Peace Corps volunteers reunite, reminisce in Greene

By Bill Martin, Special Correspondent
Published: July 10, 2008

They were young, energetic, and filled with wide-eyed, world-changing idealism when they answered JFK’s call and went to West Africa back in 1977. 
It had been 31 long years but a group of Peace Corps volunteers that gathered in Greene over the 4th of July weekend found they still shared John F. Kennedy’s vision for a nation that reaches out to build bridges to lesser developed nations and their people.  Greene County and the Charlottesville area on this July holiday were a perfect venue for these not-so-young-anymore-patriots to compare personal and family notes while assessing the state of the nation 31 years later.
From July 3 to July 7, 15 former Peace Corps Volunteers and spouses who served in the Republic of Liberia, West Africa between 1977 and 1979, reunited in the South River area.  Organized by Bill and Dumi Martin, Greene County residents, the group stayed at the South River Country Inn and the cottages of Fairhill Farm.  Bill, a retired Foreign Service Officer and now a Realtor with Charlottesville Country Properties, served as a public health volunteer in Liberia between 1977 and 1980.
While the group’s primary goal over the long holiday weekend was to catch up on one another’s lives, they also wanted to celebrate America’s Independence near the homes of its greatest founding fathers.  Coming from as far as Seattle, San Diego, Tucson and Sedona, Arizona, South Bend, Indiana, Philadelphia and Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, the group discussed international public health issues, international conflicts, and U.S. foreign policy interests.  But they found their conversations returning to the adventures and misadventures of being young Americans in a foreign land implementing tuberculosis and malaria control programs, maternal and child health programs, and teaching public health practices to high school students at a time when global affairs seemed far less complicated than today.  Most lived in rural village settings, traveling great distances to work as the only Americans in their regions, often encountering very difficult, if not dangerous, situations.  They remarked how welcoming their host country of Liberia was to them—both as individuals and as a nation—and how America was viewed with intense reverence by Liberians as its model for nationhood.  And they spoke of their love and affection for the Liberian people, history and culture. 
After visiting Monticello, the returned Volunteers were struck with the ideals of Thomas Jefferson and how he would approve of the concept of a “Peace Corps” and international public service for Americans as complementary tools to an enlightened foreign policy that also includes a strong defense and a nimble diplomatic apparatus.
On July 5th, the group was treated to an evening at Bill and Dumi Martin’s home on Barnett Mountain in the Middle River area.  The guests of honor were Mr. Gay Zelee and Zarkpa Quaye and their 4 children, Liberians who have recently immigrated to the Charlottesville area.  Liberian music, singing, and dancing filled the hills over the Middle River area that evening.  And tears of joy and sadness were shed as the trials and tribulations of the Peace Corps experience and the painful recent history of Liberia were discussed.
Other side trips included tours of various Greene County sites, including Stone Mountain Vineyards and the Shenandoah National Forest.  The group parted ways Monday, July 7 but each of these former world travelers was struck with the beauty of the region and left with indelible memories of how important this region was in the formation of our great nation.  Though now in their mid-50s, with the wisdom that world travels can bestow, they all left richer for their stay in Greene County, Virginia.
Bill & Dumi Martin would like to thank Judy Braun of South River Country Inn and Lynn Keel of Fairhill Farm for their instrumental roles in hosting this international reunion in their most spectacular country properties.