[citation needed] His habit of speaking his mind with force and candor grated on more than one superior, and for years he languished in the lower grades.

Sullivan turned down the request, repeatedly insisting the "civilian personnel" at Lima Site 85 should not be armed, but Secord decided to equip the technicians with weapons.

[10] Secord's fears were justified, as USAF reconnaissance aircraft regularly flying over northeastern Laos in 1967 revealed that the paved roads constructed by the North Vietnamese were obviously approaching Phou Pha Thi.

Road construction activities were observed along Routes 6 and 19, which connected Dien Bien Phu in North Vietnam with Phou Pha Thi and Nam Bac in Laos.

[11] Realizing the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) would try to destroy the installation, Secord advised the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane to evacuate all U.S. personnel.

As demonstrations increased in scale, Sullivan came into conflict with National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski over a resolution that would be acceptable to American interests.

Sullivan felt that compromise with the demonstrators and the Ayatollah Khomeini was necessary, while Brzezinski favored strong, unconditional support for the Shah of Iran and Iranian Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar.

[15] In the telegram, Sullivan comments on how total support for the shah has become increasingly unlikely and that options not considered relevant to the Carter administration may had to be taken in order to preserve the United States' interests in the region.

[16] The telegram would make its way to Jimmy Carter, who in response concluded that Sullivan may not be capable of saving the shah's regime and considered firing him.

[21] Sullivan wrote in his autobiography: "I had recommended that we accept the fact that a revolution was in progress and seek to use our not inconsiderable influence to steer its success toward its more moderate protagonists."

After Sullivan left Iran, the Embassy drew down to a skeleton staff, under the direction of Chargé d'Affaires Bruce Laingen, who later became one of 52 Americans held hostage by militant Iranian students.

Sullivan first traveled back to Vietnam in May 1989 to meet with Minister Thach, founded the U.S.–Vietnam Trade Council, and from then continued to work on steps towards the normalization.