myheritage.com</ref>

<ref name="Lodi"> {{cite news | author =United Press International | title =Soldiers were assigned peace-keeping mission | newspaper =Lodi News-Sentinel | page =15 | date =December 15, 1985 | url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4LUzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oTIHAAAAIBAJ&dq=leamon-hunt&pg=4774%2C5502250 | accessdate = May 1, 2013}} </ref>

<ref name="Jessup"> {{cite book | last =Jessup | first =John E. | title =An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Conflict and Conflict Resolution, 1945–1996 | publisher =Greenwood Press | year =1998 | location =Westport, CT | page =293 | isbn =0-313-28112-2}} </ref>

<ref name="KNE"> {{cite news | agency =Associated Press | title =Red Brigade claims assassination of Hunt | newspaper =Kentucky New Era | page =5A | date =February 16, 1984 | url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bCovAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sNwFAAAAIBAJ&dq=leamon-hunt&pg=3896%2C5185251 | accessdate = May 1, 2013}} </ref>

<ref name="Reagan"> {{cite news | title =Reagan lauds slain chief | newspaper =The Milwaukee Sentinel | page =3 | date =February 22, 1984}}</ref> }}

==Further reading== * {{cite book|last=Alexander|first=Yonah|title=Europe's red terrorists: the fighting communist organizations|year=1992|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=9780714634883|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mdNcZ_pmpUUC&q=leamon+hunt&pg=PA197}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunt, Leamon}} Category:1984 deaths Category:Assassinated American diplomats Category:1927 births Category:People from Johnston County, Oklahoma Category:Deaths related to the Years of Lead (Italy) Category:American people murdered abroad Category:1984 murders in Italy Category:People murdered in Lazio Category:Deaths by firearm in Italy