Iowans provide double Dinger Ambassadorship

Two Iowa men have returned to their hometown in northeast Iowa from their jobs on the other side of the globe. Fifty-six-year-old Larry Dinger and his 50-year-old brother, John, are both Ambassadors. John is the U-S Ambassador to Mongolia. Larry’s the Ambassador to Micronesia. The brothers came back to Riceville for a family reunion this past weekend with their sister. It’s been about five years since John and Larry have gotten together. Larry is serving in the tropics, so Iowa’s blast of cold weather has been a change for someone who says his “blood has thinned.”John says the frigid weather of late here is much like the weather in Mongolia. John entered the foreign service first after graduating from U-N-I. His older brother, Larry, followed eight years later when he was in his mid-30s and already a lawyer. John encourages folks to enter the foreign service.Larry says if you’re interested in public service and in living overseas and experiencing other cultures, then it’s a job to consider. The test to enter the foreign service will be given on April 1st. Check out www.state.gov on the Internet to find the section on careers in the foreign service. The brothers leave Thursday on long flights that’ll take them back to the other side of the world, but while they are here — there are more Ambassadors per capita in Riceville, Iowa than in any other city in the world.